Guyana approves new horse racing authority to regulate sport
Guyana’s horse-racing calendar just got a new referee: Cabinet approved an authority that will license racetracks, jockeys and the sport’s enforcement system.
Cabinet approved the Guyana Horse Racing Authority on June 28, 2026, clearing the way for Guyana to begin regulating a sport that has operated for years without formal oversight. Culture, Youth and Sport Minister Charles Ramson Jr. said the body has already been formed, Cabinet has reviewed its membership and composition, and the chair along with the rest of the board will be named in the coming week.
The practical change for race days is straightforward. Under the Horse Racing Authority Act, the new body will handle licensing for racetracks, jockeys and other racing functions, giving Guyana a formal gatekeeper for who can stage races and who can participate in them. Ramson said that kind of structure is overdue after years in which horse racing was left in an unregulated environment, a setup that made official sanctioning and international recognition difficult.
The legislation behind the authority followed a long road. The Guyana Horse Racing Authority first drafted legislation in 2014, the Horse Racing Authority Bill was tabled in Parliament on December 18, 2024, and the National Assembly passed the Guyana Horse Racing Authority Bill 2024 (Amended) on April 29, 2025. The law adds licensing requirements, term limits, expanded authority membership, fair-competition standards, veterinary care standards, anti-doping rules for horses and dispute-resolution mechanisms. Ramson said about 40 stakeholder meetings were held to shape the bill, a sign the final framework was built around the realities of the local circuit rather than drafted in isolation.
The stakes are bigger than paperwork. Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha called the law a historic step and said more than 1,000 people are employed in the sector. Officials also pointed to the wider market, noting that the global horse-racing industry is valued at US$127 billion and is projected to reach US$182 billion by 2030. For Guyana, the immediate question is whether the new authority can turn that long-awaited legal framework into cleaner meetings, stronger confidence from owners and trainers, and a sport that can stand up more credibly alongside the wider Caribbean season.
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