NATIONAL Racehorse Week (NRHW) is described by its promoters at The Jockey Club as “a nationwide annual celebration of the racehorse and a chance to see first-hand the love, care and attention that goes into looking after them”.

NRHW allows the industry to showcase many elements of horseracing that would normally be out of the public eye, giving the public a chance to see training yards, studs and aftercare centres open their doors to demonstrate what they are doing to nurture the racehorses of the UK.

The initiative was first conceived by trainer Richard Phillips in 2019 and is intended to serve as both a celebration and a window into the everyday realities of the sport, aiming to foster greater understanding and appreciation among the wider public.

By inviting visitors behind the scenes, National Racehorse Week helps to dispel myths and misconceptions, placing the welfare and dignity of the horses at the forefront. This transparent approach not only highlights best practices, but also encourages dialogue about the future of horseracing and the ongoing efforts to ensure the wellbeing of these redoubtable animals.

Phillips imagined a single event that the entire country could support to celebrate the racehorse, whilst also providing the public and policymakers with insight into the dedicated care that they receive, but the concept has developed in the last few years to become both bigger in scope and also with a localised focus, enabling more people to see the regard in which racehorses are held at a venue close to them, wherever they happen to live.

Negative publicity

Given the scope of social media to push specific news agendas to a wider range of the population than ever before, it’s important to be able to counter the negative publicity that those who oppose racing on ideological grounds are able to spread. That is best achieved not by simply rebutting arguments online, but by providing positive experiences that the public are able to utilise to gain a deeper understanding of what drives the sport and how it could not exist if the horse were simply a tool to be utilised for the amusement of the idle rich.

Those who have visited racing yards in any capacity will be aware that the care lavished on the horses is real and heartfelt and, seeing that first hand is a much more powerful message than the oft-repeated line that a racehorse in training is treated like “a guest at a five-star hotel”.

I understand what that is meant to convey, but the analogy is a moderate one at best. If I had to get up from my five-star hotel bed to run a mile at six in the morning, I’d not be best pleased, but the life of a racehorse is much more dignified than those who argue against racing would have us believe, and National Racehorse Week is a perfect opportunity to showcase that, even if those who take part are likely to feel fairly positive about the sport in order to attend.

The question is how to harness the benefit of a week’s positive publicity so that it takes root. The late Tom Lehrer satirised National Brotherhood Week with the words:

“It’s only for a week, so have no fear Be grateful that it doesn’t last all year.”

It’s easy to think that the huge effort put in by various practitioners during NRHW means that it’s job done, but there is more to it than good public relations and, while the standards of care are higher than ever in racing, it hasn’t always been so rosy and people will always have misgivings about the utilisation of animals in sport.

An evolving industry

There was a time in the distant past when racing and cock-fighting were bedfellows, after all, and the industry must constantly evolve without needing outside intervention to do so. Just because welfare within the sport is at an all-time high, there can be no resting on laurels. What NRHW provides is a window for the public to see the high standards expected and applied within the racing industry, but the industry itself must push continually to maintain and improve those standards, and that responsibility is 24/7.

As well as shining a positive light on the work that is done to promote the wellbeing of the racehorse and celebrate its standing within a sport that revolves around its equine participants, it’s important that racing doesn’t shy away from shining a harsh light on those areas that still require improvement. Not everyone lives up to the standards of care and compassion required, and dealing with occasional instances of poor practice and abuse is something that the industry should do without equivocation. Much has been done to improve traceability in horses no longer racing, but much more can be done, and the retraining and rehoming of retired racehorses is an area that requires increased focus and funding. What has gone before should be applauded, but the prospects for retired racehorses are still not universally positive, and driving towards that goal must be seen as a priority.

In terms of promoting the sport as an activity with happy outcomes, it’s not just the one-off concepts that can do that, and it would be remiss not to mention the Ebor Festival as an opportunity to celebrate the positives in racing. There is something about York that sets it apart from the Ascots and Goodwoods of the world in terms of its ability to connect with the public and, while exclusivity works for fixtures like Royal Ascot, York keeps racing rooted to its community as well as the wider world.

I suppose that is a Yorkshire thing as much as it is a deliberate ploy by the racecourse itself, but the effect is overwhelmingly positive, with racing portrayed as something inclusive of all, and not the domain of the wealthy and privileged. We expect the executive at York and the people of Yorkshire together to welcome visitors and make them feel glad that they’ve come racing, and I reckon they have done a ‘reet good job’ again.