The UKs Jockey Club, known as the BHA, has added experienced racing professional and former coach John Ferguson to its leadership team, taking over the position previously held by Luca Cumani.
Ferguson possesses an extensive and notable background in the realm of equestrian competition. He ascended from modest origins as a stable hand to become a prosperous coach, proprietor, and breeder.
He honed his skills as an assistant coach under the celebrated Michael Stoute before venturing out independently, ultimately conditioning an extraordinary 287 jump racing champions.
Ferguson’s proficiency extends to bloodlines, where he possesses a sharp talent for spotting promising steeds for reproduction. He skillfully applied this expertise by establishing Natalma Bloodstock in 2021. As its moniker suggests, Natalma is a bloodstock investment enterprise with an international reach, possessing broodmares throughout Europe, the United States, and Australia.
For more than two decades, spanning from 1994 to 2017, Ferguson played a crucial part as an envoy for both Darley and Godolphin, the prominent racing and breeding entities established by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
“My path in racing has surpassed my most ambitious aspirations, collaborating with exceptional individuals, and I am both privileged and thrilled to embrace this duty,” remarked Ferguson.
“From my beginnings as a stable lad securing my inaugural victory over hurdles at Hexham, to conditioning, breeding, possessing, and vending horses globally, I aspire to effectively represent the licensees.”
The destiny of equestrian sport rests with us,” proclaimed Joe Saumarez Smith, the head of the British Horseracing Authority, as he greeted BHA’s incoming chief executive, Ferguson, with enthusiasm. He underscored Ferguson’s vast background in conditioning and the purebred sector, emphasizing his command positions and profound comprehension of the sport’s operations. Smith conveyed assurance that, collectively, they would guarantee a lasting and flourishing future for horse racing for many years to come.