- Brant Dunshea joins from Harness Racing Victoria
The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) has today announced the appointment of Brant Dunshea to the newly created role of Head of Raceday Operations, following an extensive recruitment process.
Dunshea joins from the role as Chief Operating Officer for Harness Racing Victoria (HRV), where he also previously held roles as General Manager of Integrity, Chairman of Stewards and Senior Stipendiary Steward over a period of 20 years.
Reporting in to Director of Raceday Operations and Regulation Jamie Stier, Dunshea will be responsible for the management of the Raceday Operations Teams – including Starters, Clerks of the Scales, Judges and Equine Welfare Integrity Officers – and the Racecourse Inspectorate, providing strategic support and building stakeholder relationships in these areas.
Through his positions at HRV, Dunshea brings to BHA a strong background in regulation and his expertise includes operational management of major racing events, execution of strategic plans and administration of policy, procedure and Rules of racing.
He has extensive knowledge of thoroughbred racing through his own interest in the sport, and also through working closely with administrators and regulators in the thoroughbred industry. He has spent periods observing practices in jurisdictions including Great Britain, Hong Kong and Canada.
Jamie Stier, Director of Raceday Operations and Regulation for BHA, said:
“The Head of Raceday Operations role is a new position which arose from a review of the strategic direction and management of the Raceday Operations area of the business. The role will provide strategic support to the senior management team and promote continuous improvement within both the Raceday and Racecourse teams, setting out a clear vision for the future delivery of Raceday Operations in British Racing.
“We are delighted to welcome someone of Brant’s calibre to what is a crucial, senior and high-profile position. His expertise in all of the relevant business areas, including the operational management of racing events and a proven track record of the delivery of improvement to regulatory services, made him the outstanding candidate from what was an exceptionally high standard of applications.”
Dunshea holds a Bachelor Degree in Legal Studies and Political Science and a Graduate Diploma of Sports Law, which is currently being progressed to a Masters of Commercial Law. In addition to his racing appointments, Dunshea was also previously employed with the Australian Football League (AFL) in Victoria.
His start date has yet to be confirmed, pending finalisation of details regarding his move to the UK.
Notes to Editors
1. Brant Dunshea joined Harness Racing Victoria in 1994 as a Cadet Steward. He progressed to the role of Stipendiary Steward in 1997 before becoming Senior Stipendiary Steward – Industry Integrity in 2000.
In 2004 he was appointed General Manager – Racing Integrity and Chairman of Stewards, a position he held until 2006 when he moved to the Victorian Country Football League as General Manager.
In 2007 he rejoined Harness Racing Victoria as General Manager – Integrity before being appointed as Chief Operating Officer in 2010, a position he has held until joining BHA.
