Are foreign jockeys operating illegally in Guyana?

Nov 10, 2015 Letters

Dear Editor,
With the more than extended break in horse racing in Guyana, I thought this the opportune time to highlight a very serious issue which de-legitimizes the sport. I ask you for a space in your publication, in printing this letter. Earlier this year, your publication ran a story on a Trinidadian jockey who was caught with a “electro-shock” device just before the start of a race. To date, this jockey was never reprimanded, sanctioned, nor banned by any racing authority, whether here or in the twin island republic; he continues to ride races here in Guyana. There was an influx of Trinidadian jockeys like we have never seen before, for Guyana Cup 2015, held in August, in Berbice.
As horse owners try to secure the best imported jockey talent for their animals, our local jockeys are left to sit with whip in hand. In many of the feature races in meetings across Berbice, foreign jockeys walk away a substantial amount of the winnings, leaving pittance for our jockeys. The foreign jockeys are not required to register with any local sporting authority, or official agency; they just show up on race day, ride and return to their respective countries.
These jockeys earn wages, much to the detriment of our local talent, yet I’ve never heard of GRA or any official government agency regulating this area of imported labor.
When asked if they have to register with a local body, the import jockeys would point to the fact there are no rules governing how they are supposed to operate in this arena.
The rules also do not apply to them applying their craft on the racetrack. Foreign jockeys are the most aggressive, yet cunning and talented professionals on race day. They conspire and collude to ensure their counterparts win as much of the prize money as possible, with little to no oversight.
At Rising Sun Turf Club recently, at the President’s Cup Meeting, there was a flagrant violation in the feature race which was not addressed nor sanctioned. The bumps and moves between the riders on “CP Got Even,” and the eventual winner, “Justcalmebas,” begged for a review, but as with everything horse racing it was ignored. The jockey aboard the winning horse verified he did move his horse over, impeding the forward progression of the coming horse, “CP Got Even.” This was done, not once, but three times down the front stretch.
After the race, the owner of the second placed horse approached the officials in protest. They verified the obvious with the jockeys, but still did nothing in the line of sanctioning.
Even further back to Guyana Cup 2015, review of the video shows the Trinidadian jockey riding with an eye on the approaching “CP Got Even,” in the homestretch; steering his horse into her intended path, as she sprinted for home. These are just some of the flagrant violations of racing rules and understanding we’ve had in Guyana in the not too distant past.
My fellow Guyanese race fans like to point to racing in the U.S when talking about issues in Guyana’s horse racing. There is nowhere in the Caribbean, much more the U.S, that would have been allowed to stand. The results were allowed to stand; the jockey was never sanctioned, and left Guyana with race earnings, un-taxed. Please indulge me for a minute and switch the scenario, do you think a Guyanese jockey would be able to show up in T&T on a Saturday, ride at Arima Park on Sunday and then catch the first flight out Monday; earnings and all?
The lack of racing rules and common sense has evaded us for so long in this sport. Why can’t the foreign jockeys pay a portion of their earnings to the race clubs, In lieu of no taxation? That money could then be used to fund insurance costs for local jockeys and other training initiatives. Flagrant violation of rules would see a foreign jockey suspended from riding in Guyana for a pre-determined number of meetings.
Many in the racing fraternity would rebuff this, saying the foreign talent helps in raising the bar of our local talent. I ask where this improvement; it’s been some time now foreign jockeys are riding in Guyana, yet no substantial positive impact on the local talent.
I do not support the whole ban of foreign talent in horse racing; the majority of the horses are imported anyway. What I do not support, is the ability for a stakeholder in the same sport, yet from a different country, coming to Guyana and having a huge financial advantage over local; due to of our lack of rules and common sense.
Aubrey Elcock

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Are foreign jockeys operating illegally in Guyana?

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