British Horseracing Authority names new non-executive chair

Simon Cox, an experienced racehorse owner-breeder and former global drinks executive, has been named the new independent non-executive chair of the British Horseracing Authority (BHA). 

The body announced his appointment on Wednesday, confirming that Cox would take up the role on 1 October 2026 for an initial three-year term.

Experience

Cox brings over 15 years of experience in horse racing, having owned more than 10 broodmares at Shade Oak Stud. 

His industry roles include trustee of the Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association (TBA) since November 2021 and chair of the BHA’s Jump Pattern Committee. He also participates in the High Quality Horse group, which aims to enhance the calibre and volume of horses bred, owned, trained and raced in Britain.

Outside horse racing his professional background spans more than 30 years in the global beer and beverage sector, notably serving as European president and CEO of Molson Coors from 2014. 

During his leadership, that company recorded a turnover of approximately £2 billion and managed 6,500 employees. 

The looming cost of a tax hike

Cox described his appointment as “an honour” and underscored the strategic moment for British horse racing and breeding. 

“It’s no secret that we face significant challenges and my focus will be on ensuring racing works together to address these, with a particular emphasis on growing participation in the sport, our customer base and critically our income streams,” he said. 

One pressing concern for the BHA has been the UK government’s raising of Remote Gaming Duty (RGD) tax from 21% to 40% that came into action in April of this year. The BHA implemented strike action last September against this tax hike.

The organisation said that such a change in policy could cost the racing industry £330 million ($447 million) in the first five years after implementation. In addition, the BHA said up to 2,752 jobs could be lost in the first year alone. 

Tackle the sport’s challenges

Kyrsten Halley, chair of the interim Nominations Committee responsible for the recruitment, praised Cox’s “in-depth knowledge and understanding of British racing and breeding” along with his “clear and compelling plan” to tackle the sport’s challenges. 

“His strong vision for how we make progress in key areas like the sport’s governance, growth strategy, equine and human welfare and government relations left us in no doubt that he has the credentials to provide exceptional leadership at a critical time for our industry,” she noted. 

Cox to resign from trustee position to remain impartial

David Jones, the BHA’s interim chair, described Cox as “a very well-established and deeply respected figure within our industry” with “steely determination and decisiveness”.

The Betting and Gaming Council also embraced Cox’s appointment, emphasising that “his appointment provides an opportunity to build on the work already under way to strengthen the sport through strong leadership, a clear commercial focus and closer collaboration across the industry”.

The appointment followed a thorough and open recruitment process overseen by the interim Nominations Committee, which included independent members as well as nominees from the Racecourse Association, the Racehorse Owners Association and the Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association (TBA).

To maintain impartiality, Cox will resign from his trustee position at the TBA, and relinquish his roles as chair of the Jump Pattern Committee and member of the High Quality Horse group before formally joining the BHA board.

BHA pushes back against FRAs

BHA has been at the forefront of the backlash against the Gambling Commission’s Financial Risk Assessment (FRA) rollout in recent months. The FRAs, according to the Gaming Commission, are designed for customers exhibiting problematic spending behaviours. Initially as part of the measure, players whose net deposits exceed £5,000 within a rolling 24-hour period will be flagged and credit checks will be triggered.

Following the announcement, BHA CEO Brant Dunshea described the FRAs as “self-harm on an immense scale”. He warned of potentially severe financial consequences for British racing and the wider UK economy.

He described the checks as “severe” and likely to impose “unwarranted levels of intrusion” on racing bettors.

Dunshea expressed concern that, contrary to the Commission’s stance that the checks would be frictionless, the pilot actually revealed practical difficulties. He believes the measure will instead drive customers to the illegal market.