In buying horses and taking a wife, shut your eyes tight and commend yourself to God.
People get married (and buy horses) for all sorts of reasons. Sadly, despite the best of intentions, it does not always work out. I think the current statistics for South Africa state that 1 in every 2 marriages fail. These days most of us have either been through one, or know someone who has.
Most people will tell you that marriage is no bed of roses. And when those petals wear thin and those thorns start to poke through, it gets to being a downright uncomfortable business. You know too much about each other, those stories have long since stopped being amusing, all those mannerisms you once found so attractive now drive you round the bend, you’re fighting all the time and the kids are starting to take strain. One reaches a point where, painful though it is, you start to realise that you may well do less damage apart, than by trying to hold things together for the sake of the kids (or the horses).
And there’s nothing shameful in that – I’ve been there and done that – firstly via my parents and latterly I chalked up a failed marriage of my own. OK, it wasn’t a great deal of fun either time, and while I’m not proud of being divorced, I am proud of making the choice to stop being unhappy. I hope that before things went south, there was a bit of fun, a few laughs and perhaps a few lessons learnt along the way to help us navigate the next bend in the road with a little more caution and wisdom. Sort of like horses and sort of like life, really.
Because it’s not always a matter of right or wrong (to be honest, the end result tends to remain the same anyway). Sometimes it’s simply about retaining your sanity and ability to function in a healthy and productive manner. If you’re willing to embrace change and all the opportunities that come with it, then it can even be a productive and positive thing.
I think we all know roughly where I’m heading with this, so let’s talk turkey.
My ex husband had a favoured expression – Too many clowns, not enough circuses. There is a reason that Gold Circle is referred to as ‘Gold Circus’ in many quarters, because frankly, it does appear to be run like a dog’s breakfast at the moment. And perhaps that’s not entirely surprising. The Western Cape and KZN have different racing cultures, different seasons, different trainers, different owners and different punters. No wonder the only thing they can agree on is the fact that things aren’t working.
I think it’s widely accepted that the two regions are not getting along, so the logical question is ‘how do we resolve matters?’ The next Gold Circle AGM is scheduled for 31 January 2011 and Mr Hassen Adams proposes to table a Special Resolution at the forthcoming meeting. Although Special Resolution 12 is eloquent and fairly self-explanatory, I met with Hassen recently to discuss this proposal in a little more detail.
In essence, Special Resolution 12 proposes the initiation of a 3 point plan, starting with rationalising Gold Circle’s gaming operations and outsourcing it to Phumelela. The motivation for this is that Phumelela already have in place an established infrastructure and the necessary technology and expertise to manage the gaming side of things effectively. They also have sufficient critical mass to compete effectively against other gaming operators. Gold Circle would pay Phumelela a management fee, and the revenues earned would be split 42/58 as per the existing Gold Circle shareholders constitution.
The second part of the plan is to create two stand alone business divisions, one to cover each geographical area so that each can be managed as a separate entity. Each division would take charge of the properties (racecourses and training facilities) in its region and be free to apply its allocated betting revenues as it sees fit.
The last part of the plan is for Gold Circle to make a concerted effort to dissolve the existing agreements, allowing each region to emerge as a separate, independent and (hopefully) successfully operational stand alone racing centre.
I think it’s a good idea and deserves consideration and support for several reasons.
Firstly, my understanding is that the business units in terms of the regional property divisions already exist, so there are few tax implications and the structure can be implemented fairly cost effectively.
Secondly, these suggestions come from a successful businessman, with a wealth of experience in the arenas of business, diplomacy and gambling. I believe his proposal to be a thoughtful one, carefully designed to be fair and respectful of the concerned parties, as well as building a roadmap to autonomy and success by enabling each to take the reins for their own future.
It is designed to remove the contentious issue of the gaming revenue which seems to be causing so much strife and putting it firmly within the remit of the people who do it best and have the existing expertise, infrastructure and critical mass to take things forward. In essence it allows business people to run the gaming and business aspect (the engine) and racing people to run racing (the product it all depends on).
