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British Racing Bodies Commit to Improving Diversity and Inclusion

Organisations across British racing have united to improve diversity and inclusion across the sport under a unified “Industry Commitment”. The Industry Commitment, which is part of British racing's COVID-19 Recovery Plan for British racing', aims to formalise the sport's approach to diversity and inclusion and builds on the extensive existing activity already taking place, including community engagement, education activity and charitable work. This is highlighted through the Racing Together platform which has already showcased over 80 initiatives.

Organisations that have signed on to the Industry Commitment are: the British Horseracing Authority (BHA), Racecourse Association (RCA), Racehorse Owners Association (ROA), Thoroughbred Breeders Association (TBA), National Trainers Federation (NTF), Professional Jockeys Association (PJA), National Association of Racing Staff (NARS) and Great British Racing (GBR). There are five areas that underpin the Industry Commitment and each organisations will former their individual Diversity and Inclusion Action Plans:

Leadership and Accountability–industry leaders ensuring and taking accountability for the creation of a more diverse and inclusive sport
Good Governance–ensuring a better understanding of the racing landscape to influence policy, practice and procedures
Education and Awareness Raising–giving everyone across racing access to learning about diversity and inclusion and why they're important to the sport
Celebrating Racing's Diversity–showcasing the diversity that exists across the racing industry in order to create an inclusive sport where difference is embraced, and everyone is valued
Engaging New Audiences–promoting racing as a sport for all and encouraging diverse communities to take part

Annamarie Phelps, Chair of British Horseracing Authority, said: “This is an important step forward for the sport. We have so much to celebrate in British racing, including men and women being able to compete on a level playing field. Equally, it is the responsibility of all of us in the sport to ensure we can showcase British racing as a modern sport which is truly diverse, inclusive and open to all. Being proactive about improving diversity is essential to the long-term viability of the sport, but first and foremost it is absolutely the right thing to do.”

For more information on the Industry Commitment, please visit www.media.britishhorseracing.com.

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TB-Ed Initiative Launched by TBA

TB-Ed, a UK Thoroughbred Breeders' Association education and training initiative, was launched by the TBA on Wednesday.

The initiative, which offers a range of courses and resources that provide essential knowledge and guidance to new and existing industry participants, has also received financial support from the Racing Foundation, who co-funded the platform development and build with the TBA. Weatherbys is also a headline partner of the TB-Ed platform. Currently, the courses offered by TB-Ed include Understanding Pedigrees delivered by journalist and broadcaster Lydia Hislop, while there is also Nutrition of the Broodmare delivered by Catherine Rudenko, an independent nutritionist and consultant. New courses and content will be added periodically.

General website users can browse the pay-as-you-go catalogue and view a sample webinar for free, while you can also sign up to TB-Ed for free to receive access to a limited selection of free resources. Courses start at £50 and extra resources are priced accordingly. Alternatively, you can join as a TBA Associate for £60 per year which grants free access to all resources and discounts on courses. Finally, existing and new TBA members receive free access to all resources and discounted courses as part of their membership package. For more information, or to sigh up to TB-Ed, visit www.tb-ed.co.uk.

Caroline Turnbull, Education and Welfare Manager at the TBA, said, “TB-Ed will enable the TBA to provide up-to-date, relevant and expert knowledge to breeders who are committed to providing the highest standards of care for their horses. The launch follows extensive user research and testing, which has helped us to shape the structure and content for breeders' ongoing professional development. TB-Ed will also enable us to improve the accessibility and reach of training in the thoroughbred breeding industry, and will also be of interest to the wider equine community.”

Rob Hezel, Chief Executive of the Racing Foundation, said: “At the Racing Foundation our mission is to be a catalyst for improvement within the horse racing and Thoroughbred breeding industry. We are delighted to fund the Thoroughbred Breeders' Association (TBA) online learning platform to facilitate continuous professional development for everyone in the breeding industry.

“By developing understanding of thoroughbred pedigrees and broodmare nutrition, the courses will benefit both people and horses, which are two of our key funding areas.

