Owen Stars in 'Horse Comes First' Film

Former pro-footballer Michael Owen stars in the short film “Horse Comes First”, part of British racing's cross industry campaign for promotion and education around the high welfare standards that exist in British horse racing, which was launched by Owen on Twitter on Wednesday.  The focus of the film (click here to view) are the world-class facilities and care given to Owen's most valuable players-the horses at Manor House Stables. Owen, trainer Tom Dascombe and his team outline the similarities between a stable of equine athletes and a team of top-level footballers. The Horse Comes First initiative began in 2013 led by the BHA, but also includes the Project Board members: the Racecourse Association (RCA), Racehorse Owners Association (ROA), Professional Jockeys Association (PJA), National Trainers Federation (NTF), The Jockey Club, the National Association of Racing Staff (NARS), Arena Racing Company (ARC) and Retraining of Racehorses (RoR). The campaign is funded 50% by the BHA and 50% from contributions from the Project Board members.

“The Horse Comes First campaign is all about raising awareness of the high welfare standards that exist within British racing,” said BHA Head of Media Robin Mounsey. ” It aims to reach outside the sport and demonstrate how well treated and cared for our horses are. We hope that using the power of Michael Owen's huge social media platform and world renowned reputation will help send this important message to wider audiences. We are extremely grateful to Michael and the team at Manor House Stables for their contribution to this film.”