Past Master, Hassen Adams
However, this is a massive undertaking and as with a marriage, it is not easy to simply draw a line in the sand and have each party go their own way. There are various loans, covenants, legal issues, gaming board issues etc to be ironed out and it will take time and a dedicated and determined team to get the job done. And implementing such a team (one in each region) is exactly what Hassen has in mind. He refers to himself as the tree-shaker, rather than the jelly-maker. In his opinion, for a business to be successful, it has to invest in people, empower them, trust them and allow them the space to grow themselves and the business. Hassen feels that there are some very bright young graduates that we can get on board that could drive this business to great heights.
I like the fact that Hassen Adams is not afraid to speak his mind and to make his thoughts and intentions public. I think that this sort of transparency bodes well for the future. Most of all, I find it compelling when people lead by example and I am persuaded by the lengths that Mr Adams has gone to and the sacrifices he has made in pursuit of this endeavour.
He may have his detractors, but one cannot deny that this is a man who is not afraid to put his money where his mouth is. Over recent months I have spoken to a good cross section of the racing community and everyone seems to be singing from the same hymn sheet in terms of the fact that they are dissatisfied with the status quo. However, Hassen is one of the few people who is actually doing something tangible to effect change.
He relates that his recent and somewhat sensational resignation from the GC Board was so that he could devote his energies to this more effectively – “I said I’ll stick my neck out. No one else wanted to stick their neck out and I said I’ll stick my neck out. I’ll drive this thing.”
The reason for this is that he is a passionate racing man. If his positions on the ownership and stake earnings log aren’t sufficient testimony to his enthusiasm, his passion for his horses and his sport certainly are. He enjoys his racing and he wants to see it grow, because let’s face it, sport is always more fun and more competitive when you have a few more participants. If South Africa can grow the sport and make it more widely accessible, then as has been proven in Australia, anyone can own a good horse. He goes on to say that “if we create a lot more races, we create a lot more owners, because there are more winners. And the more owners we have that lead in horses, the more prosperous we make the industry because we are allowing them to participate. Then the Hassen Adams’ of the world don’t win all the races”.
“It’s all about competitiveness. And racing allows that. Racing allows you to be seen with the best athletes in the world. Because you’re not the athlete, the horse is the athlete. Why do you think I race horses? Do you think I race horses to make money ? You can’t race horses to make money. So what is it about? It’s about the sport. The sport of the racehorse.”
He is an impressive man in all senses of the word. He has seen a great deal, won powerful friends and achieved great things. But this is not about the man, nor do I think does he want it to be. It’s about change and a belief that things can be done better.
However, he needs help. The current culture is unfortunately one of apathy and despite fairly healthy membership numbers, one is lucky to see more than around 100 attendees at local meetings and AGM’s. The resolution he is proposing will need a significant majority vote at the forthcoming AGM in order to take things forward, so he needs your support, your attendance, or failing that, your proxy.
Yes, it may seem like a leap into the unknown, but is it really? Hassen Adams has served on both the local and Gold Circle boards. The significant business acumen and expertise that he brings to the table is tempered by years of experience as a horse and racing enthusiast, both as an owner and a breeder and makes him uniquely suited to offer insight and leadership in the current situation. He says “I think the opportunities exist. And I’m driven by success. I’m very successful because I enjoy it. And I think racing is something I also enjoy and that’s why I’m doing it.”
Jim Rohn said ‘If you really want to do something, you’ll find a way. If you don’t, you’ll find an excuse’. From what I hear, everybody out there wants change. So in that case we’re out of excuses folks.
I think Hassen echoes all our sentiments when he says “I think it’s time for change. I keep saying it’s time for change. And we must embrace change. It’s about being bold enough to embrace it. It’s about being bold enough to say we can do it.”
What more can I say really? All those in favour say ‘aye’.
