Racehorses visited Liverpool city centre for first day of National Racehorse Week (22-31 August)

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For immediate release, 22nd August 2026: Horseracing took over Liverpool city centre today as part of National Racehorse Week, which runs from the 22nd to 31st August. Members of the public were able to meet racing’s equine athletes up close and for some, it was their first time meeting a horse.

Great British Racing, who run National Racehorse Week, took its ‘pop-up racing yard’ to Thomas Steers Way in Liverpool One to give even more people the chance to meet a racehorse as part of the ten-day event. Visitors were able to meet former racehorse, Reignman, who used to be trained by David Loughnane.

Positioned on Thomas Steers Way, passersby were able to:

· Watch farrier and physio demonstrations and ask the experts questions about caring for equine athletes

· Experience riding like a jockey, with tips from Racing to School. VR headsets were available to wear whilst on a mechanical horse

· Explore a racehorse’s wardrobe

Throughout the week, the sport aims to bring racing closer to people of all ages and backgrounds, giving those particularly in city locations the chance to get up close with a horse, sometimes for the very first time.

Farrier Sam Dracott, who gave farrier demonstrations as part of the event said: “The city pop-ups are a great way to get new people into racing and National Racehorse Week is something I am proud to be a part of. Today in Liverpool we did a live shoeing demonstration for the public and everybody was keen to get stuck in, the crowds were amazing.

It is such an important week for the sport, and I am so proud to be a part of something that showcases the equine stars. The horses are what makes this sport special, so to take this time to show our appreciation is so important.”

National Racehorse Week takes place across England, Scotland and Wales and offers over 16,000+ free places at more than 90 venues, including racing yards, studs and racehorse retraining centres.

Today alone 12 events have taken place across the country with an additional 89 public open days and city events due to take place by the 31st of August. As part of National Racehorse Week an additional 40+ community events will take place engaging youth groups, charities and schools.

The ‘racing pop-up’ will also visit St James’s Churchyard, Piccadilly in London on the 26th of August and Gunwharf Quays in Portsmouth on the 29th of August.

Notes to Editors:

· Please credit Great British Racing is using this content editorially

· Download images here. (hyperlink) (Photo credit: Lee McLean PA Media Assignments).

For more information contact:

· Georgia Dingle, Head of PR, Great British Racing at gdingle@greatbritishracing.com and Kia McKee, Senior PR and Consumer Communication Executive, Great British Racing at kmckee@greatbritishracing.com

About Great British Racing

Great British Racing is the marketing and promotional body of British horseracing - the second biggest spectator sport in the country. Our role is to widen horseracing’s fanbase and to help maintain British racing's position internationally as the best in the world. For more information, visit www.greatbritishracing.com

What is National Racehorse Week?

National Racehorse Week is a nationwide celebration of the Thoroughbred racehorse. Over ten days the doors to studs, training yards, and retraining centres across Britian are thrown open for free for the public to come behind the scenes of the sport. The event helps shine a light on the incredible levels of care provided to these magnificent athletes and lets people experience their lives away from the racecourse.

The first National Racehorse Week took place in 2021. This is the sixth year of the event and since its inception National Racehorse Week has delivered:

· 65,000 free places for the public to visit studs, training yards, and retraining centres for free

· 190 community events connecting over 10,000 additional people

· National Racehorse Week is the chance for people to experience for themselves the life of a Thoroughbred in racing

· National Racehorse week provides the public with the opportunity to talk to the people who dedicate their lives to their care and development, ask questions, and create more informed opinions about the sport

· National Racehorse Week is a fantastic opportunity to see behind-the-scenes of racing and experience the joy of getting close to horses

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