international federation of horseracing authorities

Virtual IFHA Conference Looks Toward Racing’s Future

The 55th International Conference of Horseracing Authorities, organized by the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA), is scheduled to be held virtually for the second consecutive year, with a focus on global racing's evolution and future challenges.

Historically held in Paris, France, the day after the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (G1), this year's conference will be released digitally on Thursday, Oct. 7.

The conference will feature a keynote speech given by incoming IFHA Chair Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, who was recently elected as the new leader of the Federation following Louis Romanet's retirement, as well as several panel discussions.

“Under Louis Romanet's leadership, the Federation has made significant progress in achieving its mission as a vehicle for harnessing our collective efforts for the benefit of the future development and prosperity of Thoroughbred racing,” said Engelbrecht-Bresges. “It is a privilege to commence my term as the second Chair in the Federation's history, and I am energized at the prospect of working with our members and stakeholders to build on the Federation's sound foundations.”

Beyond the pandemic, racing faces further threats and challenges which will need to be tackled head-on in order for the sport to continue to grow and thrive, and the Conference's guest speakers will address several of those issues. Topics to be covered include digitalization and media; equine welfare; and climate change and sustainability. Respected presenter Rishi Persad returns again this year to serve as moderator.

The segment on digitalization and media will examine how racing must adapt and integrate new technologies and approaches to connect with the next generation of fans. FOX Sports's Executive Vice President, Head of Strategy and Analytics, Michael Mulvihill will discuss his experience in the field. Mulvihill is responsible for scheduling, strategic planning, Nielsen ratings analysis, and advertising sales and communications support within FOX Sports and helped facilitate the successful partnership between his organization and the New York Racing Association (NYRA).

Equine welfare will also take the spotlight during the Conference, with a particular focus on the need for comprehensive traceability as well as retirement systems and pathways. Jamie Stier and Di Arbuthnot will converse on the progress of equine welfare in these areas around the world. Stier serves as Racing Victoria's executive manager, integrity services, and in this role, he is responsible for equine welfare, veterinary services, stewarding, investigations and compliance, licensing, and prosecution of cases for integrity services. He was appointed Chair of the IFHA Horse Welfare Committee in 2015. Arbuthnot is the chief executive for Retraining of Racehorses (RoR), Great Britain's official charity concerning the welfare of retired racehorses. She also is the Chair of the International Forum for the Aftercare of Racehorses (IFAR) and has been instrumental in the formation of the forum in order to share best practices globally.

Additionally, the threat posed by climate change to all industries, including racing and sport, and the expected opportunities and challenges to racing and breeding in achieving net zero emission will be featured. Allen Hershkowitz will present information on climate change and the importance of sustainability, and then he will discuss his presentation with Persad. A Founding Director and Chairman of Sport and Sustainability International, Hershkowitz is currently Environmental Science Advisor to the New York Yankees, the first role of its kind in professional sports.

The videos from the International Conference of Horseracing Authorities will be posted on the IFHA's website and social media platforms.

The first International Conference of Horseracing Authorities was organized and hosted by the Société d'Encouragement in Paris, France, on October 9, 1967. Since 1994, the annual conference has been organized by the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities at France Galop. In 2019, the Conference convened delegates from more than 50 different countries with a number of other racing executives and media members in attendance. In 2020, it transitioned to a virtual format as the result of COVID-19, and in January, it was announced that the Japan Racing Association (JRA) has become the official partner of this year's Conference.

About IFHA

The IFHA is the global leader for the international sport of Thoroughbred racing, seeking to promote all facets of the worldwide sport; protect the welfare of the equine and human athlete; and protect and grow its global social and economic significance for current and future generations.

