We have for some time adopted phrases, mannerisms and in vogue pastimes from the United States. Irrespective of the merits or lack of originality of this trend, it's all pretty futile and harmless; that is until a change occurs that, if adopted here, would have potential drastic consequences for a pastime that is also an industry.
When news broke that following the spate of deaths at the esteemed Santa Anita racetrack. the Stronach Group are allowing on board the People For The Ethical Treatment Of Animals (PETA) organisation into the decision making process that touches upon the way forward to make racing safer, most could not have failed to be left a little gobsmacked.
This remember, is the land where many of its prominent sportsmen proudly list ' hunting, shooting, fishing' as their hobbies, and which in the sport of horse racing has a claim that the show it put on in the 1970's, exhibited the sport at a previously incomparable level, and one that has not been equalled since.
A look at the PETA website makes it depressingly clear that they are not an organisation that seek sensible solutions. They are clearly not there to be turned . They describe horse racing as a sport in which the horses are," whipped into submission and end a race sweating and exhausted often with debilitating injuries - if they survive at all."
Amusingly, they encourage punters to boycott betting on the sport and to bet instead on a football match or sports where the contestants are ' willing participants.' I'm not sure if they know that this is already the trend with the under forties generation in the UK. Not for perceived animal cruelty, more for the fact that they have been brought up with the explosion in sports betting and are unlikely to be won over by packed to the rafters fixture lists of, in the main, dreary cards.
And with the recent relaxion of the rules which is allowing betting on general sports on a fixed odds basis in an increasing number of states, PETA are receiving happenstance help in their aims from another source.
If those that pull the strings in the USA racing allow a body hostile to the sport to be party to the decision making process, then God forbid it to be a trend that makes it's way over here, for PETA, a world organisation, founded by an English born lady, make the RSPCA look tame by comparison.
Back in the 1980's, the then editor of the Sporting Life, Monty Court, would produce his Court Circular column on page three every Saturday. On one occasion, he penned an article in defence of allowing the RSPCA to be part of the official chatter on horse racing welfare issues, not least the push for changes to the Grand National course.
He even described the RSPCA officer representing the organisation on racing matters as a ' horse racing fan' . At the time the alarm signals were ringing in many people's ears realising that once you allow a body aboard such as the RSPCA, then it is acknowledgement that you cannot run your own house. Their concerns were ignored.
This unnecessary yielding was also the beginning of what was a slippery slope and at some point in the future, if racing continues dialogue with hostile bodies, it may be viewed as the beginning of the end - for national hunt racing at least.
Returning to the 1970's; we had a heady start to the decade with Nijinsky, Mill Reef and Brigadier Gerard all showing their greatness in the early part of the period. Then, from soon after until the decade end, stateside was the centre of attention.
Three Triple Crown winners in the revered Secretariat, Seattle Slew (pictured) and Affirmed. Then at the end of the period Spectacular Bid who failed to lift the crown but some considered him on par with the others. Connections of the colt even tried to tempt Troy across for a match race in 1979. Troy would have had to do the travelling but the race would be on grass. Troy's connections did not take up the offer.
Although the breeding industry remains incredibly strong in Kentucky, there is no contest when matched with it forty odd years back.
As an example, I pulled out an old copy of the July 1978 edition of Pacemaker International. As well as containing a preview of the forthcoming Keeneland Sales, which was staged earlier then in latter times, there was also a feature on the powerful Claibourne Stud, also situated in the Bluegrass State.
The magazine contained a Coolmore Castle Hyde Stud advert on the first two pages. Fourteen stallions were listed on the roster, the national hunt wing headed by Deep Run who would dominate the 1980's, with the ten flat stallions including Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner Rheingold, Mount Hagen, Home Guard and Thatch. Oddly enough, the only name missing from the advert was Be My Guest, who was standing his first season at stud there. He would go on to be the Coolmore's first recognised flat champion sire in 1982.
In 1978 Ireland was less than ten years into Charles Haughey's removal of tax on stallion profits and still had a long bridge to cross to compete with the power of the North American industry. This is evident when returning to the Claibourne feature and the stallions on the roster. It was like a pack of cards full of aces.
Nijinsky, Sir Ivor, Forli, Ack Ack, Hoist The Flag, whose son Alleged would be winning his second successive Prix de L'Arc de Triomphe in a few months time, before retiring himself to Walmac International in the same state. There was also a certain Secretariat on the roster, who would ultimately not live up to expectations in his second career.
This is only a snapshot using just one of the many big name stud farms to show the power that the American racing and bloodstock industries held. It's still very much alive if less dominant. But there is no knowing what awaits around the corner. This latest hullabuloo may blow over but might begin to stigmatise and weigh the sport down. If it's not going to end well, we don't want it catching over here.
image author Pawneese - reproduced under creative commons license
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