BHA chair: Horseracing could cease to exist in 30 years unless changes made

British Horseracing Authority (BHA) chair Joe Saumarez Smith has laid down the gauntlet for the sport to shift to a “sustainable” model to ensure its survival within the next 30 years.

Speaking at the Racing Together Industry Day this week, Saumarez Smith did not hold back when insisting horseracing would have to change its position to reflect its importance to politicians and the public.

The BHA chair citied changing attitudes among younger generations towards horseracing and a potential shift in government could lay serious challenges at the sport’s door.

Saumarez Smith said: “There is an 82% chance, in the betting at least, of Labour having the most seats [in the next general election].

“We’ve got to get the message across about how racing sits at the heart of so many communities, is important to so many people and it is not something that a new government would want to harm,” he added.

Saumarez Smith went on to highlight the successful campaign that saw the stakes on in-shop FOBTs slashed from £100 to £2 as an avenue lobbyists could head down.

He explained: “It wouldn’t be hard to imagine that under a new government a well-funded group that was trying to get rid of racing could make quite a lot of inroads.

“We regularly see focus groups on the perception around the use of the whip and actually just of racing horses, there is a societal change.

“This is not just in the UK, it’s global, where a lot of under 35s see horses as domestic animals and don’t think they should be raced. So, there is a much wider question, not just for horseracing but anybody involved with horses, how do we address that?”

Touching on the challenge posed to horseracing, Saumarez Smith said there was a need to address these issues immediately to support the sport’s future success.

He continued: “It’s a big challenge for the sport. If we are not careful with our messaging and if we just pretend that nothing’s happening, the danger is that there’ll be no racing in 30 years’ time.

“What we are trying to do at the moment is to make sure the whole racing industry is sustainable and everything we do thinks about the long-term future of the sport.”

In November, the BHA agreed on a new governance structure which it hopes will help abate these concerns.

A trio of new committees were established, including the commercial committee, the integrity advisory committee and the industry programme group.

At the time, BHA CEO Julie Harrington said: “The agreement of a new governance structure is an important step along the road to developing an industry strategy to secure the future prosperity of racing in Britain.

“This new structure will not only provide a platform upon which progress can be established, but also clarifies the BHA’s role as the sport’s governing body and regulator,” she added.