Fourth National Racehorse Week delivers landmark community outreach numbers with funding from the Racing Foundation, Godolphin and the Racing Post

11 Nov 2024

The fourth National Racehorse Week, which took place on September 7 – 15 2024, saw 55 community outreach events take place across Britain connecting over 4,200 participants with British racehorses, many for the first time.

With headline funding from the Racing Foundation, including support from Godolphin and the Racing Post, National Racehorse Week gives racing the opportunity to get closer to the community and people who might never have seen a horse in real life.  

Over the week, racehorses were taken to schools, hospitals, charities, and community groups as well as bespoke visits organised at training centres.

These community engagement events took place alongside open days staged by yards across England, Wales and Scotland, with 104 trainers opening their doors to offer over 14,000 free-of-charge open day places to the community. 

Racing Foundation Trustee Jim Boyle was one of the trainers who welcomed the public to meet the racehorses in his care. You can watch a behind-the-scenes video of Jim’s open day here.

More than 50% of those attending National Racehorse Week had a low or no affinity to racing prior to attending, with 95% saying they had a positive experience of racing following their experience.

Click here to read the 2024 National Racehorse Week report.

National Racehorse Week was delivered with support from: