Simon Cox

The Thoroughbred Breeders' Association (TBA) held its 109th Annual General Meeting on Tuesday, September 1, with chairman Philip Newton acknowledging the significant challenges still facing British breeding and racing but expressing greater optimism that the importance of a strong and sustainable domestic breeding industry is now being recognised across the sport. The meeting also marked the official launch of the TBA's 2025 Annual Report, which highlights the breadth of the Association's work and its continued focus on using robust evidence and data to better understand the pressures facing breeders, inform...

Simon Cox has been appointed as the new independent non-executive Chair of the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) and will assume the position on 1 October 2026. A passionate owner-breeder and accomplished business leader, Cox has been a member of the Thoroughbred Breeders' Association (TBA) board of trustees since November 2021 and chairs the BHA's Jump Pattern Committee, which makes recommendations to the BHA Board on how to continually strengthen the Jump Pattern and Listed programme. A former Professional Jockeys Association (PJA) board member, Cox is a member of the industry's High...

Sponsored by Gallagher and hosted by Alice Plunkett, the Thoroughbred Breeders' Association (TBA) celebrated the 11th edition of its annual National Hunt Breeders' Awards at Poulton Hill Vineyard on Tuesday evening, held as part of the TBA's new NH Summer Party. The event brought together more than 100 guests from across the National Hunt breeding community to celebrate the successes of the 2025-26 National Hunt season, with Simon Sweeting featuring among the headline winners as he received the Queen Mother's Silver Salver (National Hunt Special Achievement Award), the highest honour...

The annual TBA National Hunt Breeders' Awards, sponsored by Goffs, will take place on Monday, May 19 at the Hilton Garden Inn, Doncaster, during the Goffs Doncaster Spring Sale. The evening will see breeders, owners, trainers and their teams come together to celebrate the outstanding achievements of British-based breeders and British-bred horses during the 2024/25 National Hunt season. The awards will be presented over the course of the evening, including the Queen Mother's Silver Salver, which is awarded by the TBA National Hunt Committee to an individual who in their...

GBBPlus, an extension of the highly successful Great British Bonus (GBB) scheme, has begun issuing its first bonuses. Designed to incentivise and reward the breeding, buying and racing of British-bred staying fillies and chasing mares, GBBPlus officially launched on January 1, and within three weeks, it has already awarded two £30,000 bonuses. The scheme's extension, announced last year, provides all mares born in Britain and sired by a British-based stallion with the opportunity to compete for bonuses of up to £30,000 in Class 1-4 weight-for-age (WFA) and handicap chases. Mares...

The Thoroughbred Breeders' Association (TBA) has announced its expert panel for the National Hunt Breeders' Forum, which takes place as part of the inaugural Breeders' Day at Warwick Racecourse on Thursday, November 21. The forum titled 'Starting Young' will be hosted by Racing TV's Jess Stafford, who will be joined by TBA National Hunt Committee chair and small breeder Simon Cox, pinhooker and point-to-point handler Charlie Poste, Alne Park Stud's director Grace Skelton, veterinarian John Spencer and Jess Westwood, consignor and owner of Molland Ridge Stud. The panel will discuss...

Warwick Racecourse, in partnership with the Thoroughbred Breeders' Association (TBA), announced on Tuesday that the second day of its Winter Festival on Thursday, November 21 will this year become Breeders' Day, with both the race programme and supporting activity centering around breeders and the breeding sector. Prior to racing, the TBA will host an educational forum designed for TBA members, and non-member breeding enthusiasts, covering a range of topics with expert panels and Q&A sessions. Full details of the panels and speakers will be revealed in the coming weeks, with...

The British EBF is to refocus part of its National Hunt prize-money contribution to support the junior hurdle programme, it was announced on Thursday. Now in their fourth year, Junior National Hunt Hurdle races are designed to enhance the potential of young horses through earlier jumping education. Racing against their own age group, the development of the programme aims to mirror the early education options available to National Hunt trainers in Ireland and France. Open exclusively to three-year-olds from October to December and four-year-olds from January to April of the following...

Simon Cox has been appointed to the Thoroughbred Breeders' Association Board of Trustees as a co-opted member. Cox is currently the President and Chief Executive Officer of Molson Coors EMEA & APAC, a brewing and beverage business of circa €2-billion turnover and 6,500 employees. Already a member of the TBA's National Hunt Committee, Cox has worked in the brewing industry for 32 years. He is also a member of the board of the Professional Jockeys Association and has owned National Hunt horses for a decade. His current string is with...