News
Harrington set for BHA hot seat
J
ulie Harrington will succeed Nick Rust as BHA Chief Executive at the start of 2021, British racing’s governing body announced last month. Harrington, currently Chief Executive of British Cycling, has a racing background. She is a former member of the BHA board and was a senior executive with Northern Racing for eight years, including a spell as Managing Director of Uttoxeter racecourse. Harrington has also previously worked as Operations Director for the Football Association, and was responsible for Wembley Stadium and St George’s Park, the FA training facility. Her early career was with Whitbread Inns as Regional Marketing Director, and then with British Airways as Retail Sector Director. As Chief Executive of British Cycling, she has dealt with some significant regulatory challenges, which should stand her in good stead in her new role; likewise her experience of working closely with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, as well as the
devolved governments in Scotland and Wales. BHA Chair Annamarie Phelps said: “I am delighted that Julie is coming back to the BHA and to racing, and the board and I are looking forward to working closely with her. “This is a vital leadership role for the organisation and British racing. Julie’s hands-on knowledge of horseracing, coupled with her governance and business experience, make her the ideal person to carry on with the task of restoring sustainable prosperity after the Covid crisis. We’ve got the right person, for the right job, at the right time.” Harrington said: “I’m so excited to be coming home to racing and playing my part helping this great sport to achieve a prosperity from which everyone benefits. “I know how important collaboration across racing has been over the past few months and I look forward to working with colleagues from all parts of the sport. “I’m proud to take on this leadership role in such a well-regulated sport, which
Julie Harrington: starts new role in January
enriches the lives of horses and people, and has a special place at the centre of national life and our rural communities.” Harrington was appointed by the BHA Nominations Committee, chaired by Phelps and whose other members at the time of the decision were Andrew Merriam, Maggie Carver and Nicholas Cooper, who has since been succeeded as the Horsemen’s Group member of the committee by Charlie Parker, the new ROA President.
Jockey Club in turmoil after Bushell resignation Delia Bushell’s short reign as Chief Executive of the Jockey Club came to an end last month, when she resigned after an independent barrister upheld a number of allegations made against her. Bushell, who succeeded Simon Bazalgette at the Jockey Club less than a year earlier, was the subject of a formal complaint lodged by one of her senior colleagues. She cited a “flawed and biased” disciplinary process, which followed allegations of bullying, the use of racist comments and sharing of offensive material. An independent barrister, revealed to be employment law specialist Jack Mitchell, interviewed 19 witnesses, including Bushell. The subsequent report, in which Mitchell concluded there was evidence to support a number of the allegations of misconduct, was considered by a subcommittee of the Jockey Club board,
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which decided there was a case for disciplinary action. Bushell has rejected the findings and threatened to take legal action. In return, the Jockey Club defended its actions and said in a statement that the organisation “completely refutes the many false and unsubstantiated claims made against it, some of its members and its staff by Delia Bushell. Her departure was based entirely on the evidence from a full, fair and independent investigation into a number of serious allegations that were raised about her unacceptable behaviour.” It added: “The Jockey Club intends to vigorously contest any proceedings she may bring. The board stands by its decision, the process by which it was arrived at and the evidence on which it was based.” Bushell’s resignation letter was strongly-worded, describing the Jockey
Club as “a male-dominated organisation that has a history of ignoring serious complaints against senior men and which seeks to discredit and ostracise anyone challenging its status quo”. She added in relation to the complaints: “An employee whose role is impacted by the proposed restructure raised a grievance against me, with 22 allegations encompassing everything from victimisation to a lack of phone calls from me. “You instructed a supposedly independent barrister to look into these, and then this confidential matter was leaked to the press from within the Jockey Club, with clear intent to undermine my position and harm me.” Jockey Club Finance Director Nevin Truesdale, who had been one of the leading internal candidates to succeed Bazalgette, subsequently took on the role of Acting Chief Executive.
THE OWNER BREEDER
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07/09/2020 19:01