If racing’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy is about creating a sport where everyone feels welcome, valued and able to thrive, then Racing With Pride’s Summer Social at Epsom Racecourse earlier this month showed what that looks like in practice. 

Racing With Pride, British racing’s LGBT+ network, brought together racegoers, colleagues and allies for an afternoon of racing, networking and community building, creating meaningful opportunities for people to connect while introducing new audiences to racing. While events like this are enjoyable social occasions, they’re also an important part of how the sport builds visibility, belonging and confidence for communities who have not always seen themselves reflected in racing. 

For many attendees, the day was about much more than racing. Leigh Armstrong, Racing With Pride Deputy Chair, spoke about the importance of visibility and belonging within the sport: 

“It’s really important that when you come racing you see people like yourself and for me that’s the main thing. It’s really important to have this group for visibility and for opportunities, like coming racing with Racing With Pride, because it helps you develop your confidence. I’ve always loved horse racing myself, so the impact for me is being able to come racing more and come with a group of people.” 

The BHA’s Head of Raceday Operations Cathy O’Meara (centre) pictured with Erik Tomlin and Rose Grissell (both left) and guests.

One participant attending their first Racing With Pride event reflected:

“I’ve lived in Epsom all my life and, as a child, used to get a day off school to watch the Derby. This was my first Racing With Pride event and it was fantastic. Getting to see behind the scenes of racing, meeting one of the jockeys who later won me some money, and spending the day with so many welcoming people made it a really memorable experience.” 

The event was made possible thanks to collaboration between British Horseracing Authority, Epsom Racecourse and Racing With Pride, demonstrating how different parts of the sport can work together to make racing more welcoming, accessible and representative – a model that could be adopted more widely across the sport. 

Reflecting on the event, Racing With Pride Chair, David Letts said:

“Racing With Pride’s Summer Social was a huge success, providing an enjoyable and safe experience for both members of our network and those new to Racing With Pride. It was particularly encouraging to hear from first-time racegoers who said they would come back racing as a result of their experience. This is a great example of the sport working together to engage new audiences, and we are extremely grateful to the BHA and Epsom Downs Racecourse for their support.” 

Helen Cowan, Community Engagement Manager at Epsom Downs Racecourse, said:

“Supporting Racing With Pride is a natural extension of our commitment to inclusivity at Epsom Downs Racecourse. We want everyone who visits, works at or participates in racing here to feel welcome and celebrated. Together, we can help ensure that our sport continues to be open, accessible, and inclusive for all.” 

The BHA’s Head of Diversity and Inclusion Rose Grissell (left) and Erik Tomlin, Diversity and Inclusion Project Manager, pictured at Epsom Racecourse.

The Summer Social demonstrates how racing’s equality, diversity and inclusion ambitions can be brought to life through practical action. By creating opportunities for people to build confidence, form connections and feel they belong, events like this better support and celebrate our existing community while helping engage new audiences, two strategic objectives of racing’s Equality Diversity and Inclusion Strategy. 

Alongside supporting industry networks such as Racing With Pride, wider work includes improving people’s understanding of diversity and inclusion, simplifying the way people can report incidences of discrimination, developing more inclusive career pathways and helping organisations across racing create cultures where people feel able to be themselves. 

For individuals, this means greater visibility, stronger support networks and increased confidence that they can be themselves in racing without feeling that they need to hide who they are. For the sport, it means attracting and retaining talented people from a wider range of backgrounds, strengthening connections with communities and ensuring racing remains relevant and accessible to future generations. 

Events such as the Summer Social are an important part of that journey. They show how policy can be translated into meaningful experiences that have a real impact on people’s sense of belonging and demonstrate the value of collaboration across the sport. 

Find Racing With Pride on Instagram or Facebook or email [email protected] to find out more.