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Who are we?

The Racehorse Owners Association works to promote and protect the interests of racehorse owners in Great Britain. The level of membership has risen dramatically in recent years, from 4,500 in 1998 to the current level of more than 7,000 members.

The ROA has a Council of 19 members, 16 of whom are elected. Elected Council members are required to stand for re-election every four years. Council members are elected through an annual ballot amongst all members of the ROA.

The Council meets monthly, while there is also a monthly Executive Committee meeting involving eight members, including the President, the Vice-President and the Chief Executive.

Meeting agendas involve the finances and politics of British horseracing, reports from various committees, on which the ROA is represented, and a range of topics relating to membership marketing and benefits.

Each year in June, the ROA holds an Annual General Meeting, after which there is a lunch and guest speaker. There is also an annual Awards ceremony at which those connected with the best horses of the year are honoured at a black tie dinner. The event will be in its 30th year when held this December.

The ROA is run by a staff of seven, headed up by the Chief Executive, Richard Wayman. The organisation now shares offices in High Holborn with the governing authority of racing, the British Horseracing Authority.

The ROA is a founder member of the Horsemen’s Group, an organisation which represents owners, trainers, jockeys, breeders and stable staff.

The ROA is funded almost entirely from membership income. Members pay £210 (including VAT) annually.

Together with the Thoroughbred Breeders' Association, the ROA publishes the monthly magazine,
Thoroughbred Owner & Breeder.

As well as providing a wide racing of benefits for its members, the ROA has membership marquees at the
Cheltenham Festival, Cheltenham’s November Open meeting and at Royal Ascot.