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Helen Willis New General Manager At Carlisle

Helen Willis has been named the new General Manager of Carlisle Racecourse by The Jockey Club. Due to start in mid-July, Willis will succeed Molly Dingwall, who will become the new General Manager of Haydock Park Racecourse. An alumnus of Bishop Burton College with a first-class degree in Equine Business Management, Willis joined The Jockey Club as a customer relations executive in March of 2021. She was promoted in February of this year to trainee general manager and has worked across many of The Jockey Club's events like the Cheltenham Festival, Aintree's Randox Grand National and the Cazoo Derby at Epsom Downs. Prior to joining The Jockey Club, Willis was a racing secretary to trainer Bryan Smart.

Helen Willis said, “I am thrilled to have secured the role of General Manager at Carlisle Racecourse. Having gained experience across the group, I have greatly enjoyed my role as trainee general manager this year. I am extremely grateful to everyone I have had the pleasure of working with for all their invaluable help and guidance. I am relishing assisting the racecourse's continued development in the times ahead.”

Dickon White, Regional Director, The Jockey Club North West, added, “Helen has been a very valued team member since joining The Jockey Club last year.

“With her experience across the group and the wider racing world, I am sure she is exactly the right person to continue to take Carlisle forward and further build on the excellent progress made by Molly Dingwall over the past four years.”

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Brian Finch Appointed New Chair of Epsom Downs Racecourse

Brian Finch will succeed Julia Budd as Chair of Epsom Downs Racecourse beginning on June 5, The Jockey Club announced on Tuesday. Budd's term will end after G1 Cazoo Derby weekend. Exposed to racing through visits to Borrowdale Racecourse in Zimbabwe as a child, Finch has owned racehorses for over 25 years in various countries. Finch joined the Epsom Racecourse Committee in 2021. Currently retired, he is also a member of the Racecourse Committee at Sandown Park Racecourse and a Trustee of the National Horseracing Museum.

Finch said, “I am delighted and hugely honoured to succeed Julia at Epsom Downs, a racecourse that will soon host the 243rd running of the iconic Derby.

“I very much look forward to working with the Jockey Club team to build on the great work of my immediate and past predecessors ensuring that the Derby and Epsom Downs racecourse continue to remain part of the national social fabric.”

Sandy Dudgeon, Senior Steward of The Jockey Club, said, “I am delighted that Brian has agreed to become Chair of Epsom Downs Racecourse following this year's historic Derby.

“His experience both inside the racing industry and beyond, coupled with his huge enthusiasm for the sport and Epsom Downs will be a huge asset as our stewardship of this iconic racing venue and its most famous race enters a new and exciting chapter.

“I must also thank Julia for her dedication, time, and wise counsel in her time as chair. Her guidance in navigating the unprecedented challenges of the last two years has been invaluable and this year's Derby and its place in the Platinum Jubilee Celebrations will be a fitting way to end her term. She does so with my best wishes and the sincerest thanks of all at The Jockey Club.”

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Darragh O’Loughlin Appointed New IHRB CEO

Darragh O'Loughlin has been appointed the new Chief Executive Officer of the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board (IHRB). O'Loughlin will begin serving in his new role on June 29. Previously, O'Loughlin was the Secretary General of the Irish Pharmacy Union from 2013 until April of this year. He also served as a Council Member of the PSI (The Pharmacy Regulator) for six years and was a board member of the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA).

Martin O'Donnell, Chairman of the IHRB, said, “Darragh brings an exceptional combination of regulatory expertise and long experience in sectoral development and advocacy as well as stakeholder engagement at the highest level in Ireland and the EU.

“Darragh combines proven strategic, organisational and people leadership with impressive regulatory credentials and extensive stakeholder engagement experience. We look forward to him leading the IHRB and our top-class committed team as we enter our next strategic planning phase. This will guide the organisation's priorities in addressing the evolving needs of Irish horse racing and ensuring the continued positive reputation of the sport and ongoing confidence for all stakeholders.”

O'Loughlin, a pharmacist by trade, added, “I am honoured to have been appointed to this vital role for horse racing and look forward to the challenges and opportunities ahead. Ireland is rightly at the forefront of global horse racing and has an enviable reputation thanks to the great work of all stakeholders, including the excellent team at the IHRB, who have been acknowledged as best in class at what they do. I look forward to working with my new colleagues to ensure Irish horse racing and its reputation continue to thrive over the coming years.”

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Engelbrecht-Bresges Named New President of the IHSC

Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges was unanimously elected President of the International Horse Sports Confederation (IHSC) at the online IHSC General Assembly on Apr. 22. The third president of the organisation that was founded in 2013, he succeeds FEI President Ingmar De Vos.

Engelbrecht-Bresges, who will serve a two-year term, said, “I am very grateful to be elected President of the IHSC and must pay tribute to Ingmar, whose leadership at the helm of the Confederation has been significantly important and impactful for global horse sport.

“I would also like to pay tribute to Louis Romanet, Chairman Emeritus of the IFHA, and a previous President and Vice-President of the IHSC. His vision for both the IFHA and the IHSC has laid the groundwork for these organizations to work in harmony for our shared missions.

“The relationship between the FEI and the IFHA has indeed been strengthened during the pandemic, and I look forward to leading the IHSC as President, and advancing our shared ideals and activities, specifically our partnership with the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE).”

Engelbrecht-Bresges previously served as the standing representative of the IFHA in the IHSC General Assembly and is also the Chief Executive Officer of the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC), a position he has held since 2007. He also serves as the Chair of the IFHA, and is the Chairman of the Asian Racing Federation (ARF).

“I am very pleased to pass the Presidential baton to Winfried and I know that the IHSC will benefit greatly from his capable leadership,” Ingmar De Vos, who will support Engelbrecht-Bresges as the IHSC Vice-President, said. “With his vast experience in horse racing and his commitment to the welfare and wellbeing of equine and human athletes, Winfried also has a thorough understanding of the needs and expectations of the industry in the years to come.”

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