British Horseracing’s International Influence

As one of the oldest professional sports in the UK, British Racing possesses a significant amount of soft power potential. Each year, the excitement and prestige of British Racing’s events attract millions of attendees, and even more TV viewers. Royal Ascot alone is broadcast in over 200 different countries. Deeply entwined with another major soft power asset, the Royal Family, British Racing constitutes a major player in the UK’s international reach that attracts not just swathes of international visitors and participants, but also international investment.

The report sets out the foundations of British Racing’s soft power, its current international reach, and makes three recommendations to protect and build on one of the UK’s major soft power assets:

1. The Government and racing sector should embark on a joint mapping exercise on their key markets, their priority countries and important stakeholders, evaluating areas of overlap and common interest.
2. Following this, Government and racing should undertake a programme of meeting and engaging with key stakeholders.
3. Government and racing should introduce a more formal arrangement of working collaboratively.