Parrish to step down as National Stud Chairman
The National Stud has announced that Andrew Parrish is stepping down from his post as Chairman at the end of next week (12th October), as part of the transfer of responsibility for The National Stud from the Horserace Betting Levy Board to the Jockey Club. The Jockey Club and the Levy Board have agreed to appoint Christopher Spence, already a director of the Stud since 2003, a trustee of the Wavertree Charitable Trust and former Senior Steward of the Jockey Club, as Interim Chairman with effect from 15th October.
Mr Parrish made his announcement on Thursday to staff at the Stud and to the AGM of the Blakeney Owner Breeders' Club Limited, of which he is also Chairman. He said:
"We are now making rapid progress towards the satisfactory completion of the long and complex negotiations between the Stud, the Jockey Club, the Levy Board and the Government, relating to the transfer of The National Stud to the Jockey Club. I believe these new arrangements, an initiative launched by the Stud Board in February of this year, will properly underpin the Stud and, in particular, will guarantee the proper development of the key education and training functions into the future. To facilitate this transition, it is now timely that I step down in favour of a new Chairman who will see this difficult process through to its conclusion. My colleague Christopher Spence is ideally placed to achieve this."
Mr Parrish will also step down as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Wavertree Charitable Trust, which he expects to do at the Board's next meeting in November, when the Trustees will elect a new chairman. He will remain Chairman of the two Owner Breeders' Clubs, the Blakeney Club Limited and the Never Say Die Club Limited, until the end of October, while the Boards of both clubs, including member directors, move to appoint a successor.
He added: "It has been a huge pleasure and a great honour to chair The National Stud for the past four years, during which I believe much has been achieved, despite the constant and well-publicised financial difficulties under which we have laboured.
I pay tribute to my fellow directors and all of the Stud's staff and thank them for their excellent efforts on the Stud's behalf. The Thoroughbred Breeding Industry continues to need an efficient and soundly-based National Stud and I am confident that these new arrangements offer the Stud an exciting and secure future."
Christopher Spence said "I would like to take this opportunity to thank Andrew Parrish for all his hard work and dedication during his Chairmanship. His energy and passion for the role has always been evident and throughout some difficult times he has maintained a positive outlook. He has also played an important part in laying the groundwork for the National Stud's transfer to the Jockey Club.
My first task will be to ensure that the transfer goes as smoothly as possible and that it does not interrupt the Stud's commercial plans for 2008, including its stallion operation as well as the broad range of services it supplies to the British breeding industry."
Robert Hughes, Chairman of the Horserace Betting Levy Board, said "I am most grateful for the work that Andrew Parrish, his Board and staff have put in to ensure a successful transfer of the Stud to the Jockey Club. Their efforts, together with the Jockey Club's initiative, have ensured that the National Stud now has a viable future."
<< Back to index
