- HorsePWR campaign, led by the BHA and GBR, reinforces British racing’s commitment to horse welfare.
- Funded by the Horserace Betting Levy Board (HBLB), the campaign will expand HorsePWR’s reach to the wider public through high-profile outdoor, print, online, and social media advertising.
- Running from this week until 6 April, the campaign will feature in four major UK cities to coincide with key Jump racing festivals, aiming to increase awareness, engagement, and confidence in British racing’s welfare standards.
The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) and Great British Racing (GBR) have today announced the launch of a new campaign to promote HorsePWR, the industry-led initiative aimed at increasing public engagement with British horseracing and reinforcing confidence in the sport’s high welfare standards.
This latest phase of the campaign represents British racing’s most significant public-facing welfare-themed promotional campaign to date, and has been made possible by funding from the Horserace Betting Levy Board (HBLB). The campaign will run from 24 February through to 6 April and will feature targeted advertising across print, online, and social media platforms plus high-profile locations in four cities.
First launched in April 2024 by the BHA and GBR, in association with the Horse Welfare Board (HWB), HorsePWR is built on the principles of openness and transparency and uses compelling imagery to highlight the beauty and character of the thoroughbred racehorse. This latest stage of the campaign aims to widen awareness and engagement to a broader audience, reassuring those with concerns or questions by providing clear and comprehensive facts and information on welfare through the campaign website HorsePWR.co.uk. It represents an important step in the sport’s more confident, open, and transparent approach to engaging with the public on equine welfare.
Over the course of the campaign advertising will be placed in iconic locations in London, Bristol, Birmingham, and Liverpool and via print and online media, including:
- London Old Street Showcase
- Liverpool Barratt House
- Bristol Lights and Bristol Towers
- Birmingham Chinatown and Birmingham Towers
- Bus sides in Bristol, London and Liverpool
- Digital advertising locations across Bristol, London, Liverpool and Birmingham
- Six circulations of half-page advertisements in The Times, The Mirror and The Sun newspapers
- Targeted online advertisements, alongside a social media campaign via META across Facebook and Instagram
London Old Street Showcase
Liverpool Barratt House
Bus T-Sides: London, Liverpool Bristol
The choice of cities reflects their close links to major upcoming Jump festivals at Cheltenham and Aintree, as well as strong engagement with the campaign’s target audience.
The well-received imagery from the initial launch will be at the heart of this stage, combining striking visuals of racehorses with clear welfare messaging presented in a modern sports marketing style.
Print campaign creatives…live execution is half-page adverts
The primary objective of the campaign is to encourage audiences to engage with racing and provide reassurance about the sport’s commitment to horse welfare. The campaign also includes a call to action directing viewers to www.horsepwr.co.uk, where they can learn more about the sport’s welfare standards and practices.
This is the first promotional activity planned for 2025, with further HorsePWR initiatives expected later in the year, subject to additional funding being secured. The effectiveness of this latest phase will be assessed to inform the development of subsequent campaigns.
A level of funding for HorsePWR during 2025 has already been confirmed via the BHA, the Jockey Club, and Arena Racing Company, whose contributions are gratefully acknowledged.
Robin Mounsey, Head of Communications at the 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.”
Gabi Whitfield, Head of Welfare Communications at GBR, 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.”
Notes to Editors
- High-Res versions of campaign images for print and social media are available on request. Please contact Robin Mounsey ([email protected]) or Gabi Whitfield ([email protected])
