British Horseracing Authority appoints Simon Cox as Chair
The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) has announced the appointment of Simon Cox as its new independent non-executive Chair, adding that he is set to officially assume the role on 1 October 2026.
BHA’s new non-executive chair
In its announcement, the BHA described Cox as “a passionate owner-breeder and accomplished business leader”. It continued that he has “a deep understanding of the British racing and breeding industry, combined with extensive board-level experience and large-scale commercial expertise”.
Horseracing is very popular in the UK, especially when it comes to the betting industry, and the sport maintains significant cultural significance.
Detailing some of Cox’s background, the BHA said that he has been a member of the Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association board of trustees since November 2021, though he is expected to resign from that position ahead of officially taking on his new role with the BHA.
It continued that Cox is also a former Professional Jockeys Association board member, and is actively involved in contributing to efforts to grow the number of top-class horses in Britain as a member of the High Quality Horse Group, though he is also expected to step down from that position.
Further exploring some of his professional background, the BHA said that he had been appointed as European president and Chief Executive Officer of Molson Coors in 2014, with the role then expanding to also include Africa, the Middle East, and Asia Pacific.
It continued that the company generated circa £2 billion turnover and employed 6,500 people, adding that Cox led multi-billion pound acquisitions and delivered consistent growth.
Politics, legislation, and British horseracing
As the Chair of the BHA, Cox is expected to engage with the government and operate as a representative of the British Horseracing Authority.
With that in mind, the BHA said that Cox has established strong political relationships throughout his career, as it said that he has been involved in successful government engagement and lobbying.
Furthermore, it said that Cox will meet and engage with people from across racing, breeding, and betting ahead of October to get an understanding of the views of people in the industry and to “plan for the sport’s growth and future prosperity”.
Lobbying is an important function of an entity such as the BHA. Earlier this year, the UK Remote Gaming Duty increased from 21 per cent to 40 per cent, but horseracing was excluded from the increase, as well as the upcoming increase to the General Betting Duty next year.
The BHA welcomed this decision at the time, although it warned that the wider taxation changes could still indirectly impact the sport.
Recently, the BHA expressed disappointment with the UK Gambling Commission’s (UKGC) decision to go ahead with the implementation of financial risk assessments for online gamblers, arguing that such checks “will have severe financial implications for British racing and the UK economy and subject racing bettors to unwarranted levels of intrusion”.
In its statement reacting to the financial checks, the BHA had said that it will work with the UKGC and the betting industry in order to “find ways to mitigate the worst impacts of this policy,” so one would expect Cox to be involved in any such efforts going forward.
Comments from Cox and the Interim Chair
Discussing his appointment, Cox said that he is honoured to take on the position “at such an important moment for racing and breeding”.
He commented that he has been “extremely fortunate to be involved in this wonderful sport for so many years,” adding that horseracing has always been his passion and that he hopes he has both “learned a great deal and contributed a fair amount” throughout the years.
“British racing and breeding is a worldwide success story. We are an industry that is globally renowned for our equine welfare standards, the fairness and integrity of our competition and the quality of our participants, our horses and our racing,” Cox stated.
He commented that it is “no secret” that the industry is facing “significant challenges”, as he continued that his focus will be on ensuring that work is done through cooperation to address such challenges, “with a particular emphasis on growing participation in the sport, our customer base, and critically our income streams”.
David Jones, Senior Independent Director and Interim Chair at the BHA, said that Cox is already a “very well-established and deeply respected figure” within the British horseracing industry. He added that Cox is known among participants and racecourses as “an advocate for British racing”.
Jones concluded by saying that Cox has already been a valuable asset to the industry for many years as a fan, owner, breeder, investor, and active participant, and that Cox has the necessary skillset and demeanour to be a successful BHA Chair.
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