FROM THE SHERIFF'S DESK: UNDERSTANDING THE POWER AND INFLUENCE OF ANIMAL WELFARE LOBBY GROUPS

By John Schreck | Thursday, July 14, 2016

John Schreck, a former Chief Steward in both Sydney and Hong Kong, has seen both the colourful and the dark sides of racing. His wealth of experience and his deep knowledge of racing matters across the board is unquestioned and the reputation he built as a racing ‘lawman’ remains firmly entrenched in racing’s history. Shreck’s personal blog, ‘From the Sheriff’s Desk', appears exclusively on HRO.

Let me preface my comments this week by saying that I have not read the full report of Commissioner McHugh regarding the plight of the greyhound industry in New South Wales. I have read extracts of it in the various newspapers but I have not seen it in its entirety.

Having said that, I was initially surprised that the state government’s decision to ban greyhound racing in the New South Wales from July 1, 2017 was taken outside of the party room. It is a massive decision and no doubt those who took the decision had animal welfare issues in their mind.

The integrity problems in the sport, in my opinion, can be fixed … or can be managed anyhow. With the welfare issues though, when there is so much wastage, I don’t see how that aspect can be managed and I don’t see how it can be justified.

So, whilst the decision surprised me, when you think about it a bit, it would be difficult for the politicians to disregard some of the evidence that is clearly set out in Mr McHugh’s report.

I must add that Michael McHugh was the ideal person to provide such a report. He is knockabout type of fellow originally from Newcastle. He is a brilliant barrister and a true blue racing man and clearly his report created a lot of concerns for the heads of the New South Wales government.

This brings us back directly to the power of the animal welfare lobby group. I have repeatedly warned racing administrators to be aware of their powerful influence.

That power and that influence is not diminishing. It is growing, so the racing industry better keep it well and truly in mind … to the point that the sooner those jockeys complaining about the new whip rules pull their heads in and comply with the rule the better.

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Is there a way out for the New South Wales greyhound industry?

On the face of it, again emphasising that I have not read the full report, I can’t see that there is a way out.

This is obviously a very sad outcome for the good people in the sport who spend their lives with the dogs.

You have to feel for those people.

It is easy for the opposition party to take a counter viewpoint and run with it because there will be certain people on their side but, in the long run, I don’t think the sport can win because of the activities that have been exposed.

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Back to horseracing.

Another point that I have been advocating for some time is that the rule which allows riders to protest for excessive use of the whip should be deleted from the book.

I am absolutely more convinced than ever that should happen.

It is worth repeating that protest rules were designed around interference and that is where they should stay.

The accepted, identifiable vehicle used to cause interference is the horse. Interference caused by a horse can be measured and that is why the protest rule … the objection rule as it called around the world … was written around interference.

The effect of the whip cannot be measured. It is so intangible because some horses respond to whip riding … Octagonal is one that quickly comes to mind … while others will swish their tail and go slower.

The horse can’t come into the protest hearing and tell us what happened so there is no way of determining the effect of the whip in any particular circumstance.

What is quite clear though is that the forefathers of racing would never, never have conceived that a rule such as the whip rule would ever be used to relegate horses … and it shouldn’t.

Hence my on-going call in this on-going argument for the rule giving the right to protest against excessive use of the whip to be deleted from the rule book.