Bloodstock Conference 2024

Lucy Attwood

I am the Programme Director for the Horseracing Industry People Board which was set up in 2023 to deliver a people strategy for the racing industry, Before that I have had an extensive career in HR with ten years’ experience leading Godolphin’s HR function. 

I’ve held senior management positions in pharmaceutical sales and research organisations, manufacturing and fintech and worked as a freelance consultant for SMEs. I have a degree in Psychology and a Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling and have worked in private practice as a therapist, executive coach and for Cambridge University Staff Counselling Service.  

I have balanced my career with being a single Mum of a now grown-up daughter.  Outside of work I am a Trustee Board member of Suffolk Rape Crisis. I am also horse mad and compete my own Dutch Warmblood in low level dressage. During my professional and personal life I’ve learned a lot about resilience and vulnerability - my own and those around me, leading and being part of teams during times of change both within and outside the racing industry.  

 

Stephane Bazire

Head of Business Sustainability at Silverstone Circuit, Stephane is leading the team to transform the iconic home of British Motorsport and host of the F1 British GP to become a sustainable business and leisure destination. Specialized in change management, sustainable development, event/venue operations and impact driven partnership, he brings over 20 years of experience mainly acquired in the sports industry through his collaboration with the ATP World Tour and WTA Tennis circuits, ITF, FIBA 3x3, FIFA Confederations Cup, World Roller Games, Mediterranean Games, F1 and MotoGP. 

His main objective at Silverstone is to drive Silverstone Shift to Zero sustainability strategy and decarbonization roadmap implementation, including carbon footprint accounting, FIA 3* and ISO 14001/20121 certifications, installation of 2764 solar panels and 24 EV charging points, switching to renewable energy including HVO Biofuel in all temporary generators, reducing single use plastic to 100% by 2026 and getting a low emission fleet of vehicles by 2030. 

Silverstone is signatory of the UNFCCC Sport for Climate Action committed to reduce 50% of its carbon emission by 2030 and achieve Net Zero before 2040.” 

Joe Bradley

Joe Bradley is currently head of bloodstock operations at The National Stud . Joe is a graduate of the Godolphin Flying Start scheme and has gained international experience having worked at Hazelwood Bloodstock, Cheveley Park Stud, Wentwood Grange Stud in New Zealand, and Motteraye Consignment in France. In his current role he currently manages the stallion roster, sales consignment and boarding business as well as being the key point of contact for all clients. 

Mr Ian Cameron MRCVS

Ian is a member of our Newmarket stud vet team. He became a partner at Rossdales in 2008 and a clinical director in 2021. In July 2023, he became Managing Clinical Director. 

Ian graduated from the Royal (Dick) Veterinary College, Edinburgh in 1999, and spent two years in mixed practice at Hampton Veterinary Centre in Malpas, Cheshire. He joined Rossdale & Partners as an intern in 2001. Upon completion of his internship, Ian joined the practice’s stud team in 2003, and spent the southern hemisphere stud season of 2004 at Windsor Park Stud in New Zealand. 

Ian gained a Cert EM(StudMed) in 2007 and completed a post graduate degree in Information Technology and Philosophy through the Open University in 2002. He has lectured around the country on stud medicine topics.  

Ian works in all aspects of stud medicine, but has particular interests in assessment of the late term mare, management of Thoroughbred youngstock and assessment of breeding stock, foals and yearlings at Thoroughbred sales in the UK, Europe and North America. 

 

Dr Madeleine Campbell

Madeleine is Professor Veterinary Ethics at Nottingham School of Veterinary Medicine and Science. She is a RCVS and EBVS Recognised Specialist in Animal Welfare Science, Ethics and Law. Madeleine is an Independent Director of the Greyhound Board of Great Britain and wrote their welfare strategy. She also Chairs the governments' Animal Welfare Committee, is Chair of the British Equestrian Federation's Ethics and Welfare Advisory Group,  sits on the BHA's Ethics Committee, and was an Independent member of the FEIs' Commission on Equine Ethics and Wellbeing. Madeleine is an equine vet and rides and breeds horses.  

