Paul Roy has been appointed Chairman of the leading equine charity Retraining of Racehorses. He will succeed the present Chairman, Ron Huggins, on 1st July, the same date on which Steve Harman takes on the role of Chairman of the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) from Paul Roy.
Paul Roy has been Chairman of the BHA since its establishment in 2007 and is Chairman of the asset management firm NewSmith, which he established in 2003 after a successful 30-year career in the securities and investment banking industry.
Ron Huggins, the outgoing Chairman of Retraining of Racehorses, said:
“Paul’s deep commitment to the sport of racing has been evident throughout his time at BHA and the charity is fortunate to have someone of his experience and dedication coming on board as Chairman.
“I am proud of the progress Retraining of Racehorses has made in recent years both in terms of its reach and its reputation. Particularly satisfying is the growth in demand for Thoroughbreds after they have finished racing, thus ensuring that they have satisfying second careers. The charity has focussed on establishing competitions in a variety of disciplines for former racehorses and this has resulted in a growth in registrations of riders and horses from 3,700 three years ago to over 8,000 today.
“Paul will inherit a small but very hard working team led by Chief Executive Di Arbuthnot, ably supported by our trustees. I have no doubt that under Paul’s chairmanship the charity will continue to thrive and grow.”
Paul Roy said:
“I congratulate Ron on his success since becoming Chairman in 2010 and look forward to working with the trustees, Di and her team. I am also looking forward to engaging with the charity’s benefactors within and outside of the sport to make sure that our equine heroes are well cared for after their racing careers are over.
“I have always been passionate about the welfare of horses before, during and after their time on the racecourse. Retraining of Racehorses is one of my favourite equine charities and part of the fabric that makes British racehorse welfare second to none. It is to the sport’s great credit that its equine commitment is reflected in the various careers former racehorses now enjoy.”
Retraining of Racehorses is the BHA’s official charity and is responsible for promoting the adaptability of racehorses to other equestrian activities. The charity raises funds from within the Racing industry to help support the charitable retraining and re-homing of former racehorses. It also runs a well-established programme of competition sponsorship and clinics to educate and improve riders handling former racehorses.
