BHA chair to step down at end of May

Annamarie Phelps CBE has announced that she won’t be seeking a second term as chair of the British Horseracing Authority.

UK.- The chair of the British Horseracing Authority (BHA), Annamarie Phelps CBE, has announced that she will not be seeking a second term in the role. Phelps will step down from the BHA Board when her term ends at the end of May.

Current independent non-executive director Joe Saumarez Smith, whose term on the BHA Board concludes in September 2023, will take on the position of chair for the remainder of his term.

Annamarie Phelps said: “Following discussions with the board of the BHA I have decided not to extend my time as BHA chair beyond the end of the current term.

“This is a very important time for racing, with the recovery from the pandemic and the imminent publication of the Gambling Act Review White Paper both still very much on the sport’s agenda. A significant review of the BHA is also underway, which will ensure that the BHA is future-proofed, efficient and has sufficient resource to serve racing’s needs.

“We are at a key stage of discussions around a new governance structure that will provide clarity on the BHA’s role as governing body and regulator. I am therefore delighted that I have been able to develop the following core principles with the BHA shareholders prior to my departure.

“Firstly, recognition that the BHA board will maintain responsibility for both regulation and governance matters with an additional responsibility for leading the strategy for industry growth on behalf of our shareholders. That it will retain the same level of independent representation as at present, in line with governance best practice. Alongside this, we have agreed that the tripartite decision-making structure will be reviewed.”

She added: “I want to thank the amazing BHA team for navigating the pandemic and for keeping the show on the road behind the scenes, a role that is rarely acknowledged. It is a remarkable achievement that no fixtures were lost to Covid once British racing had become the first major sport to resume following the initial 2020 lockdown.

“We have also dealt successfully with some serious and complicated ethical and integrity matters that have set important precedents for the future, laid the foundations for greater diversity and inclusion across the sport, enhanced the industry’s educational resources and safeguarding provisions and further increased our focus on the welfare of our horses and our people; all of which are essential to the sustainable health and prosperity of racing.”

Saumarez Smith said: “On behalf of the BHA board, I would like to express my thanks to Annamarie, who has brought a broad perspective from other sports to the BHA board table.

“During her time as chair, she has laid the groundwork for significant change across the industry in a number of areas, and helped us navigate a series of challenging issues, not least the coronavirus pandemic and the BHA’s own governance. The agreement of a number of core governance principles is potentially a defining moment for the industry. I look forward to continuing to work with Annamarie until the conclusion of her term.”

In December, the BHA announced that an assessment had been commissioned to monitor progress on sustainability in the sport. It said the study would aim to offer a “clearer overall picture of current environmental activity” across the sport’s value chain, through breeding, training, racing and welfare.