Philippa Gilmore

Philippa Gilmore joined RoR in 2016 having previously worked in the equine feed industry where her passion for welfare came to the fore and being the proud owner of former racehorses for a number of years, the transition to RoR was the perfect opportunity to embrace both her love of the thoroughbred together with protecting the horses welfare. Philippa is Head of Welfare Operations and, is responsible for the delivery of the safety net for those horses in need of charitable support working with our partner centres to ensure those horses are rehabilitated, retrained and rehomed to have a good life. She also works alongside the Horse Welfare Board to deliver the Aftercare Funding Recommendations. Outside of work, Philippa has two former National Hunt superstars who enjoy a life of leisure, hacking around the countryside but is aiming to get out and about this season should time allow. 

Eileen Harte

Hailing from Dublin, the bloodstock industry was not a natural progression but Eileen was struck by the racing bug at an early age. Her passion for horses continued throughout her life and she eventually turned this into a successful career with her husband when they set up Keith Harte Bloodstock Ltd. Now over 18 years in the industry they are settling into their newly acquired farm in North Essex.

Breeding and selling thoroughbreds fill their days but the young people coming into the industry is something Eileen and her team concentrate on. Taking on apprentices and work placements and working as a mentor with Women in Racing became Eileen’s new passion and focus. This focus is continued through her volunteer work with Racing Welfare and her role as a Judge on the panel for the Godolphin Stud and Stable Staff Awards.  Eileen is currently training to be a Psychotherapist and Transformational Coach and knows these new skills will be of great service to the young people she mentors.

Lydia Hislop

Journalist, broadcaster and Chair of Britain's Pattern Committee

Lydia Hislop is an award-winning journalist and broadcaster, working in horseracing since 1996. She joined Racing TV (then Racing UK) at its launch, alongside stints at Channel 4 and the BBC, and is now one of its leading presenters. She writes the popular weekly Road To Cheltenham column for racingtv.com and co-presents its acclaimed spin-off TV show with Ruby Walsh.

She also works as a contributing editor for Tortoise Media, columnist for sportinglife.com and weekly contributor to the Nick Luck Daily podcast. She previously wrote for the Times, Guardian and Racing Post, and spent more than five years as racing correspondent for London’s Evening Standard.

For the past decade, she has also media-trained young jockeys to prepare them for the rigour of her future questioning! She chairs the Flat Pattern Commitee for the British Horseracing Authority, sits on the industry's Racing Group committee and is a longstanding trustee of the British Racing School. When she has some spare time, she likes road cycling, reading, theatre and growing vegetables. 

 

Adam Holland

Adam Holland is a graduate of the BHA Development Programme which he attended in 2023, where he learned about the opportunities offered by the National Stud to get into the breeding industry.  Following a period of work experience at Willow Wood Stud in Cheshire, Adam joined the National Stud’s Stud Management and Bloodstock Consignment course in September 2023 from which he graduated April 2024, and he has subsequently been accepted on to the Godolphin Flying Start which he commences in August 2024. 

Kanichi Kusano

Kanichi Kusano has been General manager of the Japan Racing Association’s London representative office since 2022. After graduating from Nihon University’s Faculty of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine in 1997 and qualifying as a veterinary surgeon, he joined the Japan Racing Association. His expertise is as a specialist vet dealing with racing-related issues (doping control, prevention of accidents, horse welfare and prevention of infectious disease) and clinical care (primary and secondary treatments including orthopaedic, acute abdominal and respiratory treatments). He gained a doctorate in veterinary medicine from the University of Tokyo in 2009, a license to practice veterinary medicine in Hong Kong in 2011, recognition as an authorised veterinarian by the International Federation for Equestrian Sports in 2017, and recognition as an authorised clinical veterinarian by the Japanese Society of Equine Science in 2019. He has served as a part-time lecturer at the University of Tokyo’s School of Agricultural and Life Sciences and the Veterinary Department of Nihon University’s College of Bioresource Sciences, Vice-Chairman of the International Group of Specialist Regulatory Veterinarians, and a member of the International Federation of Horse Racing Authorities’ Advisory Council on Equine Prohibited Substances and Practices. 

