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Drone.
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- April 17, 2011 at 18:06 #350789
Probably some sort of injunction is my guess.
The names of the riders allegedly involved were being thrown about on the Betfair forum earlier, but the moderator went into overdrive.
April 17, 2011 at 18:40 #350793
AnonymousInactive- Total Posts 17716
Probably some sort of injunction is my guess.
The names of the riders allegedly involved were being thrown about on the Betfair forum earlier, but the moderator went into overdrive.
I caught the names, not sure how legit the source is though?
April 18, 2011 at 06:47 #350873just a thought…If there is some story waiting to be printed ( probably is, otherwise the BHA wouldn’t have made a statement) who is paying for the then, obvious injunction…most of these lads are no multi million yearly earners such as John Terry.Must surely be some Mr Big.
April 18, 2011 at 10:42 #350908
AnonymousInactive- Total Posts 17716
ROFLMAO. This thread is reading like a cross between ITV News, Days Of Our Lives and a Dick Francis plot. Keep the laughs coming folks.
The vulnerability of the young and the clueless in the workplace is obvious in many more industries other than racing and always has been. It’s probably more of a general society issue rather than strictly a racing one.
April 18, 2011 at 11:26 #350939who is paying for the then, obvious injunction…most of these lads are no multi million yearly earners such as John Terry.Must surely be some Mr Big.

Could be the BHA has an agreement with NOTW & aren’t quite ready.
April 18, 2011 at 11:50 #350944who is paying for the then, obvious injunction…most of these lads are no multi million yearly earners such as John Terry.Must surely be some Mr Big.

Could be the BHA has an agreement with NOTW & aren’t quite ready.
yes, I had thought of that too…if there is anything to it, I just hope it doesn’t get swept under the carpet.
April 18, 2011 at 17:58 #350991ROFLMAO. This thread is reading like a cross between ITV News, Days Of Our Lives and a Dick Francis plot. Keep the laughs coming folks.
The vulnerability of the young and the clueless in the workplace is obvious in many more industries other than racing and always has been. It’s probably more of a general society issue rather than strictly a racing one.
Had to look up ROF…. Learn something new everyday. You wouldn’t wish to roll around on my floor.
Regarding the vulnerability bit, many businesses moan about government legislation, health and safety, etc. and say it’s not like it was in the old days. Good, I’m glad about that.
The racing industry has yet to embrace modernity. It still seems stuck in the 19/20th century.April 19, 2011 at 07:35 #351065My daughter went into the racing industry at 16 after loving horses ever since she was very young. The Northern Racing College sent her out as apprentice material.Despite that she had a horrific time of it.
The first trainer she was sent to wouldn’t even let her ride and both working and living conditions were completely unacceptable. Almost every employment rule in the book was broken and the trainer was removed from the college lists. I hasten to add that the trainer in question is still out there.
She then went to Newmarket and experienced things no young person should have to go through.When she left her last trainer he told her that Newmarket is a very bad place for young people and she was too nice a girl to be ruined by it.
The support is very limited and trainers have a duty of care to their often very young employees which many seem to forget. We had to "rescue" a Swedish friend of my daughter’s from Newmarket after she had an unspeakable time with her last trainer. She came to this country full of hope. Her parents were so proud of her going to work in a centre of excellence. She couldn’t even tell them what had happened to her. She told us and we were horrified.
I’m sorry to rant but it’s a subject I’m extremely passionate about. I am not surprised that there is corruption in racing but the industry still operates like it’s in the dark ages. Racing takes young people, chews them up and spits them out.
April 19, 2011 at 09:41 #351085I suppose it depends on how you view it but from what I’ve read of Newmarket and been told by friends it’s not somewhere I’d be sending a young lady (16-18yo) to, there was an article in a red top a few (5 or 6) years ago regarding racing practices etc. and it’s made me look on certain apprentices who shall we say seem to be lacking in race riding ability with far more cynicism than I did earlier.
Hope your daughter and her friend have found suitable jobs in decent yards in the racing industry Reetpetite.
April 19, 2011 at 18:15 #351146reetpetite
Racing takes young people, chews them up and spits them out.
