Rod Street to Leave GBR Next Month

Rod Street has announced his intention to step down from his role as CEO of Great British Racing (GBR) at the end of April.

Street has led British horseracing's marketing body since 2010 but has plans to launch his own mentoring venture. He will continue in his role as CEO of British Champions Series Limited until later in the year.

“It is my privilege to work in horseracing. I enter my 31st year in the sport in May this year and that time has been split evenly between senior leadership roles – both at racecourses and at the centre of the sport,” he said. “The time feels right to do something new and it is my intention to launch a new venture in coaching and mentoring leaders of the future, which many people know is a passion of mine.

“I am very proud of the achievements of the team at GBR. Racing is significantly better promoted now than it was 15 years ago. Jockeys are developing into superb ambassadors for the sport, we produce content on an almost daily basis and it is rare for a news opportunity or milestone to be missed. GBR has delivered large national campaigns on themes as diverse as equine welfare, under 18s race free and Sports Personality of the Year. Such is the extent of GBR's work that our name goes largely unnoticed, as it should do, because our job is to tell the stories – not be the story.”

He continued, “Reflecting on my time at GBR, there have been so many positive moments. Often it is the hard-earned wins that provide the most satisfaction – such as the team landing coverage of a sporting achievement on the national six o'clock or ten o'clock news programmes, or securing a big feature in the tabloids and broadsheets. But, in terms of major impact, I would cite QIPCO British Champions Series and Day and National Racehorse Week as huge innovations. And we also now have a Flat Racing Hall of Fame, which has been an honour to work on.

“Looking to racing's future, this is a time of both challenge and opportunity. It is encouraging that the sport has come together to address declines in revenue and engagement. Racing is not alone – most sports outside football face precisely the same challenge – and we are competing for customers' attention in a fiercely competitive environment. The principle of leading with our best quality products through Premier Racing is the right one. I remain optimistic for the sport, because we have history, heritage and a level of coverage that other sports would die for.”

The BHA's chief executive Julie Harrington paid tribute to Street's “trademark optimism and vivacity”.

She said, “Rod is an experienced, respected and much-loved individual in racing. Working in a multi-stakeholder environment is not easy and it is testament to Rod's qualities that he has thrived in the role of CEO at Great British Racing for nearly 15 years.

“More recently he has been an integral part of the Industry Strategy, working across multiple areas, and has made a huge contribution to that.

“We are sincerely sorry to lose him, but respect his decision and on behalf of racing's stakeholders thank him for all he has done, including the energy and passion he has brought to every task. Rod has made a big difference to how racing is promoted, compared to when he joined GBR in 2010. I'm sure we will continue to see lots of him in the future.”

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National Racehorse Week, In Third Year, Deemed A Success

The third annual National Racehorse Week, from Sept. 9-17 in the UK, has been deemed a success after a record number of open days and community events, Great British Racing (GBR), who funds the initiative alongside the Racing Foundation and Horserace Betting Levy Board (HBLB), announced on Tuesday.

Over 15,000 free places were made available across the seven days across the country for the public to come and experience a day in the life of a racehorse. From training facilities and studs, to aftercare and rehoming centres, 209 different events took place showcasing the care and attention racehorses receive every day. The week provided a platform to create a lasting impact on those who are not familiar with racing or who don't have the opportunity to get close to a horse in everyday life.

In research undertaken after the week had finished, 94% of people said the experience had left them with a better understanding about and a positive impression of welfare. And 92% of attendees who were new to racing said their opinion had been positively changed about the lives racehorses lead.

There were also a total of 60 dedicated community events focused on outreach, a 300% uplift from last year. These events were supported by Racing Together and Racing to School with more than 3,000 people from schools, charities, urban equestrian centres and community groups getting involved with behind-the-scenes access to racing facilities.

The events included:

 

  • Paul Nicholls hosted a special visit for Dame Kelly Homes Trust beneficiaries, NHS and Emergency Service workers
  • Ian Williams hosted members of the RMF Group, an organisation that offer industry focused training courses to ex-offenders, veterans, the homeless, and residents who are long-term unemployed
  • Jo Foster took racehorse Sigurd to eight community events including schools, care homes and to charities like Mind and dementia groups
  • Aftercare centres including New Beginnings, HEROS, BTRC, Greatwood and Yorkshire retraining and rehoming centre took their retired racehorse ambassadors out to schools and care homes
  • Dan Skelton and Oliver Greenall & Josh Guerriero hosted children with serious illnesses from the Barrie Well's Trust Box4Kids initiative
  • Godolphin, Ben Case and Dave Loughnane hosted urban equestrian centres including Summerfield Stables from Birmingham, Park Lane Stables from London, and Park Palace Ponies from Liverpool.

