Last Canterbury Amateur Race of the Season

[fastpony]

Hi ninernine - Aint it time you changed the insert photo
                  - last time i saw you your hair was a lot shorter !!!!

[Polarise]

I'd have to say being at Addington last night warmed me despite the weather. I over heard two trainers (?) in the stable enclosure commenting after the first Junior drivers race was run in 3:24, 'Even the amateurs drive better than that'. So maybe we gained at least two supporters last night.

[jabberboy]

i doubt it

[fastpony]

I think "Polarise" should start a supporters club - meetings could be held in a small room somewhere

[ninernine]

Might be a bit bigger in head and room space than the 'FAST JABBER' room!!!!!!!!!

[Polarise]

To Fastpony....
If one incident turns you so sour to overlook the basic good of the am concept then maybe it is time you just move along rather than continue your knocking themes. Certainly it is showing you up as being rather weak in the fortitude 'stakes', which I hadn't thought of you in that light previously.

[Olivia]

Fastpony

You are most certainly entitled to an opinion - as are we all.  Kindly refrain from the public bollicking whilst you still supposedly hold an Official positon.

It is hypercritical in the extreme to have willingly offered your support in an official capacity on the one hand and then be seen to be continually attacking publicly on this Forum on the other!  Say what you wish after the AGM July 27th - until then, as CADA Secretary, I am respectfully asking you to "cease and desist" as it were.

[Simon Chambers]

I think you've ruffled a few feathers, Trev

[jabberboy]

It is hypercritical in the extreme to have willingly offered your support in an official capacity on the one hand and then be seen to be continually attacking publicly on this Forum on the other!  Say what you wish after the AGM July 27th - until then, as CADA Secretary, I am respectfully asking you to "cease and desist" as it were.

hypercritical is you trying to gag him!

Might be a bit bigger in head and room space than the 'FAST JABBER' room!!!!!!!!!

oh really

[Olivia]

Not trying to "gag" anybody at all - re-read the post, believe I said all are entitled to their own opinion.
What I had respectfully asked was he refrain from publicly attacking whilst still in an official position - Trev's had a pretty good go over the past couple of months - so not an unreasonable request seeing there are but 48hrs to go till next AGM.

[Simon Chambers]

Lynda
He may well have been publicly critical but he also has made some valid points and even tried to find some solutions to the problems...which nobody wants to know about...

Whats happened to the amateur drivers - The way I see it

THIS TIME LAST YEAR
We had a healthy full amateur competition running with at least 2 heats every weekend plus good support of the novice events
Sure there were petrol vouchers at stake and the chance to get a start in the Vacation Cup  but one of the most important reasons trainers supported it was the improvement they saw in their horses being driven with "No whips"
With all the racing driver's skills improved trainers support was increasing and it looked like this year was only going to be better

WHAT WENT WRONG
The Vacation "FarCup"- no need to go into the details but the way it was handled has put a number of trainers "off" supporting  amateur racing - a lot of good work to get trainers involved was undone in a very short time

The Economic downturn - The reduction in stakes races has had some effect but even when we do have stakes races we don't get the numbers we should
                                      - drivers becoming more selective – not driving unless they think they have a chance of getting somewhere -
Advanced Amateurs
- The standard of some of the driving putting trainers off – reason we don’t get better quality horses
- AA drivers impacting on the livelihood of the professional drivers
-AA drivers appearing before the JCA and being fined on a regular basis not a good look
- now it seems as that the majority of AA drivers are sitting at home waiting for the tote races to start up when they should be out supporting the Novice and Full amateur events
- trainers now seeing AA drivers using whips – think all Ams are going to use whips – needs explaining in advert or newsletter difference between full and AA drivers
 
HOW DO WE FIX IT
Full Am Events – are the basis of the amateurs and must be supported by all drivers
                                  - only way to Canty and NZ champs is thru the Full Am competition
                                   -don’t forget that not everybody wants to be an AA some are quite  happy just
                                    going around in Full Am events
 Novice Am Events  –. We all need to support these To give all new members the chance to
                                             become full amateurs .                                     
AA Drivers – get them more involved with the Nov and Full Am races
                    - make a rule that AA drivers must compete in a certain number of full Am events each
                      year prior to the tote races – good to maintain and improve driving skill level
                     - It has been suggested that AA drivers get their graduation license and compete with the
                       professionals – would improve driving skills and bring NZ Ams in line with overseas
                      Amateurs
Trainers  -      Need to attract more trainers into the Ams (trainers have the vital ingredient – horses)
                       Would need a review of the current licensing structure – make it that anyone who has a
                       Trainers license automatically becomes a Full Amateur and anyone who has a Trials
                       license automatically becomes an AA licence holder
Horses –        It is the responsibility of all drivers to get there own drives by
                   - Owning horses
                   -  Leasing horses
                   - Helping out in a stable in return for drives
                   - Hiring horses to drive
                   
Liase more with the Trainers and Drivers Assn – we must work with them not against them
                  - Have Am heats before or after workouts
                  - Am series races on tote race days – have them before or after tote races

We must not forget we are Amateurs and we should be doing it for fun not money – maybe that is the problem – we never had money races when we first started but we had fun – is this where its all gone wrong ?

[fastpony]

Well the end of another season

And yes I have been critical - a combination of what I and the industry participants I associate with think - a consensus of opinion
I have also made numerous suggestions on how to solve some of these problems - a positive approach

During the season the "amateurs" have coped critisism from -  the race commentator , the Press racing writer , the horsemans assn and various people on  Racecafe - Why ?

"maybe its time to look in the mirror"

[Simon Chambers]

Au revoir

This is my final post on here as I am "moving on".

Trev and I joined the CADA committee 2009/10 season to make a difference because we could both see that the amateur movement we joined a few years ago was changing and not necessarily for the good of all. Certainly people we talked too within the amateurs and also in the wider industry were not convinced about amateur tote racing . Fields dried up considerably during this season and we have debated the reasons why.
While advanced amateur racing is a natural progression and evolution for the amateurs the sustainability of this is in question because 90% of the committee are advanced amateurs and their "big picture" is amateur tote racing and the need to have advanced amateurs compete for the 2012 World Champs only. They have forgotten about the grass roots of how people join this association and how they progress or not want to progress to that state of an advanced amateur licence.
Having said that I wish you well and will no doubt see you all around the workouts and tracks.

[fastpony]

Thats it from me

Thanks  - have met some good people,  enjoyed the experience
See you all round the tracks

Cheers
Trev

[Polarise]

I am genuinely saddened that both of you are moving on as I have enjoyed your company and exchanging of views. Having said that I think I understand your genuine reasons for doing so and have empathy with those reasons i.e. because at the end of the day a positive culture is important for any group to grow and flourish.