The Jockey Club has announced the election of Marquess of Hartington CBE as a Member of The Jockey Club. He becomes the first foreign racing official to be so honored in the organization’s 108-year history.

Lord Hartington serves as Her Majesty’s Representative and Chairman of Ascot Racecourse Ltd. He is also a member of the York Race Committee, which is responsible for the management and organization of racing at York.

His involvement with racing dates back to 1980 when he was elected to The English Jockey Club. Soon afterward, he was made a Trustee of the Ascot Authority, which manages Ascot Racecourse.

He was appointed Senior Steward (Chairman) of The English Jockey Club in 1989. During his five-year term of office, Lord Hartington oversaw a number of changes within the racing industry, most notably the creation of the British Horseracing Board which is now the governing authority for British racing.

Lord Hartington was appointed first Chairman of the Board in June 1993 and retired at the conclusion of his term of office in 1996.

He was made a Commander of the British Empire (CBE) for “services to racing” in 1997.

Lord Hartington delivered a presentation on international sponsorship and brand-building from Ascot’s perspective during a session on the globalization of racing at The Jockey Club’s 50th Annual Round Table Conference Sunday in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.