A NORTH Berwick resident has been appointed interim chairman of the British Horseracing Authority (BHA).

Atholl Duncan will take over from incumbent Steve Harman when he steps down on November 12.

The appointment of Mr Duncan, current senior independent director of the BHA board, was recommended by the BHA’s nominations committee, which features representatives of the BHA’s members – the Racecourse Association (RCA), the Racehorse Owners Association, licensed personnel and the Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association.

Mr Duncan, who lives near Abbotsford Road, said of his new role: “It is a great honour for me to be appointed as chairman of the BHA.

“My immediate focus will be to continue to work closely with everyone across horseracing to shape the right improvements we need to meet the many challenges facing our sport.

“I also look forward to supporting and constructively challenging the BHA executive and the highly dedicated teams across the country who we rely on every day to ensure the smooth running, integrity and welfare of racing.”

An experienced non-executive director in sports organisations, Atholl was a senior executive at the BBC for many years.

He spent four years as director of corporate affairs with Scottish Water and since 2011 was executive director of ICAS, the professional body of chartered accountants, before joining the BHA board in 2014.

Atholl was also a non-executive director of Sportscotland for nine years and sat on the Scottish Sports Council Trust and the Hibernian Football Club Community Foundation.

He has been a regular racegoer for nearly 40 years; is a Trustee of the Caledonian Racing Society; has been an owner in several syndicates; and has horses in training with Lucinda Russell.

The appointment is on an ongoing basis with no fixed term while the BHA and its members continue constructive discussion regarding the make-up of the BHA board and the remit of the chairman.