SportHorse racingThe Jockey Club announced it will leave the Racecourse Association at the end of 2026, joining Ascot in quitting the trade body amid calls for reform and an independent BHA board11:39, 03 Aug 2026Updated 11:40, 03 Aug 2026The Jockey Club has confirmed it will depart from the Racecourse Association (RCA) at the end of 2026.‌The owner of 15 racecourses, including Cheltenham, Aintree and Newmarket, followed Ascot in declaring it would quit the racecourse body in another setback for the organisation.‌On Saturday the RCA unveiled the result of a review, which began in March, under which it would transition away from the one member, one vote framework to a 25 per cent allocation for its four principal groups – Arena Racing Company, the Jockey Club, major independents such as Ascot, York and Newbury and smaller independents.‌It would also no longer appoint two members of the BHA board with that responsibility going to representatives independent of the RCA.. However the Jockey Club is unconvinced there is adequate prospect of meaningful reform.Chief executive Jim Mullen said: "While acknowledging the work that has taken place since March, we have consistently set out throughout the review that it needed to address not just the racecourse voting shares within the RCA, but the organisation's role in representing racecourses politically through its 50% holding of member shares in the BHA.‌"This review has addressed the RCA's internal arrangements, but not the constitutional arrangements through which racecourses collectively exercise their influence over the governance of British racing. The RCA's proposals fail to address our fundamental concern that the RCA can continue to act to stifle the necessary changes needed in the industry."Nothing proposed would displace the RCA as the political representative of British racecourses and in our view, confirmed by recent discussions, the RCA would continue to vote against necessary changes such as the introduction of an independent BHA board and substantive changes to the fixture list."Article continues belowHe continued: "It is our intention to work with Ascot Racecourse and other like-minded industry partners to pursue a vision based on the long-term sustainability of the sport and we are in the early stages of establishing a new organisation to do this."We accept that other racecourses may wish to pursue different avenues to reform the RCA and we respect their choice, but we believe that at the heart of this debate is the core principle that racing must be able to tackle the challenges it faces, free from self-interest and short-term priorities and this is best achieved by an independent BHA which is able to take input from all stakeholders but ultimately empowered to make timely and effective decisions in the best interests of the sport overall."Choose Daily Mirror as a 'Preferred Source' on Google News for quick access to the news you value.‌British Horseracing AuthorityJockey Club Inc.Cheltenham racecourse