The PowerPoint presentations and video replays from the eighth International Forum for the Aftercare of Racehorses (IFAR) are now available on the IFAR website. The videos can also be found on IFAR’s YouTube channel. In addition to the speaker videos, conference highlight reels have been published.
“It is our pleasure to make these make these presentations available online for those unable to attend the conference,” said Dr Eliot Forbes, chair of the IFAR Conference Committee and incoming IFAR chair. “The high quality of the information presented and the depth of insights our speakers provided will have long lasting impacts. We encourage anyone interested in aftercare to review and learn from these materials.”
The IFAR conference was held in front of a full house on 27 August in Sapporo, Japan. It offered a full day programme incorporating a conference and a local facility visit, showcasing off-the-track Thoroughbreds. Both events were hosted by the Japan Racing Association (JRA) and supported by the Asian Racing Federation (ARF). The IFAR conference took place in conjunction with the 40th Asian Racing Conference (ARC), which was organised by the ARF and held 27 August-1 September.
IFAR participants began their day with a visit to Sapporo Racecourse, which is one of many of the JRA’s equestrian facilities that works with retired racehorses. Delegates experienced first-hand how the JRA-supported programmes fulfill an important community role and help prepare the next generation of Japanese equestrians.
This multi-faceted excursion showcased how the JRA supports and transitions off-the-track Thoroughbreds across a range of second careers. Among those taking part was world renowned jockey Christophe Lemaire.
Attendees then travelled to Sapporo Convention Center, where the afternoon portion of the conference took place and was officially opened by JRA President and CEO Masayoshi Yoshida. The IFAR conference received assistance from the JRA, which has entered into a multi-year sponsorship agreement to support the activities of the organisation.
IFAR is an independent forum that recognises geographical and industry differences among racing countries and is designed to enhance Thoroughbred aftercare worldwide. IFAR works to raise awareness of the importance of welfare for Thoroughbreds, improve education on lifetime care and help increase demand for former racehorses in other equestrian sports.
IFAR has previously conducted conferences in conjunction with the 39th ARC in Melbourne, Australia in February 2023; the 38th ARC in Cape Town, South Africa, in February 2020; the European & Mediterranean Horseracing Federation’s General Assembly in Oslo, Norway, in May 2019; the 37th ARC in Seoul, South Korea, in May 2018; and the Pan American Conference in Washington, D.C., in May 2017. Virtual conferences were conducted in 2021 and 2022.
For more information about the 40th ARC, visit https://arcsapporo2024.com. For more information on IFAR, visit https://www.internationalracehorseaftercare.com or follow its social channels on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and LinkedIn.
International Forum for the Aftercare of Racehorses