Horse Racing Ireland

Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) is the national authority for thoroughbred racing in Ireland, with responsibility for the governance, development and promotion of the industry under the Horse and Greyhound Racing Act 2001.

Racing occupies a key position in the Irish sporting and social landscape, with its major festivals a highlight of the sporting calendar and the 26 racecourses bringing regular live sport to communities across the island.

The role of HRI is to lead, develop and promote the industry which is one of Ireland’s best performing agricultural sectors and at the forefront of our international sporting success.

The vision of HRI is to ensure Ireland will be the global leader in Horse Racing and Breeding, sustaining a vibrant and rural industry. The mission of HRI is to develop and promote Ireland's Horse Racing and Breeding industries to administer and govern the sport of Horse Racing in Ireland, to cultivate and promote the highest standards of integrity and welfare.

Funding

HRI receives a significant amount of its funding from the Horse and Greyhound Fund which is based on a levy on off-course betting.

Governance and Regulation of Irish Horseracing

The Irish Horse Racing Board (IHRB) is the regulatory board for racing in Ireland. One of the IHRB’s key responsibilities from a regulatory perspective is to protect the integrity of the sport. The IHRB has responsibility for licensing horse racing’s participants. The licensing team administers the licensing process for professional trainers, jockeys, apprentices, conditional’s and amateur riders.

History of the Thoroughbred

The Thoroughbred as we know it today was first developed in the 17th and 18th centuries, when mares from England were bred with imported Arabian stallions. All Thoroughbreds today can trace their pedigrees to three stallions that were imported into England during this period and to 74 foundation mares of English and oriental blood. During the 18th and 19th centuries, the Thoroughbred breed spread throughout the world. They were imported into North America during 1730 and into Australia, Europe, Japan and South America during the 19th Century.

The three imported stallions were the Byerley Turk (1680), the Darley Arabian (1700) and the Godophin Arabian (1724).

Thoroughbreds have gradually changed over the years. They are now much bigger and faster over the shorter distances and mature earlier.

Irish National Stud

The Irish National Stud is a Thoroughbred horse breeding facility in Tully, Kildare, County Kildare, Ireland. It was formally established by incorporation on 11 April 1946 under the National Stud Act, 1945 and is owned by the Irish Government.

Guided tours of the stud are available year round.

The first Thoroughbred Breeding course was held in the Irish National Stud in 1971 and it remains the best-known equine training programme to this day. The aim of the course is to educate people for a career in the thoroughbred industry, and many graduates have been prominent in stud farms throughout the world, racehorse training, bloodstock sales, insurance and the media.

Equine Health and Wellbeing

Equine welfare is a key priority for all involved in Irish Breeding and Racing. In addition to the significant volume of equine related capital investments incurred by racecourses, breeders and trainers, racing’s stakeholders invest in research and development in the field of equine welfare via the Irish Equine Centre (IEC).

The Racing Academy and Centre of Education

The Racing Academy and Centre of Education (RACE) represents a key pathway for those seeking a career in the industry. The academy was established in 1973 and has evolved into the national training centre for the Irish Racing industry.

RACE provides specialist riding skills training throughout the calendar year including Basic safety training; Horse care and management; Rider improvement; Advanced rider improvement and a 12-week exercise rider course. See www.racingacademy.ie for further information.

Education

Maintaining a highly skilled workforce is essential as it represents a key selling point for Irish racing but is not without its challenges given shifting demographics in Ireland including continued urbanization. To assist in this regard HRI established the position of Director of People and Industry and Education alongside a Careers and Racing Education department in 2015. The industry education and training department now plays a key role in the learning and development of individuals in the industry, developing further pathways into racing for future generations and providing strategic direction on education and training.

WorkinRacing

The industry and education department operate the WorkinRacing website which aims to provide careers advice to those seeking to build a career in the industry and those within the industry looking to upskill.

The website hosts information on:

• Career videos and stories from people within the industry
• Jobs Board
• Information on Equine Training Programmes
• Information on colleges providing Equine Training
• Information on the HRI student internship programme
• Information on Education & Training Grant schemes
• Information on the Industry Assistance Programme
• Information on the athletics programme ‘The Jockey Pathway’

Career advice - If you are interested in a career in the racing industry, the team in the industry and education department are available to provide information on equine courses and colleges, drop us a line at [email protected] with any queries you may have, we are only too happy to help in any way we can.

WorkinRacing also maintains active social media accounts to provide information on the industry, follow workinracing on facebook and twitter to keep up to date with all developments.