I'm excited and honoured to chair the Horse Welfare Board - here's my vision for a future in which British racing can lead the world

Nothing is more important to British racing than the horses. With a lifetime of lived experience and passion for this sport – from riding 30 winners as an amateur jockey to my role as director of Salisbury racecourse – I know this to be true. That is why I’m excited and truly honoured to have been appointed as the new independent chair of the Horse Welfare Board (HWB).

Five years on from its inception, with a refreshed, more independent board of world-leading experts and representatives from racing, we’re laser-focused on building on our predecessors’ work and delivering on our commitment to our equine athletes.

It’s very important to me that the HWB doesn’t sit in an ivory tower. It is our job to engage, collaborate and deliver projects and change, hand-in-hand with those on the ground. After all, they know the sport, and the horses, best.

I served as president of the National Farmers' Union (NFU) from 2018 to 2024 and our membership was incredibly diverse. Like racing, there was no ‘one-size-fits-all’.

I’m proud to have represented farmers at a time of great change. What I learned through our many challenges was the importance of clear, evidence-based communication, of not just sharing what we’re doing but explaining why it matters. No-one cares more about welfare than those closest to our racehorses, but it’s vital we communicate the reasons behind our actions and the evidence that supports them if we want to succeed.

We have already begun shaping our new multi-year strategy and working closely with stakeholders to develop a comprehensive plan for 2026. These plans are vital in ensuring we continue to make meaningful progress for horse welfare over the long term.

One area of growing importance is promoting positive mental, not just physical, wellbeing for horses. And while we continue to work on eliminating avoidable risk on the racecourse, we will turn our focus to the training environment. I’ve already been very encouraged by the willingness of trainers to engage as we look for factors at home that could improve outcomes for horses.

Racing is the biggest financial backer of equine welfare in Britain. We’ve contributed more than £60 million since 2000, funded primarily via the Horserace Betting Levy Board and more recently the Racing Foundation. It’s something the sport should be very proud of. We add greatly to the positive relationship between humans and horses and, in many regards, are already world leaders in our day-to-day practices and care. 

The opportunity now is for British racing to claim and champion that position: to be the global leader in equine welfare, a beacon of best practice, unrelenting in our efforts to build a sport that puts respect for the horse at its heart.

This column is exclusive to Racing Post+ Ultimate subscribers. Subscribers can read more columns here:

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