TBA

The Thoroughbred Breeders' Association (TBA) held its 108th Annual General Meeting on Monday, September 1, with chairman Philip Newton confirming the TBA's support for an independent Board at the British Horseracing Authority (BHA). "Charles Allen has a big job in front of him," Newton said of the BHA's new chair. "The industry needs to recognise he doesn't have a silver bullet and cannot do this on his own. "The TBA will provide support, reasoned and considered counsel and give Charles Allen every opportunity to deliver the job he has been...

Leanna Packard has been appointed Head of Marketing and Partnerships at TBA and Aushorse to take effect Sept. 1, the company announced Wednesday. Originally from the United States, Leanna is a graduate of The Ohio State University and began her career in marketing at WinStar Farm in Kentucky before relocating to Australia. For the past eleven years, she has served as Marketing Manager and Racing Coordinator at Newgate. In her new role, Leanna will lead marketing across both TBA and Aushorse, manage sponsorships and partnerships, and drive stakeholder engagement initiatives...

Julian Richmond-Watson and Simon Mockridge were each honoured with separate awards during the Thoroughbred Breeders' Association (TBA) Flat Breeders' Awards, sponsored by Watership Down Stud at Chippenham Park on Wednesday evening. Formerly the chairman of the TBA and now filling that same role at the Thoroughbred Group since 2023 as well as being a board member of the Horseracing Betting Levy Board (HBLB) and a member of the British Horseracing Association (BHA) Flat Pattern Committee, Richmond-Watson received the Andrew Devonshire Bronze which acknowledges outstanding achievement and contribution to the British...

Great British Bonus (GBB) payouts to breeders, owners, trainers, jockeys and stable staff across the country have surpassed £20 million, from nearly 1,500 individual bonuses, after the George Scott-trained Pixie Diva earned a £10,000 bonus with her success at Lingfield last week. The GBB scheme was launched in 2020, with majority funding from the Horserace Betting Levy Board (HBLB), designed to create value and increase demand for British-bred fillies. In 2022, the number of annual individual British-bred fillies running exceeded pre-Covid levels, while GBB-registered fillies sold for an average of...

Naomi Mellor has been appointed chief executive officer at the Thoroughbred Breeders' Association (TBA). A qualified veterinary surgeon, Mellor brings over 17 years of equine veterinary experience across the UK, Australia, and the South Pacific, including Thoroughbred stud work. As well as working in racing, stud and general practice as a vet, she previously served as a Veterinary Officer at the British Horseracing Authority, where she played a role in regulatory compliance and animal welfare at major racing events, including Royal Ascot and the Cheltenham Festival. Mellor succeeds Claire Sheppard,...

The shortlisted nominees have been revealed for five of the 12 award categories at this year's TBA Flat Breeders' Awards Evening, which takes place at Chippenham Park on Wednesday, July 9. Tickets remain available for purchase via the TBA website's events page and are priced at £80 per person (inc. VAT). Announced earlier this year, the winners of the Flat statistical awards are presented on the night, along with the TBA Stud Employee Award. The winning individual to be announced during the ceremony will take home a £2,000 prize, in...

Tickets are now on sale for this year's TBA Flat Breeders' Awards Evening, which takes place on Wednesday, July 9 at Chippenham Park and will be sponsored by Watership Down Stud. The event, which takes place on the eve of Newmarket's July Festival and the July Sale at Tattersalls, celebrates British-bred successes from the 2024 Flat racing season and will be hosted by Sky Sports Racing presenter, Gina Bryce. A total of 13 awards will be presented during the course of the evening, including the prestigious Andrew Devonshire Bronze and...

The annual TBA National Hunt Breeders' Awards, sponsored by Goffs, will take place on Monday, May 19 at the Hilton Garden Inn, Doncaster, during the Goffs Doncaster Spring Sale. The evening will see breeders, owners, trainers and their teams come together to celebrate the outstanding achievements of British-based breeders and British-bred horses during the 2024/25 National Hunt season. The awards will be presented over the course of the evening, including the Queen Mother's Silver Salver, which is awarded by the TBA National Hunt Committee to an individual who in their...

The Thoroughbred Breeders' Association (TBA) announced on Thursday that its chief executive, Claire Sheppard, is to step down in the autumn following eight years in the role, with the recruitment process for a new CEO already underway. "While working at the TBA, I am very proud of what the organisation has achieved for British breeders and the industry over the last eight years," read a statement from Sheppard, who has been responsible for developing initiatives such as the Great British Bonus Scheme during her time in the role, as well...

The Thoroughbred Breeders' Association (TBA) announced on Thursday the launch of the Stud Employee Accident Benefit Scheme (SEABS), brokered by Howden, the global insurance intermediary group. The scheme enables employers to offer financial support for up to two years to stud employees who are temporarily or permanently unable to work after an accident. Open to TBA members who are employers, the scheme offers weekly payments of up to £400 per week (less statutory sick pay) if an employee is unable to work as a result of an injury for up...

GBBPlus, an extension of the highly successful Great British Bonus (GBB) scheme, has begun issuing its first bonuses. Designed to incentivise and reward the breeding, buying and racing of British-bred staying fillies and chasing mares, GBBPlus officially launched on January 1, and within three weeks, it has already awarded two £30,000 bonuses. The scheme's extension, announced last year, provides all mares born in Britain and sired by a British-based stallion with the opportunity to compete for bonuses of up to £30,000 in Class 1-4 weight-for-age (WFA) and handicap chases. Mares...

The Breed Smart Forum: Matings for Markets will take place on Thursday, Nov. 28 in the sales ring at Park Paddocks during the Tattersalls December Foal Sale, the Thoroughbred Breeders' Association (TBA) announced on Friday. Beginning at 5 p.m. and sponsored by Streets Bloodstock, the forum will feature panelists Richard Brown, William Haggas, Alice Thurtle, Patrick Diamond, Clive Webb-Carter and will be hosted by Sky Sports Racing's, Vanessa Ryle. Free to attend, the forum will look at matings and discuss key considerations when it comes to selecting a stallion, the...