Major areas of the IFHA's activities include

Making and amending the International Agreement on Breeding, Racing and Wagering (the IABRW)
Policy development relating to welfare and safety of horses and riders
International Race Planning and Grading (“black type”)
World Rankings
The fight against Equine Prohibited Substances and Practices
Harmonization of Racing Rules
Certification of IFHA Reference Labs
Fostering commercial development of the racing industry globally

The IFHA is a foundation member with Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) of the International Horse Sports Confederation and is affiliated to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE).

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Louis Romanet Retires As IFHA Chairman; Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges Elected To Position

The International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA) announced today that its long-standing Chairman, Louis Romanet, has decided not to seek a further term and will conclude his tenure as Chairman in October. Romanet has served the IFHA with distinction since the organization's inception.

The Federation's Executive Council has appointed a new leadership team to commence a three-year term starting in October, and Mr Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges has been elected to serve as the second Chairman in the IFHA's history. Founded in 1994 and based in Paris since its establishment, the organization will henceforth be supported by a global management team which will be announced in October.

“It has been an honor, a privilege, and a pleasure to serve as the IFHA's Chairman since its beginning in March 1994,” said Romanet. “After 27 years in the chair, I am proud of the development of our great sport and its growth all over the world. It is time for me to step down in favor of new generations of leaders, and I am confident that our next Chair and Vice-Chairs, working alongside the Federation's Executive Council, will successfully progress the IFHA and international horse racing. I would like to warmly congratulate Winfried on his appointment to the role of IFHA Chairman. I am certain that he will bring the vision, energy and outstanding leadership qualities necessary to take racing's global body to the next level into the future.”

In recognition of his invaluable contribution to the IFHA, Romanet has been appointed to the honorary position of Chairman Emeritus of the Federation by the Executive Council, a position he will assume in October.

“There is nobody who can replicate the remarkable and sustained contribution to the IFHA which Louis has achieved,” said Engelbrecht-Bresges. “Louis has dedicated his working life to the advancement of racing. He has been a champion for the internationalization of racing and has worked over many years to set and promote the conditions necessary to support international competition. He has also had an unwavering commitment to prohibited substance-free racing, particularly through major reforms to Article 6 of the International Agreement on Breeding, Racing and Wagering.

“Louis was instrumental in initiating recent enhancements to the governance of the IFHA. In doing so, he has overseen the establishment of a more globally-integrated, modern organization which will draw on the wealth of expertise, talent and experience from our membership, and yet remain anchored in Paris as the spiritual home of the IFHA. This has set a strong platform for the IFHA and our members to meet the challenges of a globalized, dramatically changing world. I am truly honored to be appointed as Louis' successor and the second Chair of the IFHA.”

Engelbrecht-Bresges has been the Chief Executive Officer of the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) since 2007, and has also served as the IFHA's Vice Chairman for Asia. Additionally, Engelbrecht-Bresges also serves as the Chairman of the Asian Racing Federation (ARF), the regional body representing 29 national racing authorities and racing-related organizations from across Asia, Oceania, Africa and the Middle East.

In addition, four Vice-Chairs were elected:

Jim Gagliano, President and Chief Operating Officer of The United States Jockey Club was re-elected as Vice Chair for the Americas.
Brian Kavanagh, outgoing Chief Executive of Horse Racing Ireland, and incoming Chief Executive of The Curragh Racecourse, was re-elected as Vice-Chair for Europe.

Masayuki Goto, President and CEO of the Japan Racing Association, was elected as the new Vice-Chair for Asia.

Horacio Esposito, Advisor in International Affairs for Organización Sudamericana de Fomento del Pura Sangre de Carrera (OSAF), was elected as the Federation's new fourth Vice-Chair.

Information on the new Chair and each of the four Vice-Chairs can be found below.

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Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges GBS JP

Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges joined the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) in 1998 and has been its CEO since February 2007. Under his leadership, the HKJC has undergone significant transformations, becoming one of the world's leading racing organisations, while its Charities Trust is now one of the world's top 10 charity donors.

