The Racehorse Owners Association took exception to the Sporting Post not obtaining a response from them to the contents of an article titled ‘Double Blow For ROA’ published on 3 September 2023.
Here is the original editorial.
We publish hereunder the full response from them received on Monday 4 September.
We refer to the article ‘Double Blow for ROA’ published in the Sporting Post and shared on Facebook on 3 September 2023 to its audience of approximately 11 000 followers.
Sporting Post failed to secure any comments from the duly authorised representatives of the ROA and accordingly the ROA Board would like to respond to the observations drawn and would appreciate the Sporting Post publishing the Board’s position, in its entirety, on all of its platforms.
In the article ‘Double Blow for the ROA’, it was pointed out that the Equus Awards were no longer hosted by the ROA – the headline implies that this is devastating for the ROA.
However, the ROA Board wishes to state that it agreed with the operators not to host future awards. The emphasis of the ROA as an entity, as determined by its current Board, is not on hosting hospitality functions, but on its non-profit endeavours for the benefit of owners, trainers, grooms and horses.
The strategic emphasis of the ROA is best demonstrated by the following initiatives that support this statement:
1) During the height of the COVID pandemic, the ROA was the only entity that supported owners and trainers, providing subsidies of R1000 per horse to alleviate industry hardships – this equated to more than R4,7 million over 2 months, including the Western Cape;
2) In 2022/3, 4Racing launched medical insurance and funeral cover benefits for approximately 900 grooms on the Highveld and in the Eastern Cape, and the ROA pledged R6,5 million to this valuable human cause.
Wellness days for all the grooms were held at Turffontein, Randjesfontein, the Vaal, and Fairview facilities and will continue on an annual basis;
3) Over the past 4 years the ROA has contributed more than R22,2 million to stakes in the Western and Eastern Cape as well as on the Highveld. Additionally, ROA members have benefited from bonus races to the value of R2,7 million;
4) The ROA has, over the years, contributed R5,6 million to both the Highveld and Eastern Cape Trainer Benevolent Funds, as well as the Horse Care Units in each province; and
5) Finally, the ROA has contributed over R8,5 million to the South African Equine Protocols and at least R280 000 to the Equine Research Centre as part of racing’s commitment to industry stakeholders on a national basis.
The focus of the ROA has demonstrably shifted and is supported by a balanced approach to hospitality and tangible benefits for both human and horse.
These are all voluntary non-profit initiatives and the value proposition offered by the ROA is very different to that of other pure owner/member offerings.
Again in the article, ‘Double Blow for the ROA’ – it was stated that ‘trainers were advised last week that as from 1 August, Nomination and Acceptance fees payable for runners in the Eastern Cape and on the Highveld would no longer be collected and retained by the Racehorse Owners Association’.
The ROA Board took the decision to hand this important function over to 4Racing on the Highveld and in the Eastern Cape as they are responsible for managing and operating the racing calendar and ensuring it’s successful and seamless implementation. The nomination and acceptance fees are all part of racing operations and therefore should rightfully be managed by the operator.
The ROA, in line with its objectives, will continue to support the sport of horseracing in its capacity as a non-profit entity, benefiting all industry stakeholders, and are of the view that there was no ‘double blow’ delivered or received as implied in the article.
Signed by:
- Peter Riskowitz (Chairman)
- Desiree de Andrade
- Greg Kotzen
- Jessica Motaung
- Garth Towell
- Natalie Turner
Ed –
We thank the ROA for providing the racing public with the additional information.
We repeat, as stated earlier that the loss of the revenue stream from the Cape (albeit some time ago), and now from the 4Racing regions, was the double blow to which we referred.
Both severances are fact, as confirmed by the ROA, but were not made public by them at the time of the event.
