Johnson Appointed Chair of Horse Welfare Board

[Wandering Eyes]

Barry Johnson, the former President of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons and past Chairman of World Horse Welfare, has been appointed as the independent chair of a new Horse Welfare Board on behalf of the British Racing industry, the British Horseracing Authority announced on Monday. Johnson was appointed by an industry panel that included the BHA, the Racecourse Association and The Horsemen’s Group.

“I’m very pleased to have been asked by racing to take on this role and by the sport’s commitment to continuous improvement in the welfare of racehorses,” said Johnson. “I look forward to working with all those who want to play their part in enhancing the lives of racehorses and in making the sport as safe as possible. I want to start by listening widely to those who work directly with horses in our industry as their experience and skills will be vital in shaping a new horse welfare strategy.”

Johnson’s fist task, with the help of the Welfare Board, is to develop a new welfare strategy covering the whole racing industry in Britain and look across the whole lifetime of racehorses, before, during, and after they leave the sport. The Horsemen’s Group and the Racecourse Association will both be represented on the Board, while BHA Director of Equine Health and Welfare Dr. David Sykes will also sit on the board. The first meeting of the Horse Welfare Board will be in a few weeks.

“The public has seen recently during the influenza outbreak how racing acts with great care and professionalism to manage the risk to racehorses,” said BHA Chief Executive Nick Rust. “I expect the strategy to set out our ambition for bringing the same level of focus at all stages of the racehorse’s life and explaining this collectively and confidently to outside audiences.”

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