Limited personnel resources, widespread and far-flung training centres and farms, and the practical implications of the lockdown announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa last Monday evening, have stretched the capacity of the National Horseracing Authority during a dark time for the industry.
The Sporting Post spoke to NHA CEO Vee Moodley on Monday after a leading trainer called on the racing regulator to immediately engage individually with every trainer and breeder countrywide to ensure protection of horses in a time of increasing financial duress.
In the article entitled ‘Lockdown – What About The Horse?’ the trainer suggested that in the absence of racing, NHA officials ‘would now have the time on their hands’ to get trainers and breeders to open their books to prove that they had the means and a plan in place to protect the horses in their care.
NHA CEO Vee Moodley – doing best under trying circumstances
Mr Moodley said that, while people employed in the industry and our horses were at the forefront of the NHA’s priorities, the suggestion lacked practicality in view of limited personnel resources.
“We fully understand and appreciate the concerns. These are unchartered waters for all of us. But given the fact that we have over 6000 horses registered, based at more than 9 training centres, excluding private establishments and farms, and have 16 Stipes and 3 Vets at our disposal, one can understand the enormous impracticality of the suggested task. Remember too that we are in lockdown – so movement is very restricted.”
He said that Stipes were applying controls in racing centres and performing additional duties of ensuring that the protocols with regard to the welfare, training and breeding of horses as presented by the NHA to the National Coronavirus Command Council on Tuesday 24 March, were being adhered to.
The porposal to government included a host of points, including limiting training to mornings approximately between 03h00 TO 09h30 from Friday 27 March to 16 April.
This condition includes no more than 8 horses per string of horses, with at least a metre in distance, and no more than 10 people per string of horses. On the breeding front, a limitation on the movements and travelling times of mares has been imposed.
Moodley said that access permits for essential players like Vets, trainers, jockeys and work-riders, and residency for grooms was another aspect that the NHA had addressed with the council.
“There was not a lot of time between the announcement and the implementation of the lockdown. But we managed to ensure that the engine rooms of our training and breeding establishments were authorised to continue operating. Naturally, the human safety aspect, coupled with the protection of the horse, is paramount and the potential impact and fallout on the industry needs to be contained where possible.”
When quizzed on the BHA’s recent announcement that the British Government has announced a new self-employed income support scheme whereby they will pay a taxable grant of 80% of many self-employed individual’s profits up to £2500 a month from the beginning of June, Moodley said that this could fall under any measures introduced by government, and it was in the domain of the operators should special representation be reuqired, as they paid stakes and jockey riding fees commissions
“We are finding our way through this crisis. Our staff complement has eroded over the past year to where 66 of our 200 personnel are full-time. The balance are rostered. Some are specialists – like stall handlers, for example. It’s a balance in being fair, reasonable and practical. At the end of it, we are all relying on the integrity, good faith and commitment of every community member and racing stakeholder to get through this testing time.”
