Abstract
The Jockey Club, founded in 1752, has influenced racing for two centuries and controlled it by the consent of the racing industry since the 1870s. Despite legal challenges and public criticism of a self-perpetuating, private club governing a major British sport, it maintained its pre-eminent position until the 1990s. In 1993 it began to share power with the British Horseracing Board, though retaining the regulatory and disciplinary role. Failure to take full cognisance of human rights legislation, media publicity over corruption in the sport, and a conflict of interest via its ownership of racecourses led to proposals for a new, independent governing body.