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Is horseracing descending into anarchy in Guyana?

Nov 26, 2013 Sports

 

By Samuel Whyte
With the sloth of the Guyana Government through the Ministry of Culture Youth and Sport (MCYS) in passing the necessary horseracing legislation, the sport is left to the mercy of those who are willing to do as they please and is presently on the cusp of descending into anarchy.
There are four horserace meets set to be stage within a three week period – 15th December to January 05th and with no one seem to be interested in letting up, one can only see chaos and confusion and possible losers at the end of the day.
The race meets planned are the Ryan Crawford Memorial Turf Club and Sports Facilities (RCMTC&SF) and the Port Mourant Turf Club (PMTC) and the Shariff Business Enterprise and Racing Stable one day met set for Sunday 15th December at the Port Mourant Turf Club, Kennard Memorial Turf Club annual Boxing Day (26th December) meet, the  Norman Singh memorial Turf Club in collaboration with the Jumbo Jet horserace meet set for the 29th December and the Rising Sun Turf Club one day horse race meet set for  Sunday 5th of January.
The PMTC, KMTC and RSTC are traditional dates and whilst the PMTC is more than two weeks before the next meet and does not affect the programme, the concern is that this particular meet should have been held today a traditional date for the RCMTC. However its postponement for various reasons is another point.
The main concern at this moment is the other three dates. Whilst many reasons are being presented for the seeming disarray, one cannot escape the lack of proper legislation for the ongoing confusion. Without legislation persons are allowed to do as they feel and cannot be sanctioned.  Horse owners also say that they are being taken for granted and not being consulted by the GHRA, clubs and promoters before making programmes and they are not prepared to continue being treated with this type of disrespect.
The horse owners are calling on the various clubs and promoters to sit down and plan proper programmes. They say that they are the ones who are losing and stand to lose further and they are prepared to take a stand.
They informed that they spend millions of dollars in purchasing, clearing, grooming and preparing their horses and they want guarantees that races will be held. They want the clubs to cooperate, if the meet could not be held at one location, another or a promoter could take up the slack.  But at the moment person at various spectrums are only interested in the personal gains and do not want to cooperate, much to the determent of the sport.
According to the legislation presented, there is something for everyone, yet one cannot understand why there are persons placing themselves into conflict of interest positions.
Senior Counsel and Horse Racing pioneer Marcel Crawford, who drafted a Legislation a long time ago and presented it to the Minister for the necessary action, has in the past and continues to blame the Government for the impending predicament in the horseracing fraternity. He still cannot understand despite the Minister’s ramblings the sloth.
According to some parts of the legislation, persons involved in the sport should not be a part of the authority. Mr. Crawford has also put forward names of imminent persons who can help and are willing to administer the sport like Senior Council Bernard De Santos, Vic Oudit and John Quail, but are being ignored.
Despite words of assurance from the Minister that efforts are being made to pass the necessary legislation, many disagree, given the time since the first draft was presented.
One is forced to ask if the relevant authorities are playing politics with such an important activity.   Some horse owners have stated that the present state of the sport offers little or no guarantees for anyone and only a few benefit, including the many lawless gamblers, who reap the brunt of the profits.
While some have stated that they will not be racing during the festive season, others say that they are contemplating giving up on the sport if nothing tangible is thrown up fast, while others say they will be going for a holiday during the period.  It is left to be seen how things will pan out.

 

 

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