Julie Harrington has introduced she’s going to go away her position as chief government of the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) on the finish of 2024.
Harrington has been on the helm throughout a interval of serious change in British racing, overseeing a brand new governance construction, a premierisation of the fixture checklist and tighter guidelines round whip use.
In an announcement confirming her departure, Harrington mentioned: “With so much now in place to develop and grow the Industry Strategy, which will secure a brighter future for British horseracing, it felt like the right time to move on and let someone else steer the sport through its next exciting phase.
“It has been an enormous privilege to steer the BHA throughout what has been a interval of actual change as the game has developed and applied shared methods for a sustainable future, and a capability to talk with one united voice.
“I really like working in horseracing, it’s a tremendous sport to be concerned in. I’ll at all times be a fan and you may count on to see me on the races within the years forward. I’m pleased with the progress the business has remodeled the previous three years, particularly in enhancing the governance construction, and I hope that racing’s stakeholders will proceed to work collectively cooperatively to draw new audiences, additional enhance the client expertise and develop the game.
“I’m assured that if the game continues to foster the sense of unity and shared goal that we have now developed over the previous few years, then nice issues may be achieved.
“My future plans are prone to embody a transfer to a diverse non-executive profession. Though I took the choice to face down a while in the past, I’ve agreed to remain on till the tip of 12 months to permit a easy transition to a brand new CEO.
“The BHA board is already engaged in the search for Joe’s [Saumarez Smith] successor as chair and informing the board of my intentions now gives the nominations committee the opportunity to plan an orderly handover, consider the complementary skills of candidates and allow the new chair to be part of the final stages of CEO recruitment.
“British Horseracing is without doubt one of the cornerstones of our sporting and cultural heritage. I will likely be ceaselessly grateful to have had the chance to be part of it, each throughout my tenures at Northern Racing, on the BHA Board and most just lately as CEO of the BHA. I want it each success within the years to come back.”
