Racecourse Association Statement

The RCA has conducted a comprehensive governance review. This is the first such review of the organisation for 20 years and has examined three important areas: The RCA’s executive operations; the nature of the RCA’s voting structure; and representation within the BHA.

This process began in March and, with the agreement of our membership, was extended to allow for further consultation on key subjects. Additionally, the process was overseen by an independent review group alongside a specialist governance consultancy.

The review has led to two key recommendations which have been discussed and agreed in principle by the RCA board, but are now subject to further detailed work and ultimately will need to be approved by a vote of members:

• The RCA should move from a ‘one member, one vote’ structure to an equitable voting system with a 25% share for each of the four constituent member groupings.
• There is recognition among all members that the RCA provides a number of essential services, common to all racecourses, which are completely separate from commercial matters and the BHA fixtures and funding process which is currently being reviewed. These operational services are highly valued and should be supported within a restructured organisation. As part of fulfilling this commitment, the RCA will no longer be responsible for appointing two positions on the BHA Board. These positions will be apportioned to practitioner representatives who are independent of the RCA Board and Executive.

The RCA believes that this solution answers the demands for change within the existing body to limit the power of voting veto and to ensure that all members have the ability to contribute constructively to the future direction of the sport.

However, some members of the RCA want to see further structural changes to how racecourses are represented within the BHA. This may not be possible within the current RCA structure. To this end, those members wish to explore the option to represent themselves directly within the construct of the BHA. In order to progress this, further immediate discussions are therefore needed with the new BHA Chair and team, alongside wider stakeholders, to determine an appropriate framework for these representations.

Alongside these discussions, the RCA will continue to progress the two key recommendations of the review.