Wright Road

Jockeys are “given” $300 but as yet some haven’t received it from the start of the season. I think more jumps races and at least one high weight each jumps day would be more incentive for jockeys. We have some loyal jockeys that come year in year out and it would be nice to increase that pool, if the jockeys come the horses will come and the fields will improve. JumpsNZ used to have such a voice at this time of the year, encouraging owners, incentives (we even got a all expenses paid trip to Trentham with our horse one year), and open discussion on how to improve things. We hope that this can return.

So I have signed up to respond to this post, Hi everyone. We (SI jumpers) have several challenges. -suitable schooling venues -suitable people to school especially in company -zero and I mean zero jumping trials, point to points ect -support for jockeys to come down -struggle to get enough jockeys to ride the horses that want to start -jumps meetings day after each other for NI and SI race meetings -no maiden races to progress horses into open ranks -numbers game For is us our closest steeple schooling course is Riverton, some of the biggest fences in the county, next closest 3hr drive to Wingatui where it it often super wet so not ideal for horses starting out. We have Stu Higgins down here who does a great job but trying to organise schooling several horses together is a nightmare to get everyone’s schedules to met up with the lack of jockeys, and trainers end up riding their horses When we started having jumpers 12 odd years ago there was jumping trials held in Oamaru with professional jockeys an a heap of jumps trainers...Gerrard, Richards, Stalker, Thompson, Gordon/McKay...even Pitty had a couple. Was talking to a jumps jockey yesterday, his boss actually charges him for days off to come to SI jumps meetings, comes for 2 rides, flights $500 plus....doesn’t take a rocket scientist to work out that it doesn’t pay for jockeys to come down. There are horses that are waiting to get a start over jumps but just can’t get enough jockeys to come down especially when there is a meeting the next day up north for more $ usually and more rides. Owners get frustrated with the wait and paying more $ without a chance of running With the first and usually only men field at National week unless you have an up and comer it’s hard to beat the open class horses with a bread and butter horse We just don’t have the number of winter horses running around as the north island, with natural attrition of jumpers, retirement, fatal injuries and good ones heading to chase more cash we are never going to have the same size fields, but we have had some quality horses come out of the SI. What we will be proposing for help at National week: -Schooling Venue south of Wingatui for chases, with similar set up at Phar Lap (12 hour return trip for us) -Jump jockeys given “grants” to come South maybe once a month in summer months for schooling purposes - Incentives for airlines to subsides seats for jockeys -Southern Series jockey premiership with cash bonus for 1st, 2nd, 3rd -pleading with bosses to allow staff (jumps jockeys) to come down -don’t have race meetings same week or close together -hold mdn races These are just our thoughts with what we have struck and what we will be pushing to get help with.