 

Rod Street, CEO Great British Racing, said, “National Racehorse Week creates a unique opportunity for the British Racing industry to unite and showcase to the public the high levels of care that our equine stars receive throughout their entire lives. It also allows racing to open its doors and welcome people of all ages and backgrounds to experience the joy of getting close to a racehorse.

“There are so many highlights from the week, but the ones that stand out for me include the significant increase in young people attending open days this year, especially those aged between 10-14 years, and the impact we had on visitors. Our research shows that 94% of people who came to an open day now have a positive impression of equine welfare, and 92% of those who were new to racing or not regular racegoers said their opinion had been positively changed by the experience. This shows the power of what racing can achieve when it comes together.

“We must thank everyone involved in this special week for showing off the very best of British racing and hopefully helping to inspire a new generation of racing fans.”

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QIPCO British Champions Series Launches Club 26

Club 26, a free-to-join club for young people between the ages of 18-26, was launched by the QIPCO British Champions Series on Tuesday.

Designed to encourage younger fans to attend Great Britains Flat racing during the summer, members will receive special perks in the form of reduced general admission prices at 10 different racecourses, as well as behind-the-scenes tours and raceday previews.

Club 26 will feature at all 26 QIPCO British Champions Series racedays this year, including the G1 Betfred Derby Festival at Epsom Downs, all five days at Royal Ascot in June, the Qatar Goodwood Festival at Goodwood, the Skybet Ebor Festival at York in August and the St Leger Festival at Doncaster in September.

“We are passionate about attracting young people to horseracing as future fans and participants and are very proud to launch Club 26 ahead of the QIPCO Guineas Festival,” HH Sheikh Fahad bin Abdullah Al Thani, Director of QIPCO, said. “We have lots of exciting plans for the Club and hope it educates and encourages more 18 to 26-year-olds, who are key to the future of this sport, to come racing.”

Rod Street, Chief Executive of QIPCO British Champions Series, said, “Our objective is to get a younger audience closer to horseracing, by involving them in some of the best Flat racing occasions in the calendar. Horseracing takes a bit of understanding, but by involving people more closely in the racing experience, we know the magic can rub off and create lifetime aficionados.”

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Ten Years On, Fan Engagement A Focus For QIPCO

This weekend's QIPCO Guineas Festival at Newmarket will mark a handful of milestones, not least being the return to its rightful place on the calendar after the pandemic-ravaged season of 2020. Additionally, this year marks a decade not only since Frankel (GB) scorched up the Rowley Mile to one of the most exciting Guineas wins that likely any of us can remember, but also since the Qatar-based, Al Thani family-owned private investment company QIPCO took up the title sponsorship of the Guineas Festival as well as the QIPCO British Champions Series and QIPCO British Champions Day.

Sheikh Fahad al Thani announced his arrival on the British racing scene in a big way in 2010 with the private purchase of that year's G1 2000 Guineas scorer Makfi (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), and within a year had solidified his family's long-term involvement in the business with a series of significant sponsorships.

“Since Sheikh Fahad and his brothers became involved in British racing 10 years ago, they've thrown themselves at every facet of it,” said David Redvers, racing and bloodstock manager for Qatar Racing. “Luckily for British racing their involvement coincided with the debate to begin the British Champions Series and British Champions Day. They leapt at the challenge of sponsoring it because they loved the idea of being able to have a positive effect on the sport.”

The QIPCO British Champions Series comprises 35 of the nation's top flat races throughout the season and aims to promote the best that the sport has to offer. The series kicks off each spring with the Guineas Festival and concludes with QIPCO British Champions Day at Ascot in late October. And while the series has been successful in shining the spotlight on Britain's best equine athletes, another important facet of the sponsorship has been a conscious effort to grow the sport's fan base and engage a younger audience. With the exception of 2020, of course, British Champions Day has provided special access to students and pony club members including free or discounted entry, behind-the-scenes tours and special access on site.

“Something that was really important to Sheikh Fahad when we set out with the British Champions Series and QIPCO back in 2011 was that we engaged a new audience-in particular a young audience–with the best racing,” said Rod Street, chief executive of Great British Racing and British Champions Series. “Over the years we've developed the biggest student raceday in the UK at Ascot on QIPCO British Champions Day. Pre-Covid, 2,500 students attended Champions Day.”

