National HBPA names new chief executive

Phil Hanrahan, a retired Army brigadier general and an attorney with a long background in racing, has been hired by the National Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association as its chief executive officer, the horsemen’s association announced on Tuesday.

Hanrahan, who will start in the organization's Lexington, Ky., office on Dec. 19, will replace Remi Bellocq, who resigned earlier this year after 10 years as the organization’s chief executive to head up an equine program at Bluegrass Community and Technical College, also in Lexington.

Hanrahan retired from the military in 2009 after serving in the reserve and practicing law in Lexington for 25 years. He is a former licensed Thoroughbred trainer who has also owned, bred, and pinhooked horses, the National HBPA said in a release. The release said Hanrahan is currently a “handicapper and occasional tournament player.”

The National Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association represents 30 local affiliates of the organization throughout the United States.