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I wrote a blog about the Frost and Dunne Case, some of you read it, others talked to me about it. Now I’ve written about the paranoia and conspiracy theories in racing pubs and how it’s evident of a lack of health.
A Tale of Two Boozers – Paranoia and Conspiracies in Racing
I might post more blog posts here if I get around to writing them and you all don’t tell me to go away.
As Kevin Blake would say, “RTs appreciated” or in my case clicks and comments.
I enjoyed that 50p. Both of your blog posts so far have been interesting reads, and I look forward to seeing what else you come up with.
Thanks Marlingford and VtC, I appreciate both comments.
I have an idea for a few more but there’s only so far (or so deep) someone with a casual interest, not long in the game, and with no connections can go. I’ll do my best though, so thanks for the support!
A lot of blogs contain far too many posts full of self-indulgent bloat. I expect this is to improve search rankings, but as a reader I much prefer infrequent quality posts!
I wasn’t planning on publishing this for another few days, but firstly I was a little antsy today and had it all written and edited ahead of time. And secondly, in writing and editing it today I made one or two offhand references (to make it seem timely and relevant) that would actually make it a little dated come next week.
Comfy and Cosy – Bookies and Boozers Are Far From Horse Racing’s Fantasy
FWIW, having worked in the media, I would say that there is a big difference between writing, at your leisure, a blog containing subject matter of your own choosing and being given a brief by your Editor and writing to length and to deadline about it.
How about you ask the forum to be “Your Editor,” pick a topical subject for you and ask you to write 500 words on it in the next 24 hours?
That would be a proper test.
Example: I want 500 words on whether Robbie Dunne appealing is good for racing or not by 6.50am Saturday (tomorrow) morning.
I expect it to be opinionated, colourful and to challenge existing public perceptions on the subject.
And inbetween all this besiege every title/platform in the land that has racing coverage with your CV – bang on every door until one opens.
Good luck.
I am "The Horse Racing Punter" on Facebook
https://mobile.twitter.com/Ian_Davies_
https://www.facebook.com/ThePointtoPointNHandFlatracingpunter/
It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"I don’t actually want a job in the racing media, not unless they provide me with a serious wedge of a wage, a sizeable no-questions-asked expense account, and a driver and car to and from where-ever they want me. The title was a reference to how every second person online seems to be writing or podcasting, either for the media or bookies, and if they’re not they want to be.
As for your “challenge” I couldn’t get to sleep last night so it was a grand way to wake me up a bit better after a night of insomnia. I went a bit loose on the “good for racing” part and went more towards “is it good for jockeys?”
You can pick the headline. I’ll take standard rates seeing as this is a new relationship.
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With Robbie Dunne’s recently launched appeal against his 18 month suspension for bullying and intimidation of fellow jockey Bryony Frost, handed down last month by an independent disciplinary panel, there has to be questions of why he is choosing such a path.
Drawing out a process which has shown racing in a bad light his appeal will be sure to rekindle the embers of what many hoped was a dying fire and a weighing room culture needing ready extinguishing.
With widespread condemnation for Dunne’s behaviour from the general public, and from many in the racing and wider media, the Professional Jockeys Association’s response after Dunne’s sentence was announced failed to soothe fears of toxic environments, along with hostile and out-dated organisations, referring to Frost’s workplace situation with “Bryony [Frost] felt bullied…” This despite both a verdict having been reached and a sentence imposed on Dunne.
Following the initial statement from the PJA the representative organisation released another statement on behalf of some of their female members. The female jockeys, remaining anonymous, didn’t wish for their names to be associated with the letter, “having seen the reaction towards anyone who has expressed such views,” stating they felt their experiences within the weighing room “have been overwhelmingly positive” as well as their “disappointment” at how they and their male colleagues had “been portrayed by the BHA and subsequently reported in the media.”
Whatever Dunne’s appeal may do for the jockey himself it will be sure to put the weighing room and its wider culture back under the spotlight.
For many who wish for a change, whether they’re within the weighing room, part of the greater racing industry or members of the public judgment has already been meted out and Dunne’s appeal is both damaging and reckless.
For those who felt the comments of a “rancid and sour” culture in the weighing room by the BHA counsel Louis Weston were unfair— whether your view is this comment was stated as a fact of the nature of the weighing room or simply an argument highlighting what the weighing room culture must be if Dunne’s portrayal of it was true and accurate — then an appeal, much as Dunne’s initial argument and defense maintained, most likely relies on the unique environment the jockeys find themselves in.The loud response from the public compared to the mostly united if toned down voice of the jockeys themselves has to be seen in light of a highly charged atmosphere of sportsmen and women competing in a life and death sport. An insular group, forced to be insular by the nature and pressures of their profession, and who feel misunderstood and isolated from wider society may not have appreciated noses being stuck where they’re not wanted.
