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9 Dec 2024
York Racecourse was crowned Racecourse Association Showcase Champion Racecourse at the 13th annual Showcase Awards held in Edinburgh in November.
The independent judging panel was impressed by the excellence and innovation on show at York throughout the 2024 season.
Alongside winning the Racing Connection award, the racecourse also won the Racing Foundation Green Award on the way to being named Champion.
It was the new Bustardthorpe Development that clinched the Racing Foundation Green Award win, which was developed in line with York’s groundbreaking Green Knavesmire 300 strategy.
The development not only provides a major upgrade to the experience of racegoers visiting the course, but also significantly contributes to the environment with a green legacy at its core.
Working closely with environmental consultant White Griffin, the team at York repurposed the waste of demolished buildings during the build of the development and employed local contractors to minimise contractor transport emissions and support the local economy.
Environmental sustainability has been embedded throughout its design, with the installation of solar panels to power the development and a 16,000-litre rainwater harvesting tank to serve its washrooms.
It also includes a meadow grass and wildflower ‘living roof’ the size of two football pitches, which boasts pollinator-friendly plants and a colony of frogs.
“We were humbled, delighted and honoured to win the Racing Foundation Green Award, and we were thrilled for the whole team who have fully committed to, and live and breathe, our environmental commitment to be recognised for their hard work,” York Chief Executive William Derby told the Racing Foundation.
“Our environmental sustainability strategy, Green Knavesmire 300, is now at the forefront of all we do and considered as part of every decision we make.
“This certainly isn’t the end of our journey, but it is a great reward as we head towards our commitment of Net Zero by 2040.”
Winning the Racing Foundation Green Award enables York a fast-track route to apply for up to £20,000 of funding to help secure the legacy of their initiative.
“Thank you to the Racing Green Foundation for supporting this RCA Showcase award category,” said Derby.
“Climate change and the damage to our planet is real and we all need to act urgently now to halt and reverse our impact.
“We at York, and in racing, cannot solve this alone but in our sport surrounded by horses and grass we have an opportunity to show real leadership and commitment to this movement which is crucial to all of our futures.”