Horse Racing Ireland Re-Appoint Chief Executive

  • Posted 27/07/2016
Horse Racing Ireland Re-Appoint Chief Executive

Brian Kavanagh appointed for further 5 years

Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) today confirmed the re-appointment of Chief Executive Brian Kavanagh for a period of five years from September 2016, as approved at the Board meeting of Thursday 21st July. The re-appointment was made by the Board, with the consent of the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform.

The re-appointment comes at a time of significant change and development in the thoroughbred racing industry, with a number of major initiatives in train.
The new Curragh Racecourse project is a €65m development and will be the biggest racecourse capital expenditure project in Ireland to date.

Implementation of legislative and structural changes in the industry brought about by the Horse Racing Ireland (Amendment) Act which will require detailed knowledge and experience of racing administration.

A draft Strategic Plan for the industry has been submitted to the Department of Agriculture, setting out ambitious plans to increase racing’s contribution to the economy.

Brian will continue to serve as Vice-Chairman of the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA) and as Chairman of the European and Mediterranean Horseracing Federation (EMHF), a position he has been elected to every year since its inception in 2010. He will continue to chair the European Pattern Race Committee.

Chairman of HRI, Joe Keeling, said: “I am delighted that we have secured Brian’s services as CEO of Horse Racing Ireland for a further five years. Brian is one of the leading racing administrators in the world as we see from his leadership role in so many international racing bodies. Brian’s wide-ranging knowledge and contacts in the racing and breeding industries, as well as his skills and experience, will be indispensable in dealing with the various challenges and great opportunities which we face in the coming years. Racing and breeding can deliver a significant additional return to the Irish economy and Brian’s expertise will play a central role in this.”

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