Fakenham Racecourse is offering free entry for farmers and their tractors to attend the ITV-televised Sky Bet Raceday this Sunday in order to showcase the industry's battle with inheritance tax changes.
Officials at the Norfolk racecourse are aiming to fill the car park in the centre of the track with tractors to increase publicity over the battle against the 'family farm tax'.
From April 2026, inheritance tax rules will change, resulting in a 100% relief on the first £1m of agricultural assets and then 50% relief on assets after that, equating to an effective tax rate of 20%.
In simple terms, where land, dwellings, machinery, animals and other assets are worth in excess of £1 million, there will be a £200,000 tax levy owed.
Fakenham warns that the tax will "devastate traditional farming families, making it impossible for the next generation to inherit a family farm and continue to provide food for the nation".
It has invited all farmers and anyone else linked to the industry to bring their tractor and "enjoy a day of racing on us".
The first race to commence on Sunday 19 January is at 12.30 and the last race at 15.55, with gates open from 10am.
Officials have called on all tractors to be on site by 11.30am and enter the racecourse via the town entrance, post code NR21 7NY.
Its social media page said: "We will offer a free entry ticket to everyone arriving in a tractor as we highlight the plight of farmers fighting the inheritance tax on farms.
"The Sky Bet Raceday is the final of our £50,000 Queen Boudicca Mares Handicap Steeple Chase Series and two races will be broadcast live on ITV.
"We want to fill the centre of the course with 100s of tractors. Please spread the word."
David Hunter, Fakenham’s chief executive, stressed to The Racing Post that the initiative was not a protest.
"This is an exciting and fun day of high-quality horseracing that will have two races shown live on ITV," he explained.
"I would like the entire centre of the racecourse to be filled with line upon line of tractors to illustrate the sense of frustration the rural community and businesses have about this devastating farm inheritance tax.”
