Joe Saumarez Smith: Former British Horseracing Authority chairman dies aged 53
Former British Horse Racing Bureau (BHA) chairman Joe Sumarez Smith was 53 years old.
Saumarez Smith Resigned last month His lung cancer spread behind his brain.
He was first diagnosed with cancer in 2023 and continued to take on his role while under treatment.
Brant Dunshea, acting CEO of BHA, said: “It is a great honor to know and work with Joe and to always provide the BHA team and me personally with wise lawyers and strong support, and we will never be grateful for this.”
“He is committed to advocating the interests of Britain on the global stage, and it is unwavering because British racing owes him a huge gratitude. We will miss him a lot”.
Interim BHA chairman David Jones said Saumarez Smith was “not only a personal friend to many of us, but also a good friend to racing.”
He added: “Joe’s passion for the sport emanates in everything he does. He has such a deep understanding of every aspect of the industry that I and other colleagues on the board really missed his insights.”
Saumarez Smith joined BHA in December 2014 as a non-executive director and became chairman in March 2022.
BHA takes care of the governance, administration and regulation of the UK racing and racing industry.
