THE Minister for Agriculture has given his backing for a plan to transform the Racing Academy & Centre of Education [RACE] into the National Equine Campus [NEC].

A blueprint for the NEC was unveiled to over 140 racing industry stakeholders last Monday. Those present heard of plans to expand the role of the current RACE facility to become a national centre for education, training, wellbeing, rehabilitation and high-performance services for the racing industry.

Guests heard presentations outlining the strategic vision for the campus, the redevelopment plans, and the role the NEC will play in supporting the future workforce needs of Irish racing.

Minister Martin Heydon said: “The National Equine Campus represents a significant investment in the future of one of Ireland’s most important indigenous industries.

“By bringing together education, training, wellbeing and high-performance services in one location, this project will help ensure Irish racing continues to develop the skilled workforce it needs to thrive into the future. It is encouraging to see such strong engagement from stakeholders across the industry as this vision takes shape.

“This will work, because of the very diverse mix of stakeholders in this room. We have a remarkable opportunity to develop what can be a really exciting National Equine Campus.RACE has built up a great reputation over 50 years but, in the last couple of years, any time we talked about RACE it was with sadness and a sense of loss of something that was so good. Now that changes. This project is about taking the best of what there was in the past and making it fit for the next generation and for the next 50 years.

“As Minister for Agriculture, I am proud to be supporting this industry through the Horse & Greyhound Racing Fund. This industry is important to our economy nationally, and also to our local economies, often in rural areas, where there isn’t a good amount of economic opportunities. Today is a starting point, as opposed to an ending point.”

Suzanne Eade, CEO of Horse Racing Ireland, added: “The National Equine Campus is one of the most important strategic projects currently under way in Irish racing. Monday’s event demonstrated the enthusiasm, expertise and commitment that exists across the industry to make this vision a reality, with the contribution of the Irish Injured Jockeys being particularly significant.

“We are creating a campus that will not only serve the needs of today’s workforce but will help shape the future success, sustainability and international competitiveness of Irish racing.”

Johnny Murtagh, trainer, former jockey and RACE graduate, added: “As someone whose career was shaped by the opportunities and support I received through RACE, I know first-hand the value of investing in people.

“The National Equine Campus has the potential to be a gamechanger for Irish racing, giving future generations access to world-class education, training and support services. It is exciting to see the industry coming together behind such an ambitious and important project.”

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