Internationally, Engelbrecht-Bresges has served as Vice Chair of the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA), and Chairman of the Asian Racing Federation (ARF), which comprises 29 national racing authorities and racing-related organisations from across Asia, Oceania, Africa and the Middle East. Engelbrecht-Bresges is also a member of the Advisory Board of Aachen-Laurensberger Rennverein e.V., organiser of the World Equestrian Festival, CHIO Aachen.

In Hong Kong, Engelbrecht-Bresges was a member of the Board of the Equestrian Events (Hong Kong) of the Games of the XXIX Olympiad Co Ltd, the company charged with managing the operations of the 2008 Olympic equestrian events in Hong Kong. He is a Vice Patron of the Community Chest and a Deputy Chairman of the Hong Kong Management Association, where he is Professor of Practice at its Institute of Advanced Management Development. He also holds an honorary doctorate in humanities from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Engelbrecht-Bresges was appointed a Justice of the Peace in 2009 and was awarded the Gold Bauhinia Star in 2016.

Prior to joining the HKJC, Engelbrecht-Bresges spent six years as Executive Vice President and 10 years as a Board Member of the German Racing and Breeding Authority (Direktorium für Vollblutzucht und Rennen), the governing body of German horse racing and breeding, whose members include the representatives of racecourses, the Trainers and Jockeys Association and the German Breeders and Owners Association. During this period he also developed and managed the Authority's commercial activities, including its tote, telebetting, TV production, marketing and sponsorship. Engelbrecht-Bresges also served as President of Neusser Race Club and was a Board Member of the Union Klub.

A graduate from the University of Cologne in Economics, Finance and Statistics, Engelbrecht-Bresges has had a lifelong passion for horse racing and breeding Thoroughbreds. He is also an avid football fan, and played football professionally in Germany before graduation.

Jim Gagliano

James L. Gagliano became President and Chief Operating Officer of The Jockey Club, the breed registry for all Thoroughbred horses in North America, on January 1, 2010.

He had served as Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer for The Jockey Club since June 2005.

Prior to joining The Jockey Club's management team, Gagliano served as Executive Vice President of Magna Entertainment Corporation's Maryland racing operations, where he was responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Maryland Jockey Club. He also served as President, MEC OTB, and Group Vice President, MEC Northern Group.

Before that, Gagliano served as Executive Vice President and General Manager of Greenwood Racing Inc. and worked in various roles during a 10-year stint with the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority.

Since October 2010, he has served as Vice Chairman representing the Americas for the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities. In January 2013, he was elected to the American Horse Council board of trustees for which he was elected Vice Chairman in June 2015 and Chairman in 2018. In June 2016, he was named to the Humane Society of the United States National Horse Racing Advisory Council. In addition, he was elected to the Board of Directors of the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance in 2016 and of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association in 2018.

Gagliano is Chairman of The Jockey Club Technology Services, TJC Media Ventures, TJC Holdings, InCompass Solutions, The Jockey Club Information Systems, and The Jockey Club Racing Services and sits on the boards of Equibase, Axcis Information Network Inc. (TrackMaster), and BloodHorse.

Brian Kavanagh

Brian Kavanagh has been the Chief Executive of Horse Racing Ireland (HRI), the governing authority for horse racing in that country with responsibility for its development, promotion, governance and administration, since its establishment in 2001. Horse Racing Ireland also owns four racecourses, owns and operates Tote Ireland and the international bloodstock promotion company Irish Thoroughbred Marketing. His term with HRI ends in September, and he will take up the role of Chief Executive Officer of The Curragh in November.

Kavanagh has also served as Chairman of the European and Mediterranean Horseracing Federation since 2011 and as Chairman of the European Pattern Race Committee since 2005.

Prior to taking on the role in HRI, Kavanagh was Chief Executive of the Irish Turf Club for two years and Manager of The Curragh Racecourse and Training Centre for five years. Previously he was employed as Financial Controller of the Irish Turf Club from 1985 to 1989. Kavanagh also spent four years working as an accountant for KPMG, after graduating with a Bachelor of Commerce (B.Comm.), Accounting and Finance and a Diploma in Professional Accountancy from University College Dublin.

