During the 58th International Conference of Horseracing Authorities (ICHA), organised by the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA), several integrity-related developments in racing were announced. The IFHA has released its Racing Integrity Handbook and created the IFHA Council on Anti-illegal Betting and Related Crime.

“The release of the Racing Integrity Handbook is a major achievement for the IFHA and its commitment to upholding integrity in our sport,” said IFHA Executive Director Andrew Harding. “It is the first of its kind in horse racing, and indeed the most comprehensive such document produced for any sport.

“We expect it to be a valuable resource for use by all jurisdictions, and we are grateful for the collective efforts of the 25-plus global regulators and integrity experts that directly contributed to the publishing of the Handbook.”

The IFHA Racing Integrity Handbook can be found on the IFHA website.

The IFHA Council on Anti-illegal Betting and Related Crime is the result of the collaboration between key racing bodies, as it is transferring from the Asian Racing Federation (ARF) to the IFHA.

“The Council has become an established sports integrity think tank, and its impact, purpose and objectives are now global in nature,” said Martin Purbrick, Chair of the Council. “On behalf of the Council, I would like to thank both the IFHA and the ARF for their unwavering support of our work, and look forward to contributing to the integrity objectives of the IFHA, horse racing, and sport in general.”

This year’s ICHA took place in Paris, France at Saint-Cloud Racecourse on 7 October. The first International Conference of Horseracing Authorities was organised and hosted by the Société d'Encouragement in Paris, France, on October 9, 1967. Since 1994, the annual conference has been organised by the IFHA.

About IFHA

The IFHA is a federation of more than 60 racing authorities from different countries and regions in the world.  It is the global leader for the international sport of Thoroughbred racing, seeking to promote all facets of the worldwide sport; protect the welfare of the equine and human athlete; and protect and grow its global social and economic significance for current and future generations.

Major areas of the IFHA’s activities include:

• Making and amending the International Agreement on Breeding, Racing and Wagering
• Policy development relating to welfare and safety of horses and riders
• International race planning and grading (“black type”)
• World rankings
• The fight against equine prohibited substances and practices
• Harmonisation of racing rules
• Certification of IFHA reference laboratories
• Fostering commercial development of the racing industry globally

The IFHA is a foundation member with Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) of the International Horse Sports Confederation and is affiliated to the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH).