- BHA wins Governing Body of the Year award for its coaching provision at the prestigious UK Coaching Awards
- BHA Jockey Coach Rodi Greene was also a finalist for the Performance Development Coach of the Year award
The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) has been announced as the winner of the Governing Body of the Year award at the prestigious UK Coaching Awards, for its coaching provision in 2016.
The UK Coaching Awards honour sports coaches and coaching organisations who have demonstrated outstanding success over the previous 12 months. The BHA was announced as the winner of the Governing Body of the Year award at last night’s event, the 19th year of the awards.
BHA Vocational Training Manager Gill Greeves and Jockey Coach Rodi Greene at the UK Coaching Awards
Central to the BHA’s award-winning coaching services is the BHA Jockey Coaching Programme which was created in 2011 to enhance and evolve the support that is on hand to young jockeys. The programme provides access for apprentice and conditional riders to a qualified Jockey Coach and associated sporting professional support teams who can provide guidance not only on riding skills but also how to deal with the demands and pressures of a life in the saddle. This includes mentoring on how to keep fit and healthy, maintaining professionalism and good conduct and coping with the pressures of raceday.
The BHA Jockey Coaching Programme is managed by the British Racing School with support from the Northern Racing College. It was developed with support from the Jockeys Employment & Training Scheme (JETS), the Professional Jockeys Association (PJA) and National Trainers Federation (NTF).
This year has been pivotal for Jockey Coaching and its key achievements and in the last 12 months include:
- A comprehensive Jockey Training and Development strategy being agreed and a revised curriculum launched which covers race riding performance as well as developing a wide range of supporting skills for jockeys including media, communication, lifestyle, nutrition, fitness and financial planning.
- A second intake of eight jockey coaches have qualified creating a group of 23 UKCC Level 2 or Level 3 qualified coaches including former Champion, Grand National and Classic winning Jockeys. This means that for the first time every one of the 220 licensed Apprentice and Conditional jockeys are allocated to a Jockey Coach.
- Introduction of Personal Development Plans which complement and support the Jockey Coaching Programme
- Comprehensive appraisal system set up to ensure each Jockey Coach’s performance is reviewed and opportunities are provided for their development
BHA Jockey Coach Rodi Greene was also shortlisted for the Performance Development Coach of the Year at the awards.
Nick Rust, Chief Executive of the BHA, said:
“This award not only recognises the work of our dedicated Industry People and Development teams and BHA Jockey Coaches, but also the steps that the sport is taking as a whole to improve its training and welfare services.
“Enhancing the welfare and development of our participants and workforce is a core objective for the sport. The Jockey Coaching Programme is an essential element in this in terms of the support network it provides for young jockeys beginning their career in racing and it is pleasing to see the hard work and commitment of our coaches recognised, However, there is always more we can do. I am determined that we continue to improve the support we provide to our sport’s participants, both in terms of professional capability and in dealing with the rigours of the horseracing industry.”
Notes to Editors:
1. Since its launch in 2011 the BHA Jockey Coach programme has developed and integrated with the pre-existing training initiatives and is managed by the British Racing School (BRS) with support from the Northern Racing College.
2. The BHA Jockey Coaching Programme is funded by a deduction taken from all Apprentice and Conditional Jockey riding fees as well as generous support from the Horserace Betting Levy Board (HBLB).
3. More about the UK Coaching Awards: http://www.sportscoachuk.org/news/finalists-announced-prestigious-uk-coaching-awards
