ABOUT HENRY BIRTLES

Henry Birtles, also known as The Racing Poet, runs his own company HBA Media, a consultancy specialising in television rights for horse racing. Getting racing to a broader audience is the name of his game, something he also aims to achieve through his poems. Henry isn’t so much keen on the sport of racing as he is fanatical and unashamedly passionate about it.

That it comes across so well in poetry is a measure of his heartfelt enthusiasm. “I would hate to insult the great poets and prefer to describe what I write as rhymes. There’s nothing that clever about them, but I think they reflect what racing fans feel about this sport and the memories they have of some of the great horses and races that we’ve been privileged to witness.”


Henry is repeatedly commissioned by jockey clubs and race horse owners.  His poems are a regular feature on Cheltenham Gold Cup Day where he recites to the crowd from the famed Best Mate and Arkle statues. He has been featured on the BBC, Channel 4 and Dubai Sports Channel and has been commissioned by numerous organisations both on and off the racecourse. Commissions include The Queen’s Master of the Horse – Lord Vesty, Epsom Racecourse, Ascot Racecourse, The Hong Kong Jockey Club and Gulf News. 

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