Masayuki Goto

Masayuki Goto joined the Japan Racing Association (JRA) in 1975. He has held management positions including Chief Representative of JRA New York Office, Manager of International Strategic Planning Section, Deputy General Manager of Customer Services Department, and General Manager of Corporate Strategies Planning Department before being appointed to the JRA Board of Directors in 2006.

During his tenure as a Director, he was responsible for Corporate Planning and Finance. Goto was appointed as the Executive Director in March 2011 and was responsible for Racing Administration Policies, Stable System and Breeding Affairs. In September 2014, he was appointed as the President and CEO of JRA.

Throughout his international career and during experiences such as his assignment to the New York Office from 1995 to 1998, he has enhanced the international status of Japanese horse racing. The JRA started the international simulcast for the 2016 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and generated a substantial turnover from the race in the Japanese Pool, which was featured worldwide. At the 2017 International Conference of Horseracing Authorities and at the 2018 Asian Racing Conference in Seoul, he presented the JRA's strategy to expand its fan base through international simulcast and how this enhances and promotes horse racing.

He is very fond of listening to music from the 1950s and '60s, and his love for the Liverpool Sound, especially The Beatles, is very well known to those in horse racing circles who have attended the Japan Cup.

Born in October 1951, he lives in Tokyo with his wife. They have two sons.

Horacio Esposito

Horacio Esposito was born November 8th, 1955, in Buenos Aires, Argentina. His expertise is based in Economy and International Commerce. During the early stages of his professional career in Argentina, he played key roles in the Ministry of Commerce, the Ministry of International Affairs, and as an advisor to the President of the Economic Commission in the Argentine Senate.

Esposito was also a member of the Board at Alvarez and Esposito International Trade, a company in charge of international ventures based in Nairobi, Kenya, for three years. In Argentina, he was the Vice President and Chief Executive Officer. of Galerias Pacifico, the main shopping centre in Buenos Aires. Later, as CEO, he managed four important shopping malls in Argentina for many years.

Esposito later joined the Liberman Group and was appointed a member of the Board for the hotel Grand Hyatt Sao Paulo, Brazil and for the Park Hyatt Mendoza Hotel, Spa & Casino in Argentina. He was the Project Leader, CEO, and then member of the Board of Maroñas Race Course & Casinos in Montevideo, Uruguay. Also as a member of the Board of The Ascot Group, he represented the Liberman´s Group in Kentucky Downs Racetrack Investment in Kentucky, USA (2008-2019). He was also linked to De La Pomme stud farm owned by the Liberman family.

In 2006, he founded the Latin American Racing Channel (LARC) and is still a member of the Board of LARC. The company focuses on broadcasting rights to and from South America. As a member of LARC, he organized four international conferences to promote every aspect of the horse racing industry. These events were held first in Argentina (2008) and Uruguay (2011), and then in partnership with The U.S. Jockey Club in New York (2015) and Washington D.C. (2017).

Since 2010, he has been an advisor for international affairs to the President of Organización Sudamericana de Fomento del Pura Sangre de Carrera (OSAF), the main South American organization representing the region. He is also part of the Executive Council of the IFHA and has served on several its technical committees.

Esposito owns and breeds Thoroughbreds in Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay. He is an active breeder of equestrian horses in Argentina.

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Romanet Retires As IFHA Chairman; To Be Succeeded by Engelbrecht-Bresges

Louis Romanet will retire as chairman of the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities in October, and will be succeeded by Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, who was elected by the IFHA's executive council. Romanet has served as chairman of the IFHA since its inception in 1994 in Paris. Going forward, the IFHA will be supported by a global management team that will be announced in October.

