The International Federation of Horseracing Authorities, also known by its acronym IFHA, is a global authority body for the sport of horseracing. Serving as a more formal body for the International Conference of Horseracing Authorities (ICHA), an annual series of conferences aimed at regulating horseracing, the IFHA was founded in 1993 to oversee matters related to fairness, quality and the rules related to horse breeding, racing and betting. Today IFHA's members are 60 national authorities in 55 countries, and is the only major global organization for horseracing. In addition to regulating the sport, the IFHA is also responsible for assessing the quality of horses and jockeys' performances globally, most notably through the World's Best Racehorse Rankings, an annual report of the best performing racehorses in graded races.
International Federation of Horseracing Authorities | |
| Founded | December 23, 1993 |
|---|---|
| Founded at | Paris, France |
| Type | Sports governing body |
| Headquarters | Paris, France |
| Membership | 60 national authorities |
Chairman | Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges |
Vice-Chair |
|
Executive Director | Andrew Harding |
Director |
|
| Affiliations |
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| Website | IFHA Online |
Since 2013, the IFHA has been partnered with Longines, the World Organisation for Animal Health, and the Fédération équestre internationale. It is a founding member of the International Horse Sports Confederation (IHSC).
History
The IFHA's origins begin in 1961. On the eve of the year's Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, horseracing authorities from Great Britain, the United States of America, Ireland and France agreed to coordinate their rules and actions to establish a more harmonized rules across the world. While this original committee was originally informal, by 1967 the committee's goals had grown popular enough to lead to the creation of the more formal International Conference of Horseracing Authorities in Paris, an annual conference designed to bring the world’s main racing authorities together to discuss and align the sport. To more easily facilitate decisions made at the conferences, the IFHA was formally founded on the IFHA was officially founded on December 23, 1993 in Paris.
On June 16, 2013, the IFHA announced a long term partnership with the Swiss watchmaker company Longines. Longines, who have long had an association with timekeeping for sporting events, have sponsored many racing events and awards associated with the IFHA since.
In July of the same year, the IFHA and the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) signed an agreement to coordinate matters related to the health and well-being of racing horses. The IFHA and OIE have hosted several conferences since on the subject of horses' health, including the first workshop in Asia to focus on the safe international transport of sport horses.
Later that year, on 7 November, 2013, the IFHA and Fédération équestre internationale, a global governing body that oversees non-racing equestrian sports, announced a partnership to launch the International Horse Sports Confederation, a not-for-profit organization designed to help better facility communication and cooperation between the two federations.
On October 8, 2024 at the 58th International Conference of Horseracing Authorities, the IFHA announced a new Racing Integrity Handbook, a series of guidelines and principals designed to improve regulations and combat corruption in the sport. The handbook has also been described as a way to promote horseracing's wider achievements against other sports. Alongside this, it announced the creation of the Council on Anti‐Illegal Betting & Related Crime, an expansion of the Asian Racing Foundation's regional council of the same subject.
Horse rankings
One of the more prominent roles the IFHA has is maintaining several annual standing lists related to the quality of horseracing.
In January of every year, the IFHA release the "World's Top 100 Group/Grade 1 Races for 3yos and upwards," a list that rates the strongest Group 1 races in the last few years in terms of the quality of horses partaking. This is compiled using the IFHA’s ratings of the races’ first four placed horses over the last three years.
The IFHA also maintains a standings table for both horses and jockeys, based on their performance over the previous year. The World's Best Jockey table began in 2014, with ranking being scored via performance in races included in the most recentTop 100 Group/Grade 1 Races list. The World's Best Racehorse Rankings, the current form of which began in 2008, allow for performance from races outside the Top 100 Graded Races list, but takes into account the relative performance and quality of other horses in each race a horse partakes in.
The leading horse and jockey for the year are presented with an award as part of the annual World Racing Awards ceremony in January.
Objectives
The IFHA state objectives for their organization on their website, including:
- Maintaining and amending the International Agreement on Breeding, Racing and Wagering (the IABRW), a voluntary agreement designed to promote fairness of members of affiliates.
- Improving the welfare and safety of both horses and riders, via standardised global racing rules.
- Planning international races, and overseeing the grading procedure for current and new races.
- Maintaining racing integrity via combating anti-illegal betting and doping.
- Certifying IFHA Reference Labs, facilities that specialise in equine drug testing.
