bazach

Or an old favourite of mine”led into straight...stopped as if shot”

A different scenario below, but similar in that the national scouting body ran roughshod over the local community of Waiau after the scout hall was earthquake damaged and the scout group went into recess “The group had applied for all the funds that will be generated from the property sale and had hoped to at least secure half the proceeds to benefit local youth. “We have been battling to retain some of these funds for the youth of our community, but it is Scouting NZ policy that all property proceeds are retained by the national association (as legal owner),” the group says in the latest eCitizen, the town’s local paper. “We have consulted with a solicitor who advises, legally, we don’t have too many rights here. It is disheartening that the hard work put in by the community to have the land gifted, build the den and keep it going for all these years, can so easily be lost to the ‘legal’ owner on paper. Scouting NZ told the group it was willing to consider a modest investment of about $10,000 in the community, based on a process of a business case detailing how the money would be used to benefit the youth in the community. We are now putting together our business case to try to receive this reduced payout as we wish to retain some funds for our community. “We have worked hard over the past 18 months to come to the best agreement and are disappointed with this outcome, but do not wish to sacrifice it all with a legal stoush we cannot afford”, the group says. “There is no morality. Nothing in it for the community who had worked to build the den from community fundraising,” she says. The land was originally gifted by D.C. Macfarlane and J.L. Macfarlane to “The Boy Scout County of Canterbury Trust Board” in 1956. It was subsequently transferred to “The Boy Scouts Association of NZ” in 1964.

Full article about Michael in the Herald today

Thanks Red Rum. Stories like this keep me interested in breeding again. Maybe I’m just a dreamer

Great story. Watched a similar story on either Netflix or YouTube a couple of years ago about a group of Welsh people who decided at their local that they were going to breed and race a horse. They got given a mare and went to a 3k stallion - the area they live was quite depressed. Anyway, the horse won, from memory about 150k. Anyone see this and remember the name of it, as I wouldn’t mind watching it again.

As you say Chevy, Racing has just had a huge “top up”. Irrespective of who is in power after September, surely you don’t expect another one (top up)?

Shades of the New Zealand film Came A Hot Friday! Ronald Hugh Morrieson would be elated

“interesting that Cambridge is spending something like $16m on their track, which has never been an actual racecourse, and Winston is now encouraging them to spend more money on a flash entrance and a grandstand” Shows you Winny has absolutely no vision whatsoever, along with most politicians. Grandstands per se are an anachronism. Go to Caloundra Winny and take note!

That is the conundrum we face Huey. Although we will be entering maybe a ‘no inflation’ economic environment, have you ever known the general cost of things to come down? Mare owning breeders are at the bottom of the food chain so to speak, ie all stud, agistment, transport, vet, feed costs etc are all fed down to the owner. Unless you have a K1 mare, or are one of the very few who have incredible luck, eg the buyer of Tarzinos and Gingernuts dams, you are on a hiding to nothing.

Gee, where are all the mares going to come from!?

Of course, this green fields Waikato idea should happen. Travelling distances to anywhere in the Waikato from Waikato central are less than 60 minutes. Too much parochialism ahead of a long term visionary approach.

Interesting that the total number of mares served has gone from over 60,000 in 2007, to under 30,000.

It’s good that Cambridge Stud guarantee a live foal as well or a free return. Good on them.

Yes, you couldn’t get a better pedigree anywhere on the planet. To be fair, she has had foals to the “best” stallions in Oz, ie Danehill Dancer, Exceed and Excel, Fastnet Rock, and Lonhro, and (as yet) has produced nothing of note. Studs don’t offload mares with this amazing pedigree for no reason, but definitely worth taking a punt on.

Plenty of Standardbreds still maidens with more than 50 starts. I guess if you are the owner, trainer, and driver and it’s a hobby, it’s no big deal. TB Goldchi a 52 start 9 year old maiden still trying for that elusive win. Gee Bob McCosh is a blast from the past with his cowboy hat. He certainly raced his horses very regularly!