The IFHA executive council also elected four Vice Chairs: Jockey Club President and Chief Executive Officer Jim Gagliano and outgoing Horse Racing Ireland Chief Executive Brian Kavanagh were re-elected as the vice chairs for the Americas and Europe, respectively. Japan Racing Association Chief Executive Officer Masayuki Goto was elected as the new vice chair for Asia, replacing Engelbrecht-Bresges who formerly served in that role, and Horacio Esposito, advisor in international affairs for South American governing body OSAF, was elected as a new vice chair.

Romanet, who has been appointed to the honorary position of chairman emeritus, said, “It has been an honour, a privilege, and a pleasure to serve as the IFHA's chairman since its beginning in March 1994,” said Romanet. “After 27 years in the chair, I am proud of the development of our great sport and its growth all over the world. It is time for me to step down in favor of new generations of leaders, and I am confident that our next chair and vice-chairs, working alongside the Federation's Executive Council, will successfully progress the IFHA and international horse racing. I would like to warmly congratulate Winfried on his appointment to the role of IFHA chairman. I am certain that he will bring the vision, energy and outstanding leadership qualities necessary to take racing's global body to the next level into the future.”

Engelbrecht-Bresges, who has been chief executive officer of the Hong Kong Jockey Club since 2007, the IFHA's vice chairman in Asia and chairman of the Asian Racing Federation, said, “There is nobody who can replicate the remarkable and sustained contribution to the IFHA which Louis has achieved. Louis has dedicated his working life to the advancement of racing. He has been a champion for the internationalization of racing and has worked over many years to set and promote the conditions necessary to support international competition. He has also had an unwavering commitment to prohibited substance-free racing, particularly through major reforms to Article 6 of the International Agreement on Breeding, Racing and Wagering.

“Louis was instrumental in initiating recent enhancements to the governance of the IFHA. In doing so, he has overseen the establishment of a more globally-integrated, modern organisation which will draw on the wealth of expertise, talent and experience from our membership, and yet remain anchored in Paris as the spiritual home of the IFHA. This has set a strong platform for the IFHA and our members to meet the challenges of a globalized, dramatically changing world. I am truly honoured to be appointed as Louis' successor and the second chair of the IFHA.”

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USADA’s Dr. Tessa Muir: Industry Confidence In Anti-Doping Program Key Element To HISA Success

How will equine medication rules and enforcement be different once the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority becomes the federally mandated regulatory body for Thoroughbred racing next year?

For starters, for the first time, regulations related to medication, testing and enforcement will be uniform in every racing state. That's a tremendous achievement in itself.

Efforts to form uniform rules go back decades to the days of the National Association of State Racing Commissioners (predecessor of the Association of Racing Commissioners International). There has been incremental progress, through development of model rules that only went into effect if individual state racing commissions and sometimes legislators bought into them. Too often they didn't adopt them as written.

The enabling legislation creating the Authority, the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act, overcomes those hurdles. The Authority is a non-governmental agency that will have federal oversight from the Federal Trade Commission, especially in its formative stage. Prior to July 2022, when the Authority is scheduled to be operational, the FTC will be required to accept, reject or amend the rules that the Authority is now developing to regulate medication and safety policies.

Dr. Tessa Muir, who joined the United States Anti-Doping Agency as head of its newly created equine program earlier this year, is part of the team developing those regulations. While USADA does not yet have a contract with the Authority, it's fully expected that it will be the agency named to that position, enforcing anti-doping policies in much the way it does for athletes in the Olympics, Paralympics and UFC fighters from the world of mixed martial arts.

Muir has worked as a regulatory veterinarian with Racing Victoria in Australia and before then spent six years with the British Horseracing Authority as a veterinarian assistant and anti-doping manager.

“We are diligently working with the Authority,” Muir said in an interview with the Paulick Report. “The core rules that we are developing will form the basis of the program. Implementation is that final step in bringing HISA to reality.

