'It’s racing’s culture that needs to change' - British Racing School chief backs BHA safeguarding reforms

Andrew Braithwaite, the chief executive of the British Racing School in Newmarket, says he hopes the BHA's newly updated strategy on safeguarding and human welfare can be the "catalyst for increasing the rate of change" to the prevailing culture within the sport. 

To coincide with the launch of the updated strategy to tackle issues such as bullying and sexual harassment within racing, the BHA issued a chilling set of statistics garnered from the five years since the establishment of its safeguarding unit in 2018. 

A total of 48 per cent of the more than 350 reports received by the safeguarding unit were for incidents of either bullying or sexual misconduct, while almost a third of claims surrounding rape or attempted sexual assault over that five-year period have been made in 2023. 

Given its role with young people, the racing schools – both the BRS and the National Horseracing College – are arguably the sectors of the racing industry most closely attuned to issues surrounding safeguarding. 

"Everyone involved in the education sector has been focused on this for many years and that is ramping up all the time," said Braithwaite. 

"Part of the day-one induction for young people when they come on a course is a session on harmful sexual behaviours and the things that we absolutely won’t tolerate here.

"We’re trying to build that confidence in young people that, when they experience these issues, we want to hear from them if they have concerns and that they know how to report things."

Andrew Braithwaite: chief executive of the British Racing School

Braithwaite believes that early intervention, with what might be considered by some as fairly minor issues, is a crucial part of the way racing can improve.

"Something that came out in the last iteration of the 'Keeping Children Safe in Education' guidelines is to encourage the team of staff, and the young people as well, to report all of their concerns, however low level they may think that is," said Braithwaite. "So the overheard comment or the something that they find a bit odd but didn’t really bother them; that’s what we want to hear about, as well, very obviously, as sexual harassment or inappropriate touching.

"It’s much easier to have a conversation and help someone behave better in the future if you do so before they’ve done something that’s really serious. I think that’s a message the BHA has been trying to get out into the wider industry and it’s something we’d support. 

"If as an industry we can get better at putting a hand up and highlighting things that aren't very serious, but which are trending in the wrong direction, that helps drive that culture change. It’s the same as the broken windows principle."

Braithwaite said that in his experience the vast majority of trainers are supportive of initiatives around safeguarding, adding of stable staff: "They want to enjoy their work, they love being around horses and being involved in such a brilliant sport. They’re not going to work thinking, ‘I want to upset someone today.’

"This is where trainers and senior staff come in. We’ve all got to recognise that we’re the grown-ups in the room and we’ve got to take a lead on this stuff. 

British racing's future prosperity is tied to modernising the culture in yardsCredit: Edward Whitaker

"If a young person comes to us with something that we as older people have got used to as the culture in racing, we have to recognise why they’ve come to tell us about it and we have to take it seriously."

BHA chief executive Julie Harrington spoke on Wednesday of her belief that the updated safeguarding strategy is crucial to racing's future prosperity, as well as its ability to recruit and retain staff.

Braithwaite echoed those sentiments, saying: "If it wants to remain current and to attract young people, it’s racing’s culture that needs to change. When you go and speak to them, the vast majority of people recognise that and are already trying to do that and to do a good job."

Among the areas set to be reinforced in the BHA strategy are enhanced safeguarding and welfare education for employers and employees – with specific training around sexual abuse and misconduct – simplified reporting mechanisms and an awareness campaign to improve understanding of what sexual misconduct is.

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