“We've been very keen that we make it not just a discounted day out and then we forget all about them,” Street continued. “We've done lots to activate their engagement during the day. We've created a student zone. We do goodie bags for them with a few interesting free gifts; we give away scarves in the Qatar Racing colours so there is a bit of an extra connection to the day. We do guest tipping sessions where we get a couple leading jockeys to talk about the card, and we encourage the students to come and immerse themselves in the raceday and get close to the action.

“It's been really popular. Since we've been doing it now we've moved thousands and thousands of students through. It's the way you build racing fans for the future. Many of them will come and go, but we know that by engaging as many as possible you give yourself the best chance of creating lifelong fans. And as these students go into the workplace and start earning income, they might become syndicate members of the future or fully-fledged owners. It's taken a lot of effort and a lot of investment from QIPCO and ourselves to facilitate it, but Sheikh Fahad has been really passionate about it.”

Simultaneous with the student day on Champions Day is a concerted effort for members of Pony Club of Great Britain, where horse-loving kids are likewise given behind-the-scenes access on a major raceday.

“It all comes down to Sheikh Fahad's support and vision with his brothers, including Sheikh Hamad, the chief executive of QIPCO,” said Street. “They want the day to feel really different, to be something that stands out, and we think we're developing that.”

Street said that QIPCO embodies what a modern-day sponsor looks like. Since launching its racing sponsorship portfolio in 2011, QIPCO has brought Royal Ascot, the Irish Champion S. the Prix du Jockey Club and the Goffs London Sale under its banner.

“QIPCO is a really good example of a partner for the sport, with a vision, and that's a really important point to make,” he said. “I think the old-fashioned approach of someone giving you money and you plastering their name over a few things isn't [how it works] anymore. I think sponsors are partners and they want to grow and develop and be associated with good ideas and progress.”

Sponsorship has been a key topic in racing industry news in recent weeks with the revelation that online car retailer Cazoo has taken on sponsorship of the Derby and St Leger Festivals, and Redvers said it is “critical” for the future of the sport that racing develop partnerships with leading mainstream brands.

“You have to take a world view now rather than just a domestic one, and it's been one of the great frustrations about British racing that it's struggled to gain mainstream sponsorship here,” he said. “If anything it's almost been tainted by the sport's relationship with bookmakers that bookmakers tend to be the big raceday sponsors, because racing here is perceived to be so tightly interwoven with the gambling industry, which is crazy when you consider that there is so much more to the sport. It's fascinating now to see that sponsorship costs are coming down quite steeply–because of lack of demand as a result of the pandemic, partially. Big races are becoming more affordable to sponsor, so maybe it'll open back up again to more mainstream sponsors.”

Redvers said that the tendency of the British ownership ranks to be dominated by a few superpowers has also potentially deterred mainstream brands.

“If you look at Australian racing or Hong Kong racing, they've got massive international elite brands sponsoring those race meetings, because they have a much wider demographic of owners and fans,” he said. “I think that's something in which we're still miles behind in the UK, because we've historically relied on a handful of very, very big owners. The broad appeal for a wider cross-section of the public isn't there like it is in Australia because we lag behind so badly on syndication and the way in which syndicates are looked after at the races. Hopefully, there will be a fresh review of all of those operations as we come out of the pandemic and people will look to build it back a bit better.”

Street concurred, “The sport needs a broad array of sponsors. QIPCO has been the facilitator of real change in British racing; the QIPCO British Champions Series shines a light on the really top-class races during the summer. In bringing about QIPCO British Champions Day, it was a finale the season never previously had and it's the richest raceday in the UK. They've shown what a really engaged, invested sponsor can do in terms of being a game-changer.”

QIPCO remains the biggest non-bookmaker sponsor of British racing, and can serve as a blueprint of what is possible in the realm of modern sponsorship.

“It's a hell of an achievement to put 10 years of solid investment into a sport, and there has to be some lasting legacy from that,” said Redvers. “The thing that really excites me about the outcome of our sponsorship is that a young Sheikh and his brothers came in and understood immediately that simplifying things and highlighting what's best about British racing has the effect of engaging a younger audience. When you add to that all of the other initiatives they've put around Champions Day and the Champions Series, that's when you actually see there is a lasting legacy, because the young fan base is growing and growing. That's something they justifiably should be applauded for.”

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