Key points:
- The Horseracing Industry People Board has secured over £759,000 ($1m) in combined funding from the Racing Foundation and HBLB to implement its 2025 workforce strategy initiatives
- New projects include a substance misuse pilot, standardised mentoring qualifications, and workforce analysis, alongside continued support for existing programmes
- Former Pentathlon GB, British Cycling and Table Tennis England executive Jon Pett has been appointed as Programme Director to lead the implementation of the three-year workforce strategy
The Horseracing Industry People Board (HIPB) has received a combined funding package exceeding £759,000 ($1m) from the Racing Foundation and the Horserace Betting Levy Board (HBLB) to support its programme of activity throughout 2025.
The funding follows the earlier release of Our People, Racing’s Future, a strategy aimed at attracting, developing and retaining a skilled workforce across British racing and breeding.
The Racing Foundation has committed up to £489,929, while the HBLB is contributing up to £269,438.
This funding will back a mix of new initiatives and ensure continuity for key existing programmes focused on workforce development and wellbeing.
Among the initiatives to be supported are a pilot project on substance misuse – expanding upon existing work in Newmarket – alongside a mentoring training pilot designed to standardise qualifications across the industry.
Additionally, a workforce analysis and forecasting project will be launched to help identify recruitment priorities and skills gaps, with an initial focus on training yards.
Good to know: The grants are part of a wider £4.2m investment into people-related initiatives across the horseracing industry for 2025
Ongoing programmes such as Racing Home, which supports working parents and carers, and the JETS jockey coaching initiative will also receive continuity funding.
The expanded programme will be led by newly appointed Programme Director Jon Pett, who joins the HIPB in May 2025.
Pett brings experience from roles at Pentathlon GB, British Cycling and Table Tennis England. In his new position, he will oversee the delivery of several objectives, including expanded vocational training, the development of a rider pathway and improvements to mental wellbeing and employment standards.