 

Mr Philip Newton

Chairman of the TBA

Mr Roly Owers

Roly is a qualified veterinary surgeon and has been Chief Executive of the charity World Horse Welfare since 2008.  He graduated from Cambridge University in 1992 and acquired his Masters degree in Nutrition from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine in 1997.  His previous veterinary roles included the Blue Cross and Royal Army Veterinary Corps.   

Roly plays an active role in much of World Horse Welfare’s work supporting the horse-human relationship, and as a Director of the British Horse Council he regularly liaises on policy with Defra, the devolved administrations and Ministers. He also advises the International Equestrian Federation (FEI), the International Horse Sports Confederation (IHSC) and the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) on horse Welfare, as well as other national federations.  

Roly is currently Treasurer of the British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA), Chairman of the UK Equine Disease Coalition, a Director of the British Horse Council, a Board member of the European Horse Network, Chair of the International Coalition for Animal Welfare and Treasurer of the World Federation for Animals.  

Dr Gemma Pearson MRCVS

 Gemma combines her time between research and outreach as Director of Equine Behaviour at The Horse Trust and running a referral clinic for clinical equine behaviour cases where she is based at the University of Edinburgh.  

After working in ambulatory practice Gemma undertook a rotating residency programme in the equine hospital alongside an MScR investigating horse veterinarian interactions.  

Subsequently she completed her CCAB (certified clinical animal behaviourist) exam and her PhD thesis ‘Stress in equids undergoing veterinary care and the development of interventions that positively influence the horses’ experience’.  As well as continuing with her own research she supervises several students at PhD, MSc and undergraduate level. Subsequently she has been recognised as the first species specific RCVS specialist in Veterinary Behavioural Medicine (Equine). 

Gemma is frequently invited to lecture internationally, as a recognised expert in this field and an excellent communicator. One of the most successful projects was filming a series of short YouTube videos with the British Equine Veterinary Association aiming to reduce injury rates when dealing with difficult horses under the ‘Don’t break your vet’ campaign.  

In her spare time she has competed up to advanced level endurance on a homebred horse as well as enjoying competing in affiliated dressage and eventing. Currently she is retraining a Thoroughbred recently retired from racing. 

Mr Richard Philips

Richard Phillips has been training racehorses for over thirty years and was assistant to Henry Candy before taking out his licence.  He has trained many winners over jumps including at the Cheltenham Festival and has also had Listed success on the flat.   

Training for a variety of owners and breeders since the beginning of his career, he has vast experience and knowledge of the sport.   

Having been born near Epsom racecourse, he has a lifelong passion for horseracing and has jointly bred many winners under both codes.   

Richard was instrumental in setting up National Racehorse Week – the annual celebration of the racehorse and is passionate about promoting all the benefits that horseracing brings to society.   

 

Louise Robson

Louise runs a stable called Thoroughbred Dressage, which is based near Buckingham, Milton Keynes. TB Dressage offers retraining for racehorses, along with also providing a place for horses with Poor Performance concerns/issues.  

Lousie retrains for owners, syndiactes and private owners, the most notable being HM the King. (Quadrille, Forthbride and Princes Trust) Aboard the late HM Quen Elizabeth's II Quadrille (Danehill Dancer x Ficticious) they were RoR Horse of the Year 2019 and are one of the highest competing ex racehorses on the dresssge circuit, both in the UK and around the world.   

Louise works closely with the Retraining of Racehorses (RoR) and with Godolphin Lifetime Aftercare programme. For the RoR Louise teaches regularly at their clinics and camps across the UK working with a variety of riders and horses at various stages along their retraining journey.  

Sarah Wynn

Sarah has spent the last 20 years working in the agricultural sector, helping improve sustainable production of crops and livestock.  Her focus in recent years has turned to reducing the climate impact of food production through both emissions reductions and carbon removals.  This work has led to towards increased understanding of how woodland, soils and natural habitats can be used to store and capture carbon to balance residual emissions. 

Sarah has developed tools and measurement approaches to quantify the carbon storage and removals from different habitat types.  Recent work has included supporting the TBA in developing the Stud Farm Carbon Calculator, to support the Stud Farm sector in understanding its GHG emission sources.