Horserace Betting Levy Board

The Horserace Betting Levy Board (HBLB) has agreed funding of £10.5m in grants to support a wide range of projects and initiatives across British racing in 2026.

This funding is in addition to the £97.7m already announced for prize money and the regulation and integrity of the sport.

The non-fixture grant area supports a significant number of areas including the promotion of racing, people training, welfare and development initiatives, thoroughbred health, horse welfare and aftercare. 

HBLB runs annual funding rounds to support non-fixture related grant initiatives. Since 2000, £101.5m has been invested in these areas, including £44.3m for Industry People, Training and Recruitment, £22.6m for Marketing and Promotion, and £6.8m to support Point-to-Point Racing.

Grant Awards 

The largest single award of £3.5m supports the second year of racing’s two-year National Marketing Campaign, executed by Great British Racing. The “Going is Good - Year 2”, launched in February and aims to build on the momentum of last year’s campaign, targeting the two growth audiences identified through Project Beacon research: Open Minded Rookies and Social Stakers. The campaign’s goal is to increase engagement with racing by enhancing its profile, resonance and appeal, especially among these groups. Click here to see the findings of Project Beacon.

HBLB has also committed £138,926 towards equine welfare communications, including support for National Racehorse Week. GBR has also been awarded an additional £250,000 towards a new digital campaign, designed to demystify the sport and develop and strengthen emotional connections with racing audiences.

A combined £2.6m has been awarded to the British Racing School (BRS) and the National Horseracing College (NHC) to continue the core training and development of future stable staff through apprenticeship and vocational programmes.

A total of £324,000 has been awarded to the Scottish Racing Academy, which operates a wide range of training courses in Scotland and the North of England providing sustainable, industry-aligned education that supports recruitment, progression, and retention within the racing industry.

HBLB has continued the support for jockey welfare, providing £90,000 towards jockey nutrition and £139,129 for racecourse physiotherapy provision. These services are acknowledged for the vital role they play in supporting jockey health, injury prevention, and long-term career sustainability.

The Pony Racing Authority has received funding of £70,810 in support of its Pathway into Racing through the Pony Racing Programme. The Programme seeks to support the recruitment of skilled new entrants to racing from a variety of backgrounds through the delivery of taster days, training opportunities, and academy programmes.

The National Stud has been awarded £308,800 to support its education provision for the thoroughbred breeding industry, including the Level 3 Stud Management and Sales Consignment Course and the Thoroughbred Industry Access Programme.

A total of £91,935 has been awarded to the Thoroughbred Breeders Association’s (TBA) education programme which creates initiatives to support the recruitment, training and retention of participants in the breeding industry.  

A total of £1,114,115 has been awarded to activities and projects overseen by the Horseracing Industry People Board (HIPB) following the publication of the industry workforce strategy in February 2025. HBLB has continued support of HIPB staff and board costs and the delivery of the BHA’s careers marketing campaign, which aims to promote careers, training and education in the industry to attract and retain a talented workforce. In addition, HBLB will continue to support the provision of an Industry People Wellbeing service which will still be delivered by Racing Welfare, but under the oversight of the HIPB team this year.

New for 2026, HBLB has funded a number of HIPB led projects which are Modernising Employment, Training Provision Review, and the scoping of a Workforce database, to support the implementation phase of the workforce strategy.

Within that total allocation, HBLB is a key funder of British racing’s newly developed Rider Development Pathway (RDP). This new programme is being delivered by the BRS, and plans to develop and improve rider skills at all levels across the sport, nurture elite talent and raise standards of rider-coaching. Full details of the RDP can be found here.

Retraining of Racehorses (RoR) will receive £264,000 to support the Education Programme and Vulnerable Horse Scheme in 2026. The Education Programme is a key component in supporting racehorses in their second career, recognising the connection between the right education and positive welfare outcomes. The VHS provides a safety net for any horses that might fall into difficulty later in life and demonstrates Racing’s care for its former athletes and any point in their life.

HBLB has awarded funding of £413,916 to support point-to-pointing in recognition of the contribution the amateur sport makes to National Hunt Racing. Point-to-pointing supports the development of young horses and riders in preparation for racing under Rules, serves as an affordable and welcoming introduction to racing for owners and spectators and provides a second career option for older horses stepping down from racing under Rules and in turn offering young and inexperienced riders the benefit of their experience.  

Racing to School and Racing Together have been awarded a combined £538,726 to support the Racing to School Education Programme and Racing Together’s core activity in the community. The education programme in 2026 will again engage a record number of young people through learning in a horseracing environment. Racing Together aims to set up, inspire and communicate community engagement work across the sport. 

A new grant of £12,000 has been awarded to Lloyd Bell Productions to enable the continuation of a racing audio service at 30 fixtures in 2026, providing free, broadcast-ready content to broaden racing’s reach. Funding will be provided only when matched-funding is provided by the host racecourse.

The Racehorse Owners Association (ROA) has been awarded £294,250 to deliver a programme of projects that aim to encourage and reward investment in ownership and breeding. The HBLB funded projects will include enhancing and refining data on existing breeders and owners, alongside initiatives designed to recruit and retain new racehorse owners.

The Rare Breeds Survival Trust (RBST) has been awarded £35,000 to support the delivery of the “Integration of Native Equines into Habitat Conservation” project.

HBLB has also allocated £200,000 to native rare horse breed societies deemed at risk. Details of the rare breed society grants can be found here.  

All grants are awarded subject to formal conditions, monitoring and reporting requirements agreed between HBLB and each recipient.

A summary of all the non-fixture grants is below: 

 Alan Delmonte, Chief Executive of HBLB, said: “Levy funding underpins a very substantial range of important activities across the sport, covering widespread projects to benefit the sport’s promotion, its horses and its people. The Board is pleased to have been able to continue this significant investment and extend it into new areas for 2026.”

For further information please contact HBLB Chief Executive Alan Delmonte on 07931 701536 or Anne-Marie Hogan, Head of Grants, at annemarie.hogan@hblb.org.uk. 

Notes 

1. Taking into account the budgeted prize money contribution in 2026 of £77.1m and grants towards the sport’s regulation and integrity of around £20.1m, today’s announcement confirms that total HBLB grant spending for calendar year 2026 is expected to be around £108m.
2. HBLB is a statutory body operating in accordance with the provisions of the Betting, Gaming and Lotteries Act 1963 (as amended). Its purpose is to assess and collect monetary contributions from bookmakers via a levy, which it distributes for the improvement of horseracing and breeds of horses, and for the advancement of veterinary science and education.