Mr Andrew Harding, Secretary General, Asian Racing Federation and Executive Director, Racing, The Hong Kong Jockey Club, has told the Asian Racing Conference on Thursday (12 February) that the sport’s future hinges on a meaningful connection with the younger generations.

Speaking at the Crowne Plaza Riyadh RDC Hotel and Convention Centre in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in a session titled ‘The Future Sustainability of Racing and Breeding’, Mr Harding said horse racing’s connection with young people is crucial, citing the pivotal role it plays with maintaining a sustainable workforce, which beyond being necessary industrially will be key to maintaining equine welfare standards which can only be met when passionate, caring and committed young people are working in the industry.  

Mr Harding said: “Our sport goes back more than centuries, but in terms of its future, this will depend on its relevance to youth, and beyond their participation as fans, there is the question of then their participation in the workforce.”

Mr Philip Newton, Chair, Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association said each jurisdiction’s interdependency on one another, primarily through horse movement, suggested racing’s challenges are global issues requiring global solutions, putting a spotlight on the reduction in worldwide foal crops by one third as a sustainability issue.

“Any product that is launched today must have global appeal. To rely upon a domestic market is a high-risk strategy and it is bound to fail. Gen Z and millennials rank British racing as 18th on their list as an attractive sport to be involved with; their principal concern is welfare.

“That’s the negative, but the positive is that there is very clear evidence that there is a global audience and global attention on an international elite racing product, and World Pool has made great strides in that,” Mr Newton said.

Mr Newton said horse racing must steady the declining foal crop, which will have a significant impact on racing’s programme: “Because the foal crop is falling, the size of the herd is falling, and then opportunity is falling. The ability to invest in stallions disappears.

“We are still producing outstanding athletes and attracting investment, but the margins are tighter and the scrutiny is greater than ever. If breeders are to thrive, we must work collectively across jurisdictions, particularly on issues such as welfare, traceability and sustainability. Public confidence is no longer optional, it is essential.”

The panel comprised Mr Abdulkarim Al Adhayani, Owner, Sama Farm, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Kate Galvin, Nomination Sales and Operating Manager, Jonabell Farm, Godolphin USA; Mr Andrew Hore-Lacy, Chief Executive Officer, Thoroughbred Breeders Australia and Aushorse; Mr Yukio Shimokobe, Bloodstock Agent, Japan, and Jayne McGivern, Chief Executive Officer, Sports Boulevard Foundation.

Mr Shimokobe said: “Japan has invested for decades in broodmare quality, stallion selection and horsemanship. The lesson for the global industry is that sustainable success does not come from short-term trends, but from consistent policy, education and respect for the horse.”

In a separate session titled ‘Equine Welfare’, a panel discussed aftercare initiatives, and the application of technology in enhancing and monitoring equine safety and wellbeing.

Dr Chris Riggs, Director, HKJC Equine Welfare Research Foundation and Chief Advisor, Mainland Veterinary Engagement, spoke of injury prevention in horse racing; identifying different genotypes associated with an increased the risk of fractures, and the variations in horse racing in attempting to minimise this risk, but highlighted the difficulty in effectively reducing the number of fractures.

Dr Riggs also cited enhanced industry-wide collaboration towards common goals in welfare, saying: “We now recognise that there are certain genes associated with an increased risk to fractures. It doesn’t mean they will sustain a fracture, but that they are slightly higher risk.

“The IFHA has made a big start towards that with a meeting we held in Toronto and then in Hong Kong, primarily run by our Research Foundation, has certainly helped draw that together. But we need, I believe, an industry-wide collaboration, we need to address the fragmentation.

Dr Riggs was joined by Mr Abdullah Alaseeri, Secretary General, Saudi Equestrian Authority; Mr Eliot Forbes, Chief Executive, Racing Integrity Board of New Zealand; Lisa Lazarus, Chief Executive Officer, Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority, and Celia Marr, Associate Veterinary Specialist, Rossdales Equine Hospital and Diagnostic Centre.

The group also highlighted the importance of the International Forum for the Aftercare of Racehorses (IFAR), which aims to provide leadership and advice on a range of aftercare issues, as well as support throughout the entire retired horse’s journey.

Mr Forbes said: “10 years on, IFAR is a global network that is lifting standards and making great contribution to the sustainability of racing. We’re pleased that our work has not only made aftercare more visible, but we’ve helped aftercare become more structured, more professional and more connected. Most jurisdictions have not only acknowledged the importance of aftercare, but they’ve acted and delivered.”