The BHA’s CEO Hunt: Managed Decline or Disruptive Revival?

The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) has been searching for a new chief executive for over six months, and the process now feels as drawn out as a steeplechase on heavy ground. The job advert is ambitious to the point of parody, promising a “next generation leader” who can deliver “long-term, sustainable transformation” while simultaneously navigating the fragmented, squabbling mess that is British racing governance. It’s no surprise the hunt has taken so long; the role doesn’t just require a leader—it requires a masochist with a Messiah complex.

A Job Description Fit for a Superhero

This is no ordinary role. The incoming CEO will not only have to navigate the complexities of regulation but also steer British racing’s newly acquired commercial responsibilities. They’ll need to maintain relationships with bookmakers, influence policymakers, and represent the BHA on the global stage, all while convincing stakeholders with vested interests to stop bickering long enough to actually save the sport.

The BHA has outlined an ambitious mandate for its next leader. They’re looking for someone who can juggle regulatory duties with commercial innovation, lead complex stakeholder environments, and deepen international connections. The job spec oozes optimism, but it conveniently ignores the elephant in the parade ring: the fractured state of British racing itself.

Julie Harrington’s Legacy: Poisoned Chalice or Lost Opportunity?

Outgoing CEO Julie Harrington has been credited with expanding the BHA’s remit, shifting it from a pure regulator to a body with commercial ambitions. Yet her tenure has been widely viewed as a disappointment, hamstrung by the same structural issues that have plagued her predecessors.

Harrington’s critics argue she lacked the decisiveness to tackle the industry’s deep-seated problems, but the truth is more complicated. The BHA’s governance model ensures that no CEO can act independently. Instead, they must mediate between warring stakeholders—racecourses, trainers, owners, and bookmakers—all of whom are more interested in protecting their slice of the pie than growing it. It’s hard to make bold decisions when every move is vetoed by self-interested directors.

The role of BHA chief executive isn’t just a poisoned chalice; it’s a barrel of toxic compromises, served with a side of impossible expectations.

Caretakers and Delays: Dunshea and Allen Factor

With Julie Harrington stepping down and new chair Lord Allen not starting until June 1, 2025, the BHA has been left in limbo. Brant Dunshea, the organisation’s chief regulatory officer, has stepped into the breach as acting CEO—a stopgap solution while the hunt for a permanent leader drags on.

Caretaker leadership might suffice for maintaining the status quo, but it’s woefully inadequate when the sport faces existential threats. Attendance is declining, prize money is lagging behind international competitors, and racing’s dependence on bookmaker profits grows ever more precarious.

Without a permanent CEO or chair, the BHA risks drifting further into irrelevance. This prolonged delay raises the uncomfortable question: does the role of CEO even matter if it’s going to be filled by an acting leader for months on end? Racing doesn’t have the luxury of waiting for the perfect candidate—it needs decisive action now, not another season of interim placeholders.

The Shareholder Elephant in the Parade Ring

A major obstacle for any incoming CEO is the BHA’s fractured power structure. Racing’s stakeholders—the racecourses, bookmakers, owners, and trainers—have long been more interested in protecting their own fiefdoms than working for the good of the sport. This culture of entrenched self-interest has stymied every attempt at meaningful reform, leaving the BHA paralysed in the face of mounting crises.

At the heart of this dysfunction is the lingering question: to what extent is Martin Cruddace, ARC’s chief executive and one of racing’s most influential figures, pulling the BHA’s strings? Cruddace’s influence, combined with that of major bookmakers, casts a long shadow over the organisation. The BHA directors are supposed to operate independently, yet their decisions often seem shaped by a world view that aligns more with commercial betting interests than the broader health of the sport.

Bookmakers have their hands firmly on racing’s financial levers, and Cruddace’s dual role as an industry leader and operator of key racecourses gives him unparalleled access to those levers. The result? A BHA that too often appears beholden to the betting industry, distorting its priorities and leaving it vulnerable to accusations of being a puppet for vested interests.

What Racing Really Needs

British racing doesn’t need another puppet armed with a thesaurus of management jargon. It needs a disruptor, an innovator, a visionary. The next CEO must have the courage to challenge the status quo, the acumen to devise bold strategies, and the diplomacy to unite warring factions. This is a job for someone who can hit the ground running, not a caretaker looking to maintain the status quo.

The problem is that the BHA’s recruitment process, overseen by the MBS Group, seems more likely to produce a polished corporate type than a true industry visionary. If the search yields yet another LinkedIn darling fluent in PowerPoint but clueless about racing’s grassroots, the sport will continue its slow, managed decline.

Lord Allen, to his credit, has the potential to shake things up—when he finally starts in 2025. Until then, racing is stuck in limbo, its leadership vacuum growing ever larger.

Puppet or Pioneer?

British racing is at a crossroads. It can either embrace the chaos of true innovation, finding a leader willing to make tough decisions and challenge entrenched interests, or it can settle for another placeholder CEO who will quietly preside over the sport’s decline.

The stakes couldn’t be higher. Punters are drifting away, international rivals are surging ahead, and the “sport of kings” is in danger of becoming an irrelevant relic. The BHA doesn’t just need a CEO; it needs a saviour.

After six months of delays, with Brant Dunshea acting as interim CEO and Lord Allen still a distant prospect, the clock is ticking. Racing’s future cannot wait for endless boardroom dithering. The BHA needs action—and it needs it now. Because if the recruitment team doesn’t get this one right, the next CEO won’t just be managing the sport’s decline—they’ll be leading its last parade.