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We're Doomed

Time to end Jumps in the South?

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5 hours ago, Pam Robson said:

I,was at that meeting, which was very well attended, and put my hand up to do whatever I could to help.

Jo Gordon was co-opted as the captain, she's a livewire and a good choice I feel....but it wont be an easy fix whatever course is taken.

It's a chicken-and-egg situation,   the reduction in races is a reaction to falling numbers,  but those numbers cannot increase when the races disappear ;  added to that is the uncertainty of closing venues, two of those on NZTR'S silly plan are jumping venues which, if implemented , leaves Dunedin and Riccarton only.

Riccarton smugly sits on the Grand National and does nothing for the rest of the year:  despite promising both more races, and assistance with forming/running syndicates to race jumpers it would be unlikely if anything changes there.

I rang the CEO next morning to ask if something could be started wrt to a syndicate or group as I had just been offered a potential jumper,  nah in the too-hard basket straight away.

The NZTR idea is that there is no more money for extra races, fair enough,   the outfit is strapped for money, we all know that - but for the four extra races that had been discussed,   the funding should be easily found from abandoned racemeetings....far more than would be needed.

A challenge indeed.

I may have been a bit hard on our CEO, he has just forwarded an email of Paul Claridge's open letter,  and wants interested parties to copy him in to replies.

So,  at least he is taking the time to be involved,  in what shape or form time will tell.

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7 hours ago, Pam Robson said:

I may have been a bit hard on our CEO, he has just forwarded an email of Paul Claridge's open letter,  and wants interested parties to copy him in to replies.

So,  at least he is taking the time to be involved,  in what shape or form time will tell.

The penny might have dropped that if jump racing goes in the SI, Riccarton stands a good chance of losing the GN meetings.........

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On 8/13/2019 at 7:18 PM, TurnyTom said:

SI jump racing is finished - it's over - the clubs don't support it and why would you train one with no future

It's over

I’m involved with a club in the SI that is more than happy to support running jumps meetings. Riverton was another one...... 

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13 hours ago, coro fan said:

I’m involved with a club in the SI that is more than happy to support running jumps meetings. Riverton was another one...... 

Unless there are numbers to support the actual jump races Coro it is a waste of time. Tiny fields with three or four runners max is just a drain on the industry.

It would appear from reading and listening to comments that the major problem is man power ie riders to school horses and jockeys to ride in jumps races down South. All very well getting owners into jumpers but if there is no one to ride them then you inevitably have a problem.

You guys had a well advertised meeting at Riccarton recently, those concerned about the issue should have been there. Some firm decisions should have been made then with a plan put in place.   Paul Claridge's open letter is only kicking the can further down the road. It's like the current government's philosophy...…."More hui no dooee"  

Action needs to be underway right now as time is running out for SI jumping.      

     

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8 hours ago, rdytdy said:

Unless there are numbers to support the actual jump races Coro it is a waste of time. Tiny fields with three or four runners max is just a drain on the industry.

It would appear from reading and listening to comments that the major problem is man power ie riders to school horses and jockeys to ride in jumps races down South. All very well getting owners into jumpers but if there is no one to ride them then you inevitably have a problem.

You guys had a well advertised meeting at Riccarton recently, those concerned about the issue should have been there. Some firm decisions should have been made then with a plan put in place.   Paul Claridge's open letter is only kicking the can further down the road. It's like the current government's philosophy...…."More hui no dooee"  

Action needs to be underway right now as time is running out for SI jumping.      

     

Yes I realise numbers of horses, jockeys, owners are needed, but you aren’t going to get any if there are no races for them to run in.

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On 8/13/2019 at 7:18 PM, TurnyTom said:

SI jump racing is finished - it's over - the clubs don't support it and why would you train one with no future

It's over

I so hope not,  my fav time of season, always travel down to the National, but this has been my fear the past 10 odd years watching the decline of all things "Jumps", for many years it's been so hard for jumps jocks & most did it for the love, definitely not the $$ when lucky to get 2 jumps races a meet.  Travel alone was a killer,  & most gave the game away.  As we know owners not keen to "risk" their horse & not many trainers keen to spend time needed, but mostly now can't get enough to even school them in Sth.  Be a big loss in the South if it's lost.  Riverton Easter meet & Riccarton were always good to attend.  At least now in the North there are some clubs that have 3 & 4 jumps races which is good for all involved,  clubs whose members dont care about Jumping have & will be the decline.  Bad enough we have the Animal rights" iriots" trying to destroy all things racing 

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Complacency is the biggest foe in our sport. The thing that really annoys me is that, as a horse racing spectacle, jumps races are far more entertaining. The horses are older so you sort of know them, the distance of the race makes it more engaging and the jumping makes it spectacular. In the UK jumps races hold 8 out of the top 10 betting events. Cheltenham and Aintree hold the highest average on course patronage figures and there are more owners involved in jumps races than flat races. So what's more to market to our leaders?

There might be an argument that more horses die or get injured in jumps races but interestingly, more horses die or get injured in training events in flat racing training than jumps training, and that is also a greater per-capita statistic. Flat horses are put under duress more structurally because of the speed in which they train and the training/ racing surfaces. Training a good jumper is an art form and therefore the horses are generally "abused" in a horseman like manner, whereas flat gallopers are often "abused" in a factory like manner. 

Complacency hasn't looked after the horse. The lack of training facilities hasn't helped the horse. The lack of funding hasn't helped the horse. So complacency is a cancer in our industry. It won't change until the people change.

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