54 NATIONAL RACEHORSE WEEK EVENTS TAKING PLACE TO ENGAGE YOUNG PEOPLE, CHARITIES AND LOCAL COMMUNITIES
National Racehorse Week returns this year with an expanded programme of activities across the country. Through its continued partnership with Racing Together, the programme has grown to include more community events than ever before, giving people of all ages the chance to connect with racehorses and the people who care for them.
18 August 2025: To celebrate the launch of NRW this weekend, retired racehorse Robin is Ready visited young people taking part in a Dallaglio RugbyWorks summer camp, held at Rye Rugby Football Club, offering youngsters a chance to get up close with a racehorse and learn more about the sport.
This year’s National Racehorse Week (NRW) kicks off this Saturday, 23rd August, with 54 community events designed to engage with younger audiences, charities and local communities, alongside the 91 public open days across the week offering 11,500+ free places to the wider public.
Since its inception in 2021, NRW has delivered 140 community events alongside 50,000 free places for the public to come behind the scenes of the sport and. This year’s programme sees over 2,000 individuals taking part in community events including:
- 10+ charities taking part in NRW events from yard visits to visits from racehorses, including Mind (The Mental Health Charity), Tickets4Troops, Box4Kids, Communicare (the loneliness charity), education charity Racing to School, and Riding for the Disabled (RDA)
- 3 flagship events with the Pony Club engaging with local Madrassah groups in Lancashire and Birmingham
- Guests from the Urban Equestrian Centre and African Caribbean Centre Leicester will have a special visit from a racehorse on Tuesday 26th August, and attend the Worcester Family Festival for free on the 31st August
The events at racing venues put the Thoroughbred at the heart of the conversation around the sport and showcases their lives both on and off the track, whilst also highlighting the expertise and dedication of the people who care for them every day.
In total, this year’s National Racehorse Week features 54 community events, with support from British racing’s community lead Racing Together, and funded by the Racing Foundation with support from Godolphin and the Racing Post. Events range from yard visits to improve mental health, to racehorses visiting local centres to offer smiles, respite and a chance to connect with a horse for many, for the first time. Watch a recent video here of a visit to Denbigh School in Milton Keynes delivered by education charity Racing to School.
In total, ten Thoroughbred racehorses will go out into the community to meet the public, many as part of the RoR Horses for Courses ambassador programme – including:
- Fakenham Racecourse ambassador Artifice Sivola meeting dementia patients and their carers at the Magpie Centre (RDA) in King’s Lynn
- Aintree Racecourse ambassador and Grand National winner Neptune Collonges will meet the public at Witton Country Park in Blackburn
- Cartmel Racecourse ambassador Kemboy meeting the public at Holker Hall & Gardens
- Cheltenham Racecourse ambassador Saphir Du Rheu taking part in a coffee morning and fundraiser for Racing Welfare
- Ascot Racecourse’s Side Glance visiting Camp Mohawk Day Centre in Berkshire
Racehorses will also visit Chester city centre on 27th August ahead of Chester’s Family Fun Day on 30th August. Great British Racing will take its ‘urban yard’ activation to Chester to give passersby the chance to meet racehorses away from a racing venue.
Taking place for the first time during the school summer holidays, NRW 2025 will offer families a chance to enjoy a free and memorable day out. Visitors will be welcomed into the homes of racehorses to see them relaxing in their stables or fields, training on the gallops, and enjoying a post-work wash or even swim. Many venues will feature live demonstrations from farriers, physiotherapists and vets, along with opportunities to speak directly with grooms, trainers and stable staff.
Gabi Whitfield, Head of Welfare Communications at Great British Racing said: “National Racehorse Week is all about showcasing our sport as open and welcoming, and inspiring people of all ages through the Thoroughbred. I’ve seen how getting close to these incredible animals for the first time impacts people and the impression it leaves on them. We’re delighted to be able to deliver these experiences again to thousands of people as part of National Racehorse Week.”
Tansy Challis, Chief Executive of the Racing Foundation, added: ““It’s wonderful to see the National Racehorse Week community programme brought to life at this week’s event which is a reminder of how impactful these moments of connection between people and racehorses can be. The Racing Foundation is proud to fund the calendar of community engagement events during National Racehorse Week with support from Godolphin and the Racing Post.”
National Racehorse Week has demonstrated the power of connection between people and horses. Last year, 99% of attendees said they would recommend the experience, with countless stories emerging of visitors who left not only entertained, but informed, moved, and inspired.
Bookings are open via www.nationalracehorseweek.uk, where visitors can search for events near them using a postcode tool.
Watch the 2024 highlights video for a taste of what’s to come.
Photograph Credit: David Parry/PA Media Assignments
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