The British Horseracing Boar?_x0019_s further achievements for Racing are chronicled in its 2001 Annual Report, published at its Annual General Meeting today.
The Report details:
Racing’s doubling of income from £85m to £170m, including the negotiation of a pre-race data deal with bookmakers worth £600m over the next five years, thus achieving BHB’s primary goal of the last four years, a commercial replacement for the levy
BHB’s agreement with attheraces for the provision of its data, on terms which ensured that the value of that data was not compromised
The unanimous support of BHB Directors for a restructuring of the BHB Board and Executive
Increases in racegoers per meeting, horses in training, prize money per race and number of owners in each of the past four years, for the first time
BHB’s round-the-clock efforts, along with those of others in the industry, in response to the outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease, which enabled Racing to continue in a highly responsible manner which reduced the risk of spreading the disease to a negligible level
The national launch of the £10m Discover Racing campaign, which made a positive start with increased attendances at targeted fixtures and over 100,000 visitors to its website in the first six months of the initiative
A series of other focused marketing initiatives which brought direct benefits to Racing and Breeding
Further development of the charitable organisation Rehabilitation of Racehorses, whose options increased dramatically with the receipt of a bequest from the estate of Paul Mellon of nearly £2.5m
Training programmes for over 1,000 individuals supported by the British Horseracing Training Board, whose efforts were rewarded with the conferral of sought-after Investors in People status
The Report contains the Board’s Summarised Financial Statements for 2001, which show, inter alia, a significant rise in BHB copyright income in that year to £3,874,000 from £2,246,000 in 2000, a reflection of the additional licences granted for the use of BHB’s pre-race data for betting purposes on the internet.
The Report includes a statement by BHB’s Chairman, Peter Savill, and an Annual Review of the Board’s activities, while other sections record the work of the Racing, Marketing and Finance Departments and of BHTB.
Some of BHB’s formal Aims, attached, have been updated to reflect the Board’s strategic decisions and in the light of other key developments.
The Board is once again publishing a short Summary Report which, in the interests of accountability and communication with the industry, will be distributed to all active racehorse owners, trainers, jockeys, breeders and stable staff.
For further information, please contact BHB Communications Manager Alan Delmonte on 020 7343 3318