While there have been calls since the early 2020s a "Olympic" style or other world event to help boost the awareness and popularity of horseracing, the IFHA have not committed to implementing such an event.
Membership
The IFHA have numerous members of various levels of affiliation.
Main members
| Country | Horseracing authority |
|---|---|
| Algeria | Société Des Courses Hippiques et du Pari Mutuel |
| Argentina | Jockey Club (Buenos Aires) |
| Australia | Racing Australia |
| Austria | Direktorium für Galopprennsport und Vollblutzucht in Österreich |
| Bahrain | Rashid Equestrian and Horseracing Club |
| Belgium | Fèdèration Belge des Courses Hippiques ASBL |
| Brazil | Jockey Club Brasileiro Jockey Club de São Paulo |
| Canada | Jockey Club of Canada |
| Chile | Club Hipigo de Santiago and Valparaiso Sporting Club |
| Croatia | Croatia Gallop Association |
| Cyprus | Cyprus Turf Club |
| Czech Republic | Jockey Club Ceske Republiky |
| Denmark | Danish Jockey Club |
| France | France Gallop |
| Germany | Direktorium für Vollblutzucht und Rennen |
| Great Britain | British Horseracing Authority |
| Greece | Jockey Club of Greece |
| Hong Kong | Hong Kong Jockey Club |
| Hungary | Kincsem Nemzeti KFR |
| India | Turf Authorities of India |
| Ireland | Horse Racing Ireland Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board |
| Italy | Ministry of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forests (MASAF) General Directorate for Horseracing |
| Japan | Japan Racing Association National Association of Racing |
| South Korea | Korea Racing Authority |
| Lebanon | SPARCA |
| Malaysia | Malayan Racing Association |
| Mauritius | MTC Sports and Leisure Ltd. (MTCSL) |
| Mexico | Jockey Club Mexicano |
| Morocco | SOREC |
| Netherlands | NDR |
| New Zealand | New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing Inc. |
| Norway | Galopp |
| Oman | Oman Horse Racing Club |
| Pakistan | Jockey Club of Pakistan |
| Panama | Hipica de Panama S.A. |
| Peru | Jockey Club del Peru |
| Philippines | Philippine Racing Commission |
| Poland | Polski Klub Wyscigow Konnych |
| Qatar | Racing and Equestrian Club |
| Romania | Romanian Jockey Club |
| Saudi Arabia | Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia |
| Serbia | Serbian Gallop Association |
| Slovakia | Turf Direktorium für die Slowakei |
| Slovenia | Slovenian Turf |
| South Africa | National Horseracing Authority of Southern Africa |
| Spain | Jockey Club Español |
| Sweden | Svensk Galopp AB |
| Switzerland | Galopp Schweiz (IENA) |
| Thailand | Royal Bangkok Sports Club |
| Tunisia | Société des Courses de Tunis |
| Turkey | Jockey Club of Turkey |
| United Arab Emirates | Emirates Racing Authority |
| United States | Breeders' Cup / NTRA Jockey Club (United States) |
| Uruguay | HRU S.A. |
| Venezuela | SUNAHIP |
Honorary members
| Country | Horseracing Authority |
|---|---|
| Great Britain | Jockey Club (Great Britain) |
National and regional organizations members
| Country | Horseracing Authority |
|---|---|
| Asia, Oceania | Asian Racing Federation |
| Caribbean | Confederación Hipica del Caribe |
| Europe, Mediterranean | Europe and Mediterranean Horseracing Federation |
| North America | Association of Racing Commissioners International |
| South America | Organización Sudamericana de Fomento del Sangre Pura de Carrera |
Affiliate members
| Country | Horseracing Authority |
|---|---|
| Mongolia | Federation of Mongolian Horse Racing Sports and Trainers |
| New Zealand | Racing Integrity Board |
| Turkmenistan | Turkmen Atlary State Association |
| United States | 1/ST Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit |
| Uruguay | Direccion General de Casinos |
Authorities that have signed some of IFHA's International Agreements but are not full members
| Country | Horseracing Authority |
|---|---|
| Barbados | Barbados Turf Club |
| China | China Stud Book Committee |
| Dominican Republic | Stud Book Dominicano |
| Finland | Suomen Hippos |
| Jamaica | Jamaica Racing Commission |
| Trinidad and Tobago | Trinidad and Tobago Racing Authority |
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