Horseracing Industry Conference takes place with racing’s leading figure Julie Harrington and media in attendance

4 Oct 2021

The Horseracing Industry Conference, organised and funded by the Racing Foundation in partnership with the University of Liverpool and the Racing Post, took place on Thursday September 30 with racing’s leading figure Julie Harrington and media in attendance.

The conference tackled the topic ‘Future -Proofing the Racing Industry: Protecting People and the Planet’.

Speakers discussed a range of issues including wellbeing across the industry’s workforce, ethnicity in racing and the sport’s response to climate change.

Chief Executive of the British Horseracing Authority Julie Harrington delivered the keynote address which saw her call for levy reform in what was her first chance to address racing’s key figures in person since she was appointed earlier this year.

Research data was also presented at the conference, with Dr Eleanor Boden’s talk Where did all the girls go? Gender, Education and Work in the Horseracing Industry, Vanessa Cashmore’s exploration into the betting market’s underestimation of female jockeys and David Letts’ discussion on LGBT+ Inclusion in British Racing.

Russell Seymour, Chief executive of the British Association for Sustainable Sport, and the Racing Foundation led a keynote speech tackling climate change and racing. A cross-industry group, formed by the Racing Foundation to discuss how racing could be affected by climate change in the future, inspired a Sky Sports Racing documentary and 2,500-word spread in the Racing Post. These were coordinated to be released on the day of the conference which was a carbon-neutral event.

Leading racing media also covered the conference, with the conference gaining front page headlines in the Racing Post and input into Sky Sports broadcasting.