The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) announced today that they will immediately commence the process of recruiting for the role of Head of Stewarding following the news that William Nunneley will retire in March 2013.

William Nunneley turns 65 in March next year and he has informed the BHA that he considers this occasion would be an appropriate time to step down from the position he has held since 2002.

In total, William has been an official for over 30 years, starting as a part-time Judge in 1980. He became a Stewards’ Secretary in 1985 and was appointed Senior Stipendiary Steward in 2002. His role was expanded in 2008 to lead all aspects of Stewarding and to reflect this the job title was changed to Head of Stewarding.

Jamie Stier, Director of Raceday Operations and Regulation for the BHA said:

“William’s shoes will be hard to fill and consequently we are grateful to him for giving us good notice of his intentions, which enables us to conduct a thorough and open recruitment process. The role of Head of Stewarding is clearly an important one as not only is the role central to the management and coordination of race days, but the individual is generally on duty at the highest profile fixtures. The role also provides the critical link from BHA’s head office to every Stewards’ room around the country.

“A factor for us to consider in replacing William will be the implementation of the findings of our current Operational Review which is looking at all aspects of BHA Raceday Services including the manner in which the on-course Stewarding function is performed.

“However, in the meantime it will be business as usual with William continuing at the helm of the team of Stewards and Stipendiary Stewards. His experience is unmatched and he has been a tremendous contributor to the sport. He will be greatly missed from March next year.”