UK Racing Authorities to put spotlight on HorsePWR awareness campaign

IMAGO: Jubilee Alpha during a stable visit with Paul Nicholls ahead of Cheltenham Festival and Grand National 2025 at Manor Farm Stables, Somerset, England.

The HorsePWR campaign, which aims to increase public awareness of horse racing’s commitment to animal welfare, has been re-launched by two major authorities in the sport. 

The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) and Great British Racing (GBR), in association with the Horse Welfare Brand, will run the campaign from 24 February to 6 April. 

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Its aims are to ensure the wider public have full confidence in the sport’s commitment to animal welfare at a time of the year when the biggest events are set to take place. Large events upcoming are: Cheltenham Festival which runs from 11 March to 14 March and the Aintree Grand National which takes place on 5 April. 

The advertisement campaign will feature print and online media advertising in major cities across England including: London, Liverpool, Birmingham, Bristol and more. 

Plus, there will be half-page advertisements in national newspapers including The Times, The Mirror and The Sun. 

Robin Mounsey, who is the head of communications at BHA, said: “This campaign marks a significant moment for British racing. For the first time in recent memory, the sport is making a major investment in promoting its welfare message directly to the wider public. It is a demonstration of our confidence in the high standards of welfare within British racing and our commitment to ensuring that the public is better informed about them.”

The head of welfare communications at GBR, Gabi Whitfield, added: “Equine welfare is both a topic of general interest and a barrier to engagement for sections of the public. We want to make sure that British racing provides the facts in a clear, credible, and visually engaging way. 

“HorsePWR is about driving trust, combatting misinformation, and showing racing’s commitment to the wellbeing of the Thoroughbred from birth through to retirement. We are extremely grateful to the Horserace Betting Levy Board for funding the latest phase of this campaign.”

Cheltenham Festival winning jockey Jamie Snowden emphasised the importance of this campaign. He claimed: “We all need to keep banging the drum about how well these horses are looked after. I don’t think a lot of people outside the sport really understand the care and pampering these horses get. 

"From the girl or lad looking after the horse in the morning to the vets and farriers. It’s everything. These horses are cared for better than a lot of people. If someone goes to the doctors and needs an x-ray, they’d probably have to go onto a waiting list, but the vets are here in an instant to help with anything."

The campaign will aim to direct people to the HorsePWR website, which provides further information and clarity on the industry and racing care. 

Funding for this campaign has already been guaranteed via the BHA, The Jockey Club and Arena Racing Company.

This is the first promotional activity planned for 2025, with further HorsePWR initiatives expected to be released later in the year, subject to guaranteeing the additional funding required.