The opening session focused on horse racing in a changing society, with Professor Natalie Waran, Chair of the Independent Commission for Equine Ethics and Wellbeing for the International Federation for Equestrian Sports (FEI).

A panel of racing administrators followed, including Lisa-Jane Graffard, General Secretary, Au-Delà des Pistes; Julie Harrington, Chief Executive, British Horseracing Authority (BHA); and Najja Thompson, Executive Director, New York Thoroughbred Breeders’ Inc. (NYTB), shared their approaches and strategies to shape the narratives surrounding equine welfare and racing.