Three New Members for Horse Welfare Board

Sulekha Varma, Kate Sigsworth and Robin Mounsey have been appointed to British racing's Horse Welfare Board (HWB).

Varma, head of racing and clerk of the course at Aintree, joins as racecourse representative, while Sigsworth, who is the deputy chair of the Thoroughbred Breeders' Association (TBA), will represent  the Thoroughbred Group. Mounsey is head of communications for the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) and will represent that body on the board.

Projects undertaken as part of the sport's 'A Life Well Lived Strategy' include British racing's first Thoroughbred census, which was completed in December 2023. Work is ongoing to develop and improve hurdles and fences in jump racing, as well as research into multiple aspects of ground and going on racecourses, and ongoing support of the sport's charity, Retraining of Racehorses.

The HWB is supported by The Racing Foundation and Horserace Betting Levy Board (HBLB). Since its inception the Racing Foundation has awarded the HWB over £3.5 million and the HBLB has provided £2.2 million.

Barry Johnson, independent chair of the HWB, said, 'We're delighted to welcome Sulekha, Kate and Robin to the team at such a pivotal time for the board, with the culmination of several key projects this year. Their combined knowledge spans the entire sport and will be of huge value to us as we enter the final phase of our current five-year strategy.”

 

The post Three New Members for Horse Welfare Board appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

In the Hot Seat: Kate Sigsworth

Next to answer our questions is breeder, pinhooker and TBA vice-chair Kate Sigsworth, who manages her family's West Moor Stud in Yorkshire.

What are your goals for 2024?

Professionally: Happy, healthy horses and owners. Good, healthy foals and mares back in foal. Personally: To get my house built – a sealed shell by the end of the year would be great.

Give us a horse to follow…

Nemov (GB) (Blue Point {Ire} – Barynya {GB}). A big horse, trained by Clive Cox, who made a very promising debut in an above-average all-weather race. Looks an exciting sort. 

And a young person in the industry to keep an eye on…

Finn Kent of Mickley Stud.

Who do you think will be champion first-season sire in 2024?

Pinatubo (Ire). A brilliant two-year-old himself, a son of Shamardal like this year's leading first-season sire in Blue Point, and he should have plenty of horses to run for him.

And the best value stallion in Ireland, England, and France?

 Calyx (GB), Study Of Man (Ire) and Bay Bridge (GB).

Your best buy/sale of 2023?

A strong, good-looking colt by Space Blues (Ire) out of Jameerah (GB) (Dansili {GB}) at the Tattersalls December Foal Sale.

Who is or was the perfect Thoroughbred?

I'm still searching but Urban Sea (Miswaki) would have to come pretty close.

Biggest professional regret?

No regrets, keep learning and looking forward, tomorrow will be better.

If you could be someone else in the industry for a day who would it be, and why?

Paul McCartan, the warmest, nicest person you could come across and second to none at selecting broodmares and breeding. I'd love to know what he sees and how he interprets what he's seeing.

The post In the Hot Seat: Kate Sigsworth appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Julian Richmond Watson Steps Down As Chairman Of TBA During The Annual General Meeting

Long-term Thoroughbred Breeders' Association chairman Julian Richmond Watson will step down following eight years at the helm. He announced the news during the TBA's Annual General Meeting at the Jockey Club Rooms in Newmarket on Friday.

Philip Newton will become chairman of the TBA with immediate effect, while Kate Sigsworth will become deputy chairman. Newton has been on the board since 2012, while Sigsworth joined in 2020. James Crowhurst will continue as a co-opted trustee for a second term to support the TBA's work on equine health and welfare. In addition, Will Kinsey was named to the board of trustees and Tom Blain will return to the board for a second term, the duo having filled vacant positions determined by an election.

“Bold decision-making intended to arrest the decline in racing's fortunes is essential if we are to move forward,” Richmond Watson said when addressing members and trustees, both past and present. “The TBA is a member of the Thoroughbred Group and will work wherever possible to advance the position of those involved with horses, their ownership and welfare.

“Of course, prize-money is the key to unlocking so many of these issues. Prize-money is not high enough in this country, and the obvious discrepancy between what the betting industry pays to the sport and how much the participants receive must be addressed, so that the income coming into racing is fairly shared.”

Richmond Watson is the longest-serving chairman since the office was introduced in 1962, and he has also served as a trustee for 12 years. On the specific issues facing breeders he added, “We have to focus on these ourselves. There is very little understanding of breeding within racing and the supply of racehorses is taken far too much for granted. It is up to the TBA to make sure our issues are constantly brought to the fore.

“There is an enormous amount of work that goes on behind the scenes and, as shown by Brexit and Covid, contacts developed along the way are vital when we need to be in touch with the important decision-makers.

“The carry-over from Brexit continues, and while we have had successes with the Treasury on VAT for temporary imports into this country, our trading partners in Ireland and France have still to sort this issue, so that transport and inspection-post issues, as well as increased costs, are still to be resolved.

“We have also seen recent positive steps made with the Migration Advisory Committee adding three stud roles to the Shortage Occupation List in their recent report and we must now continue to lobby government for this to be formally sanctioned.”

The Annual General Meeting also included the approval of the minutes of the previous AGM, re-election of the auditors, and the confirmation of membership fees for 2024. The 2022 Annual Report was formally launched and can be viewed here with highlights including:

 

  • Commissioning of the Economic Impact Study, the findings of which were published in January 2023.
  • Ongoing positive impact of the Great British Bonus scheme (GBB) managed by the TBA on behalf of the industry with a 16.3% increase in median value of British bred fillies reported since scheme launched in 2020.
  • Continued development of TB-ED, the TBA's online platform, and on the recruitment and retention of employees on stud farms with 67% of students enrolled in the E2SE programme remaining employed in the industry.
  • Launch of TBA Access membership.

 

Richmond-Watson said, “Evidence-based strategies have been at the heart of the TBA's work since the initial study in 2014, providing a sound basis for areas of focus in our work to support breeders and the industry as a whole. The results of this study will lead to some re-alignment of plans to ensure we continue to work on activities that deliver the greatest positive impact to our sector.”

Other presentations during the AGM included one by incoming chairman Philip Newton on implications from the Economic Impact Study and next steps, as well as an introduction to the TBA's Stud Farm Carbon Calculator by Victoria Murrell, the TBA's Equine Health and Welfare Manager and Sarah Wynn and Sola Samuel from ADAS who are developing the software, and which is due to launch in November 2023.

Richmond-Watson said, “We have been through some interesting times but hopefully I leave you in good order, but of course with plenty to do. And Philip Newton, thank you for being such a supportive and challenging deputy chairman.

“We have worked incredibly well together, and I wish you all the best as you take the TBA forward.”

The post Julian Richmond Watson Steps Down As Chairman Of TBA During The Annual General Meeting appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Verified by MonsterInsights