“In the course Understanding Pedigrees, the TBA has taken what has traditionally been a complex area reserved for industry experts and made it accessible to all. Equally, Nutrition of the Broodmare will inform even the most knowledgeable in the business.

“We'd like to congratulate the TBA on the launch of its online learning platform and we look forward to seeing it contribute to improving the Thoroughbred breeding industry.”

“Weatherbys enjoys a close relationship with the TBA and we are delighted to support TB-Ed which will act as a great tool to educate and inform new and existing members of the Thoroughbred breeding community,” said Russell Ferris, Chief Executive at Weatherbys.

“Increasing access to training opportunities will ensure that the breeding industry can maintain the very highest standards in health, welfare and stud management. Breeders need easy access to the latest guidance on areas such as Weatherbys ePassports, the introduction of Equine Premises Numbers and other new initiatives and TB-Ed is the obvious location for that guidance.

“We look forward to working with the TBA over the coming months to build on the initial course material and include content in areas such as Thoroughbred genetics.”

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Pilot Study on Stud Farm Environmental Impact Launched

A pilot study to focus on the environmental impact of stud farms was launched by the Thoroughbred Breeders' Association (TBA) and the Racing Foundation on Thursday, Apr. 22, Earth Day.

The purpose of the study, started by the TBA's Environmental Sustainability Working Group and funded by the Racing Foundation, will assess the impact of two stud farms in different regional locations. The Environmental Sustainability Work Group, founded in November of 2020 after the passing of the Agriculture Bill by the UK Government, aims to collaborate with industry professionals on grassland management practices that enhance air and water quality, improve soil health, mitigate flood risk and increase biodiversity, while also reducing the carbon footprint of stud farms. After the study is finished, the project's results and recommendations will be utilised by the Environmental Sustainability Work Group to encourage environmentally sustainable practices and provide guidance to those managing pasture for equines who wish to access government funding via the Environmental Land Management Scheme in the UK.

Julian Richmond-Watson, Chairman of the TBA said, “This study reinforces the TBA's commitment to improve the industry's long-term sustainability and develop positive environmental changes on stud farms. As a low input sector with active carbon sequestration in paddocks, it is very likely that stud managers will have solid foundations on which to introduce new protocols and technologies. Also, where farms are densely located it may also be possible to achieve biodiversity gains with bordering properties to bring about more significant changes across a landscape. The new Environmental Land Management Scheme presents opportunities to improve local ecosystems and habitats on stud farms whilst also rewarding good practice with financial assistance.

“We are extremely thankful to the Racing Foundation for their support with this project and look forward to sharing updates with breeders as we progress to enable them to make informed decisions on how they can best improve their landscapes.”

Rob Hezel, Chief Executive of the Racing Foundation added, “At the Racing Foundation, our mission is to be a catalyst for improvement in the horseracing industry through our grant giving activity.

“The Racing Foundation made a commitment in its 2021-2023 strategy to seek opportunities to support environmental sustainability alongside people, equine welfare and community engagement.

“We are therefore pleased to grant £20,000 to the Thoroughbred Breeders' Association to assess the environmental impact of stud farms and further the industry's understanding of issues fundamental to the long-term prosperity of racing.”

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EU Animal Health Law Implementation Update Issued By TBA

The implementation of the EU Animal Health Law, due to go into effect on Apr. 21, will instead begin on Aug. 21, the Thoroughbred Breeders' Association announced on Monday. The rule affects Thoroughbred movements to the EU, and, whilst not yet formally ratified, the Thoroughbred Brexit Steering Group's understanding is that EU technical experts have approved a delay to the application of the new rule for equine exports until late August. Existing Export Health Certificates, among other export documents will remain valid until the revised start date. The TBA's advice at this time is therefore to continue to use existing Export Health Certificates and to test for both EIA and EVA as part of the export process, until the new EU Animal Health Law's Export Health Certificates come into effect.

Once the final position on the timing of implementation of this aspect of the EU Health Law is confirmed, the TBA will announce further guidance. For more information, please visit www.thetba.co.uk.

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