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Is there conspiracy to defraud or mislead against the Jockey Club Regulators ongoing over decades regarding their licensing of trainers to employ skeleton teams of unskilled staff; inclusive of the British Horseracing Board’s, Burnham Report suggestions that trainers should look to employ superstore shelf stackers part time, to be paid at the minimum wage to handle and ride out highly strung thoroughbred racehorses in training ? |
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The Racing Post on 30.11.2004 published a letter from Andrew Appleby ‘Authorities must fulfil their duties’ So why is it that these ‘Authorities’ keep passing the buck ? Neither the Stable Lads Association or the National Trainers Federation are responsible for granting or renewing licenses to either racecourses of to trainers. As neither are they responsible for issuing passports to true top professional status Grade A handler/riders who go, or should go, to make up each trainers team. Andrew Appleby sets out clear facts, and closes by saying “There is something of a flurry of talk of improvement and modernisation. I believe it is merely a question of those things being done that should have been done long ago – in the interests of horses, staff, owners and racing. The BHB and the Jockey Club must ensure that they and all parties do their duty. ” Whilst this ‘Flurry of talk of improvement and modernisation’ as Andrew Appleby so aptly describes it, a total of four months has gone by and we have heard nothing at all from the authorities re- fixing the 14 long standing and desperately dangerous problems identified by Bill O’Gorman, as published in the Racing Post on 15.8.04. All have seriously damaging implications as to the working practices of the Jockey Club Regulators and the British Horseracing Board Governors … in the areas of need relevant to all those who work at the sharp end … not a word about fixing EVEN ONE OF THESE DANGEROUS PROBLEMS ... NOT ONE WORD ABOUT FIXING ANY OF THEM … NOTHING ... OBVIOUSLY THOUGHT TO BE OF NO IMPORTANCE WHATSOEVER TO EITHER AUTHORITY. Further one needs to take on board that these ‘Authorities’ left Bill Adams Secretary General Stable Lads Association from 1986-2001 to handle DANGEROUS MEGA PROBLEMS ALONE, with no finance to do anything about any of them … over a period of FIFTEEN YEARS ….. The Jockey Club Regulators set out clearly in the Rules of Racing their main aim’s are ‘To protect the safety and welfare of horse and rider… To ensure the fair running of every race …’ They go on to state that ‘Under no circumstances would the Jockey Club condone the action of any rider which compromises the welfare of a horse’. The Jockey Club regulators and the British Horseracing Board Governors between them should be looking to set and uphold all these standards, instead of totally disregarding such dangerous key issues of vital need, and over such a long period of time. The situation confirmed by Weatherby’s is that the average approximate statistics of two year olds and total horses in training as from 2000 to 2004 over the last five years are as follows: 2000 Two year olds 3,340 horses in training to include 3,340 yearling/two
year olds total 14,543 Weatherby’s however declined to give the yearly statistics re- injuries and fatalities to both horses in training, and all those who work at the sharp end and who go to make up each trainers team. [All issued with passports and licenses by the Jockey Club regulators.] Weatherby’s confirmed that these were collated, but kept secret. Bill O’Gorman confirmed to Margaret Clarke in his phone call to Turfcall on September 1st 2004 when asked the question ‘How many true professional Grade A status handler/riders did he believe there were left working in the multi-billion pound British horseracing industry at present ?’ Bill O’Gorman’s reply was ‘One hundred.’ This shows that if this is near enough correct for 2004 the total number of horses in training being 15,683 of which 3,847 are two year olds, the requirement of true professional Grade A personnel to address the needs, welfare and tuition for on average 3,847 two year olds placed in training by owners - would need to be 1,750 FOR TWO YEAR OLDS ALONE. ( One thousand seven hundred and fifty.) As Andrew Appleby stated “ Trainers, as employers, have a legal responsibility for the health, safety and welfare of their employees at work ; they also have a contractual obligation for the care of their owners' horses .” But what are the Jockey Club Regulators responsibilities exactly …?
One would think surely that this dangerous situation must have serious implications of direct and urgent concern to all those involved in the British multi-billion pound horseracing industry as a whole. The more sinister aspects of Andrew Appleby’s letter ‘Authorities must fulfil their duties’ as published in the Racing Post on 30.11.04, relating here in particular to Andrew Appleby's paragraph “ The NTF appears to be taking the lead regarding wage agreements and it is reported that ‘pay negotiations are currently taking place. With the SLA at present with only 150 members, but it will be taken as read that any wage agreements made between the SLA and NTF will apply to all staff - indeed such agreements are integral to most staff employment contracts. The Donoghue Report suggests a minimum overtime rate of "time and a half" - including travelling time, which currently stands at the derisory basic minimum rate.” The BHB Donoughue Report clearly have no idea of the tricky and dangerous situations that can develop whilst travelling thoroughbred racehorses in training. As neither does the BHB Burnham Report who suggest that trainers employ superstore shelf stackers at the minimum wage, and part time, to handle and ride out thoroughbred racehorses in training … HOW in a million years could such personnel ever be expected to have any idea of how to do this …? What will these authorities be attempting to burden trainers and their teams with next ? As things remain at present with the reported pay negotiations currently taking place with the NTF appearing to take the lead regarding wage agreements, and only 150 members of the SLA. What is to be the likely outcome ? The same hopeless situation as has been current over decades ….. ? Andrew Appleby spelled this out in his letter a year ago as published in the Racing Post on 13/12/2003 “Not even half a step for staff.” Andrew Appleby goes on to point out “Some might regard the increase as a step in the right direction but, really, it is not even half a step, and leaves stable staff well off the pace and practically out the back door once again – as they have been for years. The official poverty level is pounds 11,500 p.a., so the Grade A minimum is just above, and the Grade B minimum just below, the poverty line. Poverty may well be a great artistic inspiration, but it could unsettle staff and horses - to the detriment of owners and trainer". What has changed since December 13th 2003 ? And what is likely to change by December 31st 2004 ? NOTHING … ABSOLUTELY NOTHING …. This matter needs to be addressed NOW; once and for all. Not by the SLA and the NTF but by the ‘racing authorities’ and if these ‘authorities’ are incapable of acting … Then an alternative needs to be set up in this key area. Only then will there be any chance of getting the situation back on track. An Engine Room needs to be set up fast, dealing with the needs of all those who work at the sharp end of racing, capable of fixing the problems, made up of true top professional horsemen and horsewomen who understand the situation fully. Interim financial packages for all true professional Grade A handler/riders should come in of say £35,000.00 per annum with immediate effect. Turfcall suggests that the British Horseracing Industry as a whole, each and every sector of it, to including the Government should contribute to fund these wages until this matter is properly resolved. |
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