International Member Spotlight: Dr Eliot Forbes

In our latest International Member Spotlight, Dr Eliot Forbes tells us about his move from clinical work to regulation, how his MRCVS post-nominal has helped his international work and his involvement with organisations that help to protect the welfare of active and retired racehorses.

Can you tell us what organisation you work for and where in the world you are based?

I’m currently the CEO of a wagering technology company called RACELAB, based in Brisbane, Australia. I started in equine clinical practice, then moved to racing regulation and then to executive roles in racing. Previously I served as the CEO of Tasracing, the CEO of Racing Queensland, I was on the Board of Racing Australia (RA), the Board of Greyhounds Australasia and I chaired the Retirement of Racehorses Committee for RA.  

What does a typical day look like for you?

Firstly, I check our systems and the racing news to see if anything has happened overnight that I need to be aware of. We operate 24/7 and racing is global by nature. My role is about overseeing the business, managing strategy & risk and aligning people. On a typical day I’ll check-in with my executive team regarding operations, projects and to see if they have any issues that I can help with.

A lot of what we do relates to solving business problems – what is happening in the operating environment, how is our business positioned strategically and what are our competitors doing? I also need to ensure that we as a team are delivering on our goals, that our governance and financial controls are robust and that our ways of working reflect our organisational values.    

What’s your favourite thing about your role?

Racing and wagering are exciting industries – fast-moving, highly regulated and have important social license considerations. I enjoy applying my veterinary and industry experience to business and industry challenges. I really enjoy working with people to solve complex problems. As a CEO, I have delivered financial turnarounds of large, complex organisations and established two successful start-up businesses. The principles of diagnosing a business problem and then formulating and delivering a solution are similar to a clinical work-up. You need to consider differentials, work with stakeholders, update your assessment based on progress and deliver a way forward.

Can you tell us how veterinary regulation differs in Australia to other countries?

There are close parallels to the UK, although we have state-based veterinary regulation in Australia. I spent 12 years living abroad in the UAE, Qatar and Macau, as a clinical vet and a racing regulator.  The veterinary regulatory frameworks in those countries have different degrees of sophistication. There’s no doubt that the MRCVS recognition provides assurance as to veterinary credentials and is an important quality signal to customers and stakeholders.

What made you switch from working in clinical practice to regulation?

I spent ten years in clinical practice mostly with racehorses. I began to become more involved in the regulatory aspects when I began working as a racing official. An opportunity arose to take on a full-time veterinary regulatory role with the Emirates Racing Authority and I was really excited to take on a new challenge.

Initially it was a big change to put the scalpel down and move behind a desk, but a large part of my job was working on the racecourse - which I thought was the best office in the world! It was fast-paced, interesting and I was on the frontline helping to protect the welfare of horses.

I came to understand that, in addition to the day-to-day racecourse work, I was able to effect change at a policy level, which strengthened welfare outcomes at a national level. While my current roles are more business-oriented, my career journey really highlights how many doors a veterinary degree can open - for me, it has been a passport to the world.

How have you found that the MRCVS post-nominal registration has helped you to work internationally?

I have worked in five countries and I found it really useful to maintain my membership because of the excellent reputation of the RCVS. I am also a founding member of a group called the International Forum for the Aftercare of Racehorses (IFAR) and our mission is to promote the care of thoroughbred racehorse throughout their life. As a committee member, I work closely with racing jurisdictions to raise awareness of racehorse aftercare. Being able to speak to racing administrators with both sports administration and a veterinary background means it is a meaningful conversation.

Can you tell us a bit more about the International Forum for the Aftercare of Racehorses?

Racing is a wonderful sport and an important economic contributor in many countries. We also know that society is increasingly concerned about the welfare of racehorses and in particular what horses do after racing. When I was the CEO of Racing Queensland, I served on the Board of Racing Australia and chaired a sub-committee on Racehorse Retirement.

Our committee developed and helped put in place the first notification rules of racing, requiring owners to notify Racing Australia when they retire their horses, advise as to the reason for the retirement and destination at retirement. RA put the rule in place in 2014 (the first country in the world to do so) and RA reports on retirement outcomes every year in its annual report.

Together with the Retraining of Racehorses (UK), the Jockey Club (US) and one of the world’s leading racing and breeding stable Godolphin, we established the International Forum for the Aftercare of Racehorses (IFAR) in 2016. IFAR conducts a conference every year – the most recent in April of this year, where we had 22 countries attend a series of two webinars. We also publish newsletters and have a direct engagement program with racing jurisdictions.

Our vision is that all horses are treated in a humane and ethical manner every day of their life. We work to raise awareness and share best practise. We are building a community of committed people across the racing, breeding, aftercare and equestrian sectors. It’s a way that I remain connected to my veterinary background and ethos and work to drive better welfare outcomes around the world.

What innovations in animal welfare are you excited about?

I am also an advisor to the Board of StrideMASTER, a racing technology company. We provide GPS biometric sensors, which sit behind the saddle, that collect high precision data on the movement of the horse during a race. Most human sports collect and use biometric data, but it has not been done systematically on racehorses until now. Our timing technologies have been used in Tasmania for over a decade and at the Addington harness track in New Zealand for five years.

Our US division, StrideSAFE, have completed a series of trials at New York racecourses and we’re really excited about the new welfare data we’re getting. Using proprietary algorithms, we believe we can now accurately identify sub-clinical injury before the horse has broken down. Being able to detect early injury gives trainers and vets the ability to investigate and treat a horse. The system has the potential to transform the safety and welfare of both horses and jockeys, which is really exciting.

What do you get up to outside of work?

I was quite an enthusiastic (but very amateurish) polo player, where I rode mainly retired racehorses – it allowed me to continue to be with horses, even when my workday was far removed from the stables. Since I’ve been back in Queensland, I enjoy surfing and water sports with my kids.