The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) has today announced forthcoming enhancements to the structure of the Stewarding team at race meetings, with the objective of creating a more efficient structure to the overall management of the regulatory side of the raceday.
The enhancement sees the creation of a new permanent, professional role of Stewards’ Secretary, which will be present at each fixture. In total eight Stewards’ Secretaries will be recruited, to be effective from 1 January 2016.
The Stewards’ Secretary role will replace the existing Stewards Room Administrator (SRA) role. Upon implementation of the changes, all of the administrative functions in the Stewards’ room will be carried out by the Stewards’ Secretaries, who will also be expected to be able to act on their own initiative and produce clear comprehensive well written reports for publication. To provide more resilience in the Stewards Room the Stewards’ Secretaries will also require the skills needed to allow them to act as a Steward, if required.
Jamie Stier, Director of Raceday Operations and Regulation for the BHA, said:
“A key strategic goal for the BHA over the next eighteen months is to continue to evolve our regulatory framework to ensure confidence amongst participants and the racing and betting public.
“The addition of permanent Stewards’ Secretaries who are able to take on all of the administrative functions of the Stewards room, as well as act as Stewards when required, will increase the efficiency and capabilities of the team, streamline the administrative functions carried out in the Stewards room on a raceday and improve the reporting process.
“The Stewards Room Administrators have done an excellent job over the years and we are extremely grateful for their contribution. The changes we are implementing represent an enhancement to the structure of the Stewarding team but all of the Administrators have been told that they are invited to apply for the new roles, alongside any external applications we may receive.”
Notes to Editors
1. Currently there are twelve SRA’s employed on sessional contracts, who are rostered by the Racecourse Stewarding Co-Ordinator.
The SRA’s work anywhere between seventy and one hundred and seventy days a year, according to location and availability.
The SRA’s currently share the administrative functions on a raceday with the Stipendiary Steward and produce documentation under their instruction.
When the new Stewards’ Secretaries structure is introduced all of the administrative functions will be carried out by the Secretaries, who will be full time employees and expected to be able to act on their own initiative and produce clear comprehensive well written reports for publication.
2. The recruitment process for the Stewards Secretaries will begin on 14 September with advertisements to be placed in the Racing Post and at https://www.britishhorseracing.com/bha/working-in-racing/bha-vacancies/
