The British Horseracing Authority, commonly referred to simply as the BHA, is Great Britain’s regulatory body for horse racing as a sport. It came into existence in 2007, which was when the British Horseracing Board merged with the Horseracing Regulatory Board in order to form a new governing body in the United Kingdom.
A member of the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities, the BHA is tasked with numerous different objectives, all of which should be for the betterment of horse racing as a sport as well as a body to work on behalf of all those that take part in it.
The stated objective of the BHA is to ‘provide the most compelling and attractive racing in the world,’ amongst other things. In short, if there is anything to do with horse racing taking place in Great Britain then the BHA will have a hand in it in one form or another.
This is perhaps best summed up by the fact that it aims to ‘represent and promote the sport and the industry.’ Its functions include the likes of planning races, carrying out disciplinary procedures and issuing the licences to those that wish to take part in racing as a sport.
Before The BHA
On the tenth of June 1993, the British Horseracing Board was formed. It was created to be the governing authority for the sport of horse racing in Great Britain, taking over a number of the roles and responsibilities that had previously been carried out by the Jockey Club.
It was initially hoped that this would modernise horse racing as a sport, given the fact that the Jockey Club is a private members’ club that is aristocratic in its membership. That meant that it was often thought of as being unaccountable and amateurish in its nature.
At the time, the Jockey Club continued to be responsible for the likes of integrity, discipline and regulation of horse racing, whilst the British Horseracing Board was concerned with the likes of organising races and promoting horse racing as a sport in order to appeal to a wider public.
The BHB was also tasked with enhancing the commercial side of the horse racing industry. The regulation of the sport was carried out by the Horseracing Regulatory Authority, which was the regulatory division of the Jockey Club. The board ceased exist on the 31st of July 2007 thanks to a merger of the two entities.
The Merger
In 2007, the British Horseracing Board was merged together with the Horseracing Regulatory Authority. This new body was to be known as the British Horseracing Authority, with the Jockey Club ending all links to the regulation of the sport of horse racing and the new organisation taking over the responsibility of it.
The idea was that the new look body would be able to take on the governance and the regulation of the sport of horse racing. There had been a growing sense that the Jockey Club’s lack of accountability meant that it was not particularly transparent.
The Jockey Club benefited from the merger insomuch as it no longer had to take on the onerous responsibility of both governing and regulating the sport that many of its members were deeply entrenched in. Instead, it was able to focus on investing in the sport as well as to generate larger returns from the commercial interests.
These returns could then be put back into the sport, ensuring that it would grow and improve moving forwards. It was also then able to take on the National Stud, which moved from the government to the Jockey Club in 2008.
What The BHA Is Responsible For
There are a wide range of functions that are performed by the British Horseracing Authority. On the most basic level, the BHA is responsible for the organisation of races, including the planning of events that are to be held at courses up and down the country. That includes the compilation of the fixture list for the season.
As part of the body’s work, those that wish to gain a licence in order to take part in events that are organised by the BHA have to apply to the body to receive it, as well as to be registered as a possible participant.
There are also numerous procedural things that are carried out by the BHA. The very integrity of horse racing as a sport is the job of the British Horseracing Authority, for example, whilst standards of care for both jockeys and horses are the role of the BHA to sort. If a participant needs to face disciplinary procedures then it is the job of the BHA to carry out investigations into any matters and to then issue any appropriate punishments.
The standard that British racecourses need to reach is set by the BHA, with research and improvements to equine science and welfare carried out by the body.
Integrity In Horse Racing
The sport of horse racing is one that has been plagued by issues surrounding its integrity over the years. As a result, the British Horseracing Authority has worked hard to improve the integrity of the sport in numerous different areas. The Integrity Services Department takes on the role of ensuring that the sport is as honest and forthright as it can be.
Part of this includes identifying breaches of the Rules of Racing and malpractice in the sport, working hard to deter those that might carry out such breaches from doing so whenever possible.
Any breaches of the rules are investigated by the BHA, with information gathered in terms of potential wrong doing in the sport. This includes inspections of training establishments in order to ensure that they are up to scratch, as well as racecourses themselves.
One of the major roles carried out by the Integrity Services Department is to monitor betting markets in real time. This is so as to ensure that any suspicious betting acuity is noted, investigated and dealt with as quickly as possible so as to protect the sport, the bookmakers and the honest bettors.
Working In Racing
It isn’t just the regulatory role of the British Horseracing Authority that makes it such a crucial part of the industry. Careers In Racing, often referred to as CIR, is a brand owned by the horse racing industry that is managed by the Industry Recruitment & Training department of the BHA.
This is the main recruitment portal for the sport, as well as the key way in which people can be trained in order to enjoy a career in horse racing in the United Kingdom. It was launched in 2005 as part of a commission by the Stable and Stud Staff.
The entire reason for the department’s existence is to promote racing as a possible career choice, as well as to help people realise that there are job opportunities within the sport. Both new entrants and existing staff can benefit from the education and training offered, whilst those already working in the industry can be developed further. Not only that, but it is a large part of the reason why staff are often retained well in the horse racing industry, thanks in no small part to the work done on the matter by the BHA on a regular basis.
The BHA and Horse Welfare
As you might imagine for a sport’s governing body, the British Horseracing Authority plays an active role in the welfare of the horses that are such a huge part of the industry. A horse that is intended to take part in thoroughbred racing has to be registered with the BHA within 30 days of its birth. This is so that the organisation can track the horse’s progress and ensure that the welfare it receives are of the highest standard. Anyone involved in the world of horse racing is taught about the importance of equine welfare from early on.
As part of the BHA’s work to ensure the best welfare for the horses, no trainer or jockey is issued with a licence unless they can be shown to be a suitable person to look after racehorses. If any jockey or trainer is found to be at fault on this front, they will have their licence either suspended or removed altogether. The racecourses themselves also have to be issued with a licence in order to host race meetings, with horse welfare being a key factor in whether a course is suitable or not. The Rules of Racing are monitored by the BHA to make sure that the horse’s welfare is protected.
Another part of the BHA’s responsibility on this front is the management of the Retraining of Racehorses organisation. It was established in 2000 and is a registered charity, being the official charity that bears the responsibility for the welfare of horses no longer in the industry. It might be that they’ve retired because of injury, old age or because they simply weren’t good enough to make it in a competitive environment. Whatever the reason, the ROR, which is based at Palace House in Newmarket, is responsible for making sure that they are well looked after.