The International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA) held the 60th International Conference of Horseracing Authorities (ICHA) in Paris Monday, with more than 150 delegates from approximately 40 countries in attendance.The milestone conference reflected on the IFHA's achievements over six decades while also focusing on the challenges and opportunities facing racing worldwide.Princess Zahra Aga Khan delivered the keynote address, receiving a standing ovation just a day after Daryz recorded a second consecutive victory in the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.“That horse represents what we do as breeders,” she said of Daryz. “We are trying to preserve the genetic diversity of the families. A horse like Calandagan is probably not something everyone wants to breed at this point in time. It is not necessarily fashionable, but it is necessary.”Princess Zahra also spoke about making racing easier for new fans to understand and better communicating the care and work that goes into getting horses to the racecourse.“It's important for the people in this room to solve the misconceptions in racing,” she said. “Everyone sees the racing part of things, but they don't see the industry, the number of people employed, and every link in the chain.”IFHA Executive Director Andrew Harding reflected on the organisation's evolution over the past six decades, highlighting its work in anti-doping, international regulation and the use of science and technology to improve equine welfare.Harding later joined Jim Gagliano, President and COO of The Jockey Club and IFHA Vice-Chair; Brian Kavanagh, CEO of The Curragh and former IFHA Vice-Chair; Simon Cooper, former Vice-Chair of the International Stud Book Committee; and Frances Nelson, former Chair of Racing Australia, for a panel examining the IFHA's history and impact on international racing.IFHA Chair Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges then turned the focus to racing's future, addressing the need to widen the sport's fanbase, ensure the sustainability of the Thoroughbred and tackle threats to racing's funding structure.“The future of horse racing can only be secured by working together to address the key challenges that we face, and the IFHA is at the heart of that coordinated, collective action that we must pursue,” Engelbrecht-Bresges said.Engelbrecht-Bresges was subsequently joined for a panel on racing's future by Masayuki Goto of the Japan Racing Association; Guillaume de Saint-Seine, President of France Galop; Everett Dobson, Chair of The Jockey Club; Suzanne Eade, CEO of Horse Racing Ireland; Felicity Barnard, CEO of Ascot; Teddy Grimthorpe, Chair of the International Thoroughbred Breeders' Federation; and Vee Moodley, CEO of the National Horseracing Authority of Southern Africa.The conference concluded with Engelbrecht-Bresges paying tribute to the late Louis Romanet, Chairman Emeritus of the IFHA, who died in March.“Although our jurisdictions may be different, the future of the sport is a shared responsibility,” Engelbrecht-Bresges said. “That principle was at the heart of Louis Romanet's work.”A replay of the conference's live video stream, along with presentations from the event, will be made available in the coming days.The post Princess Zahra Speaks at 60th IFHA Conference in Paris appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.