Despite all this Dunne’s appeal may very well force further intrusion into the close community of the weighing room from a second round of scrutiny, and perhaps even closer attention again should this all be a precursor to a legal challenge in the courts.
“I don’t actually want a job in the racing media” – ah, ok, somewhat at variance with the thread title.
Have fun with whatever it is you do want.
I am "The Horse Racing Punter" on Facebook
https://mobile.twitter.com/Ian_Davies_
https://www.facebook.com/ThePointtoPointNHandFlatracingpunter/
It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"I’m sorry your unasked for advice didn’t go down as well as you’d like but thanks for trying to “test” me. I’ll wait for someone capable of judging
Well, I would of thought Ian Davies would have been the most capable person on “TRF” to judge you.
My apologies to all, but I read a thread saying someone wanted a media job and was asking for feedback.
Turns out they don’t want a media job and don’t want my feedback.
I think my confusion is forgiveable in these circumstances.
It’s a myth journalistic writers get to write about anything they like – they get direction off their Editors and write to topic, length and deadline.
Virtually none of them has a free hand – that’s why Editors exist, whatever appears in print or online the buck stops with them, so they have to be in control.
I am "The Horse Racing Punter" on Facebook
https://mobile.twitter.com/Ian_Davies_
https://www.facebook.com/ThePointtoPointNHandFlatracingpunter/
It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"How’s your world 50p ?
Whether you were born in a cross fire hurricane, under a privet hedge in Margate, or less likely in a straw manger in deep Basingstoke snow, I fully admire your pluck at drumming up the 500 at such short notice after a direction from the almighty.
At exactly 3.15 am whilst you were dancing on the ceiling, or trying to countlessly count me – I was also not lying, but sitting fully awake, not in a bed but in a cream coloured IKEA rocker, with a bottle of sheila red on my right side and directly before me, a convincing alcoholic Denzel slipping back Jack in Man on Fire on the equally inebriated slouching crouching menace in the corner. I was nibbling M&S peanuts with french bread and mature cheddar whilst having my hot water softened feet painstakingly pedicured on my left, and sipping a lot more vino after correctly guessing the ransom money – ten million dollars. I could have been in sheep heaven.
Matron has been raz razor sharp since 2006. Ian Davies is ‘there is only one’, and certainly the most able to mark up anyone’s writing card, and no sweat. The bible can be cruel and John the Baptist who had good arms and legs soon found that landing himself in the New Testament meant that to get about, he needed to be walked in on a plate. God set you a hard task – Dunne is yesterday’s news trying hard to be todays. It would be totally beyond even ten monkeys with typewriters, especially minus shuteye to produce a frost report in that time. One way or another you found yourself cast down to hell.
I have a small consolation prize for you. It’s not a bar of soap. I am in publishing and own a news service and am currently looking for a journalist. BB news is currently fighting a legal battle with the relatives of Mr Ricky Rake but are looking for able writers of your calibre and punch. Some pointers..
1. We don’t write horse but do approve of the odd.
2. If you’ve been sectioned under the Mental Health Acts, or been banged up for more than five years, it would greatly increase your chances.
3. As far as wedge we generally ask our journalists to pay us for the privilege of putting them in print.
I think you’re a good egg 50p but with a small crack – the thread title !
p.s. a bold move on your part to jump into the furnace here and swim stroke for stroke with J.ust P.assing McManus in the cold waters of lake Geneva under a leaden sky holding up a large doubling dice.
Ian Davies: As I said in my post my media job request was a joke about how everyone these days, especially in racing, wants their fifty minutes of (often podcast) fame.
I know well the difficulties of an actual job in the media, as well as writing to a topic, to a wordcount and for an editor. The only thing somewhat appealing about “a job in the media” is actually having an editor because there are absolute wonders a seasoned eye can wrangle out of anyone’s writing.
My apologies if I read your “Have fun with whatever it is you do want.” as a strop, I’d gotten into the spirit of things, produced what was asked of me, and suddenly my “editor” (please allow this) seemed pissy and not interested in what I’d actually written.
There are reasons, mainly pride and (I feel justified) self-belief,* I myself had a bit of a wobbler at someone presuming I was further education level intern, wet behind the ears, spitting out their first un-spell-checked copy. If that’s what you take from my turn of phrase then I might as well throw in the entire airing cupboard, let alone the towel.
*As well as Gamble’s reference to a time of rest and relaxation, something that may have been on the cards from “the powers that be” and their chasing if it wasn’t for a timely call of nature and an accidental covering of tracks with a dip into the loo.
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