“Alongside the rules,” Muir added, “we are working with the Authority and hope to have a contract in place with them ASAP.”

In parallel with development of medication regulations, which will lean heavily on existing guidelines from the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities and the Association of Racing Commissioners International, Muir said USADA and the Authority are also working through a business model to determine staffing or contract labor needed to enforce its program. Among other things, there will be a need for investigators and what USADA refers to as doping control officers.

“One of the really great things with combining USADA and its human side with its equine side – assuming we do have a signed contract with the Authority – is that there will be some crossover between what goes on in the human world and the equine world,” Muir said. “Clearly, there are a lot of things that are also different, but again, where possible, we'll be trying to leverage resources sensibly to make it as streamlined as possible.

“What we are looking to do is to take the best elements from good anti-doping programs, whether they be equine or human, and create consistent, thorough and robust rules that fit the U.S. Once we have those rules, we can enforce them to ensure clean racing, the health and welfare and long-term soundness of our equine athletes.”

USADA and the Authority will also need to establish laboratory standards and an accreditation program before determining which of the existing drug testing laboratories will be utilized. While laws in some racing jurisdictions currently require testing to be conducted at in-state university labs, the assumption is that the enabling federal legislation will supersede such state laws.

Muir said post-race sampling will continue to be a part of a USADA anti-doping program, but it's obvious a significant focus will be on out-of-competition testing. Achieving what she calls a “gold standard” program will not happen overnight. Muir puts an 18- to 24-month timeline on that goal.

“A lot of it relates to collection of the data and to have a smart testing program, whether that be in or out of competition,” Muir said. “You have to develop the technology and the information and intelligence from the investigations to form that big picture on how you conduct testing.”

Muir describes best practices out-of-competition testing as an “anywhere, anytime”program that will be accompanied by a “whereabouts” requirement. That means the location of horses may need to be reported to the Authority or to USADA at all times so that surprise visits by doping control officers may take place.

“The intent of the (federal law) is that horses are accessible at any time at any place from the point of their first workout until they retire from racing,” Muir said. “In order to conduct that 'no-advance-notice' testing anywhere at anytime, you need whereabouts information in order to find the horse. That really is a critical underpinning for prevention, deterrence and detection of misuse of substances. Whilst specifics of how that may look are currently not finalized, if you look at any good anti-doping program in the world, whereabouts is a really key component. And that requires locations, not just while horses are in training but when they are in other locations resting or pre-training.”

Muir said testing is not the only way to catch violators, since some substances can be very difficult to detect.

“When you look at blood doping agents or illicit substances, it's not just things like EPO that are potentially difficult to detect,” she said. “There are other substances such as insulin, which have relatively short detection windows but potentially a much larger window for effect.

“In general terms, detection of a prohibited substance in a sample is only one of a number of different anti-doping rule violations. That detection isn't necessarily the only way to determine that someone has broken the rules.”

Muir listed anonymous tip lines as an important tool, though realizes that racing, like other sports that have struggled to control performance-enhancing drug use, there seems to be a de facto code of silence among many participants.

For that to change, Muir said, the industry will need to buy in to the principle that clean racing is better for everyone.

“The testing investigations comes under the responsibility of the enforcement agency (presumably USADA), but the tip lines and other things must have industry ownership,” she said. “When it comes to the responsibility for clean racing and preventing, deterring and detecting people who might be doing the wrong thing, it's the responsibility of the whole industry to call that out and prevent it and to stand up for clean racing.”

Muir admits that won't happen if the industry lacks confidence in USADA and the Authority.

“People have got to have confidence in those enforcing the rules, that they are acting on and doing the right thing,” she said. “I've had a lot of respect for USADA for a long time: that voice for the clean athletes and those doing the right thing. On the equine side it's the same proposition: standing up for the good people who are doing the right thing. They need to have trust that those enforcing the rules are going to help stand up for their rights.”

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