Equine Safety Advisor

According to the initial data analysis from the 17th year of reporting to the Equine Injury Database (EID), the rate of fatal injury in 2025 was 1.07 per 1,000 starts, the lowest rate since the EID began in 2009. This is the sixth consecutive year that the rate of fatal injury has been below 1.5. The rate of fatal injury decreased 3.6% from 2024 and has decreased 47% since the first statistics were published from the EID in 2009. Analysis of the EID was provided by Dr. Euan Bennet (University...

Mike Etherington-Smith, Helena Flynn and Stephen Wensley were all appointed to the Horse Welfare Board, the HWB announced on Wednesday. The trio, whose roles will be funded by the Racing Foundation, will work across racing to coordinate the implementation of the Horse Welfare Strategy and will be accountable to Barry Johnson, the HWB's independent chair. Racing Foundation CEO Rob Hezel was directly involved in the recruitment process. Etherington-Smith, who has designed multiple Olympic event courses, will be the Equine Safety Advisor. Helena Flynn has been named Programme Director and Stephen...