The European and Mediterranean Horseracing Federation held its sixth General Assembly Meeting on Saturday February 1st at the Moroccan National Stud in Bouznika. Applications for membership from no fewer than four new countries were accepted, and Azerbaijan, the Channel Islands, Libya and Portugal take the total number of members from 23 to 27.
Brian Kavanagh, EMHF Chairman, commented: “I am delighted that the growing value and relevance of the EMHF to emerging racing nations in the EuroMed region has been demonstrated by the level of demand to join the Federation. I am sure that Azerbaijan, the Channel Islands, Libya and Portugal – four countries with very different profiles – will bring a fresh richness to the EMHF and the EMHF, in turn, is committed to helping in the development of their racing industries”.
The EMHF confirmed its commitment to its programme of seminars, hosted by the major European nations for the prime benefit of those where racing is on a smaller scale. Great Britain will be the venue when Weatherbys hosts a seminar in the summer entitled ‘Practical Administration of Racing and Breeding’. It is also planned to introduce a new format for a seminar on racehorse training, with prominent trainers being invited to hold audiences in selected countries, initially in Central Europe.
It was announced that the major European countries of France, Germany, Great Britain and Ireland have agreed to harmonise their practices for the payment of prize money to the connections of foreign-trained horses, such that the payments will mirror those for each country’s domestic runners. Delegates were treated to presentations from the Swedish Jockey Club on the successful reestablishment of an annual race-meeting in Stockholm, within the Royal National City Park; from the Libyan Horseracing Authority on the re-emergence of racing in that country and from SOREC, Racing Authority on the host nation of Morocco, on the healthy state of racing in that country. C