Horseracing legislation a work in progress – Minister Anthony

Oct 20, 2013 Sports

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By Samuel Whyte
Amidst the prolonged back and forth about the absence of the appropriate horseracing legislation which is stalling the development of the sport in Guyana and the lack of action by the Minister of Sport in dealing with the matter, Minister of Sport Dr. Frank Anthony has responded to the many criticisms being bandied about.
In a short interview with Kaieteur News recently, the Minister stated that it was unfair to state that the draft legislation has been sitting on his desk without being attended to. He stated that any legislation is a tedious document that has to be keenly examined. It has to go through a rigid process which takes time.
The legislation he said ‘is a work in progress.’ “I have been in constant contact with the GHRA especially the President Justice Kennard. Since the last meeting in May a lot of work has been done of late. The document was looked at and returned to the GHRA and was only returned to me a few weeks ago. The document has to be looked at thoroughly. Presently it is being studied by some legal minds, before it is returned to the Ministry where it will also have to be checked further and so on,” a calm Minister Anthony explained.
He stated that the National Sports Commission is also involved. He said that he would be happy that things could be put in place right away, but things take time. He could not give a time frame when the process would be completed, but reiterated that the document ‘is a work in progress.’
However veteran horserace pioneer, Senior Council Marcel Crawford, maintains that the passage and necessary enactment of the document is taking too long and by the time it comes into fruition, plenty irreparable damage might be done to the sport. He stills feels that there is need for a proper constituted GHRA which should lay down rules and stick to them stringently.
Crawford reiterated that there are certain prerequisites that have to be in place before a proper functioning body is established.
The Jockeys, owners and trainers should all be properly registered, licensed and be in an association, which should be affiliated to the GHRA before they be allowed to participate in race meets sanctioned by the body. All the track clubs should be affiliated to the GHRA. He re-emphasized that at the moment there are no Turf Clubs in Guyana, because a turf club must be administered by certain rules and regulations, which Guyana doesn’t have.
Another recommendation is for Guyana to have its own breeding stocks, in that way more persons can get involved in the sport. A Stud Book with supporting records should also be introduced with urgency which is a necessary prerequisite for affiliation to the Jockey Club of UK and other countries. “Without a stud book our horses cannot race out of Guyana”.
He reminded that he personally drafted the document and it was given to the Minister a long time ago and restated that it is taking too long.
Mr. Crawford once again put forward some names of prominent independent individuals who can be a part of the GHRA including Bernard De Santos, Vic Oudit and John Quail among others.
Another veteran horseracing official in President of the Guyana Horse Racing Authority, retired Chancellor of the Judiciary Cecil Kennard, stated that he has been in constant contact with the Minister on the issue. Although not entirely happy, he is pleased that some progress is being made. He said that the last word he got from Minister Anthony was that a three man committee headed by prominent personality Conrad Plummer was put in place and is looking at the draft legislation in an effort to have it completed and tabled in Parliament and passed into law.
He stated that it is known that there are many wrong doings in the sport, but mentioned that the legislation is urgently needed to put things in place and bring wrong-doers to books.
The two prominent legal minds and veteran horse race official, though at odds with their opinions at times, has been in the forefront in advocating the passage of the necessary horse racing legislation, so that the sport could get back to some form of normalcy.
In the meanwhile, the president took the opportunity to confirm some horseracing dates, which are as follows -Sunday 10th November the Bush Lot United Turf Club (BLUTC). The Budhan race track has a meet set for Sunday 17th November. The 24th of November which will see the Port Mourant Turf Club (PMTC) collaborating with the Shariff racing stable for a meet at the PMTC.
Following that meet, turfites will return to the PMTC for the traditional meet set for the 15th December. The Kennard Memorial Turf Club (KMTC) will be the next stop on the 26th December for the annual Boxing Day meet.
The 2013/2014 race season is expected to end on 5th January with the annual Rising Sun Turf Club (RSTC) meet.

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