The British Horseracing Authority, also known simply as the BHA, is the regulatory authority for

horse racing Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic pr ...

Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It ...

. It was formed on 31 July 2007, after the merger of the

British Horseracing Board __FORCETOC__ From 10 June 1993 until 30 July 2007, the British Horseracing Board (BHB) was the governing authority for horseracing in Great Britain. It was created in 1993, and took on responsibilities previously held by the Jockey Club. This wa ...

(BHB) and the Horseracing Regulatory Authority (HRA). Its stated objectives are to: "provide the most compelling and attractive racing in the world; be seen as the world leader in raceday regulation; ensure the highest standards for the sport and participants, on and away from the racecourse; promote the best for the

racehorse Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic pr ...

; and represent and promote the sport and the industry." It is a member of the

International Federation of Horseracing Authorities The Longines World's Best Racehorse Rankings (LWBRR), known as World Thoroughbred Racehorse Rankings (WTRR) before 2012, are horseracing's equivalent to World Rankings by other major sporting organizations such as ATP Tennis Rankings, World Golf R ...

. The BHA's current chair is Joe Saumarez Smith, who succeeded Annamarie Phelps in the role in June 2022.

Overview

The British Horseracing Authority performs a number of functions. These include: *Race planning *Disciplinary procedures *Protecting the integrity of the sport *Licensing and registering racing participants *Setting and enforcing standards of medical care for

jockeys A jockey is someone who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing. The word "jockey" originated from England and was used to describe the individual ...

and other participants *Setting and enforcing common standards for British racecourses *Research and improvements in equine science and welfare *Regulating point to point (steeplechase) racing in the UK *Compilation of the fixture list *Setting and enforcing the rules and orders of racing

Integrity

The Authority’s Integrity Services Department performs some of its most well publicised duties. These include: *Identifying and deterring breaches of the Rules of Racing and malpractice in horse racing *Conducting investigations into breaches of the Rules of Racing *Gathering information in respect of potential wrongdoing in horse racing *Inspections of training establishments *Monitoring real-time betting markets for suspicious betting activity

Careers In Racing

Careers In Racing, (also known simply as CIR) is an industry owned brand managed by the Industry Recruitment & Training department of the British Horseracing Authority. Careers In Racing acts as the recruitment and training portal for

and thoroughbred breeding in

. Careers In Racing was launched in 2005 in response to recommendation made by the Stable and Stud Staff commission chaired by Lord Donohugh. The commission highlighted the need for a governing body led recruitment and training strategy to help address staff shortages and improve retention of existing staff. Its objectives are: *To promote racing as a potential career choice and job opportunity. *To provide a one stop shop for career information via the website CareersInRacing.com *To provide effective training and education to both new entrants’, existing staff and employers. *To work with the industry to develop and retain staff. Its website was launched in January 2006 and gives an overview of the careers and training available within the Racing and Breeding industries, as well as offering a free online jobs board. Training Initiatives include: *Stable Staff Programme run by the

British Racing School The British Racing School is one of the two racing schools in the United Kingdom. Established in 1983, it is a charitable trust providing training for young people working in the horse racing industry. The school is based in Newmarket, Suffolk, an ...

(BRS) and the

Northern Racing College Northern may refer to the following: Geography * North, a point in direction * Northern Europe, the northern part or region of Europe * Northern Highland, a region of Wisconsin, United States * Northern Province, Sri Lanka * Northern Range, a r ...

(NRC) which sees hundreds of industry funded recruits complete an apprenticeship and take up jobs in racing yards across the country *A comprehensive training programme for

including amateur riders and point-to-point riders at the

and the

*Racing Excellence is an industry accredited race series, supported by a qualified Jockey Coach, run under the Hands and Heels or Training Race conditions. These valuable series provide a vital support for young jockeys in developing their careers. *Staff Management Courses are run by the

and the

for supervisory staff and modules for trainers wishing to apply for their licences *The Graduate Development Programme sees a number of students take part in a comprehensive graduate scheme, which includes a two-week residential course, followed by a paid placement lasting around 8 weeks with a high profile organisation from the

racing In sport, racing is a competition of speed, in which competitors try to complete a given task in the shortest amount of time. Typically this involves traversing some distance, but it can be any other task involving speed to reach a specific go ...

and breeding industries *The Overview of British Racing course is a one-day programme designed to provide delegates with an introduction to British racing and breeding. The programme is now seen by many areas of the industry as a key element for inducting new employees into their business *A Recruitment Campaign is put together yearly to address attracting new recruits into the industry which includes attending equine events, schools events and various other activities *Racedayforschools was launched nationally to secondary schools in September 2008. This online teaching resource is a highly interactive curriculum based classroom activity that uses horseracing as a basis for teaching subjects such as Enterprise and Business Studies. The resource goes on to explain and promote various careers in racing and links to the main careersinracing website

Charity

Retraining of Racehorses In April 2000, British Horseracing launched Retraining of Racehorses (RoR), the official charity for the welfare of horses who have retired from racing through injury, old age or a lack of ability.

References

External links

Careers In RacingRetraining of RacehorsesRace Day For SchoolsLove The RacesRacing For ChangeWeatherbysThe Northern Racing CollegeThe National StudThe British Racing School
{{Authority control Horse racing organisations in Great Britain Horse racing in Great Britain Horseracing 2007 establishments in the United Kingdom