Couldn’t agree with you more. I am also angry with what happens to these youngsters. Hope your daughter and friend are ok. Are they still in racing?
Irish Stamp
It’s not just Newmarket,"the home of racing". There are other areas where racing yards operate in a similarly disgusting manner.
What I find so outrageous is that I can’t believe the racing schools are unaware of how some of these yards operate.
Unfortunately, decent yards must find it difficult to financially survive whilst most of the cheats (but not all) flourish.April 19, 2011 at 21:21 #351169I remember reading the NOTW article and the subsequent debate on here about it, and while some suggested it was an exagerrated bit of tabloid trash, it still didn’t sit easy with me.
Reading the experiences of some of the people on here’s family members reinforces that view. It’s an area of the sport that needs the lid blowing off.
There should be some sort of certification scheme so that it is ensured that the employees as well as the horses are looked after properly. It will never happen but those that abuse their human as well as their equine charges should be named, shamed and blacklisted.
April 20, 2011 at 11:30 #351240Reetpetite,
I’m very sorry to hear that & especially sorry about the young Swedish girl. Just as well you spared us the details.
I can’t add anything, just sympathising.
Hope your daughter meets some decent people in racing.April 20, 2011 at 11:59 #351243My daughter went into the racing industry at 16 after loving horses ever since she was very young. The Northern Racing College sent her out as apprentice material.Despite that she had a horrific time of it.
The first trainer she was sent to wouldn’t even let her ride and both working and living conditions were completely unacceptable. Almost every employment rule in the book was broken and the trainer was removed from the college lists. I hasten to add that the trainer in question is still out there.
She then went to Newmarket and experienced things no young person should have to go through.When she left her last trainer he told her that Newmarket is a very bad place for young people and she was too nice a girl to be ruined by it.
The support is very limited and trainers have a duty of care to their often very young employees which many seem to forget. We had to "rescue" a Swedish friend of my daughter’s from Newmarket after she had an unspeakable time with her last trainer. She came to this country full of hope. Her parents were so proud of her going to work in a centre of excellence. She couldn’t even tell them what had happened to her. She told us and we were horrified.
I’m sorry to rant but it’s a subject I’m extremely passionate about. I am not surprised that there is corruption in racing but the industry still operates like it’s in the dark ages. Racing takes young people, chews them up and spits them out.
The wording in this post deeply disturbs me. Sorry to prie but when you speak of this poor young girls horrific time are you speaking about bad working conditions or something more sinister such as physical or sexual abuse, harressment or explotation within this unnamed stable?
If it is the latter then surely its a matter for the police and nothing to be keep quite about. I have read in the past that young female jockey’s have a terrible time of it in regard to sexual harressment. Those trainners and stable staff involved in such abuse should be lined up and shot. Scumbags.
April 20, 2011 at 17:15 #351275Thank you for all your kind words and comments.
Sadly some of the events should have been reported to the police or regulatory bodies – yes they were THAT serious.
The problem in Newmarket in particular seems to be that many a trainer will sack you on the spot if you dare to complain. Loss of a job means loss of income and accomodation so nothing ever really gets done.
Someone on this forum has given me some good advice about what I can still do but as both my daughter and her Swedish friend have now left racing completely disillusioned, there seems little point.
The Swedish girl stayed with us to recover and has now returned to Sweden. She doesn’t even want to work with horses anymore.
For my daughter things are much brighter. She decided to use her skills in another field and travels to different countries working as a trail guide. She is about to go to Denmark to start a new job there.
A lot of money is spent on courses at the racing schools but they don’t really prepare students for life outside of the college. At the college you are provided with a bed, food, instructors with time and patience to help you move on.
Once you leave college, you’re more or less on your own, away from home at the age of 16. People of that age are very vulnerable and easy to exploit. The drug problem is rife in Newmarket and while the powers that be say they are addressing it, there is little evidence of that.
If you have connections i.e. Daddy is a trainer or jockey you’ll be looked after. The rest in my opinion are not valued and are easily replaced with more fresh meat from the colleges. It’s a scandal that really needs addressing.
April 20, 2011 at 18:56 #351285Thank you for all your kind words and comments.
Sadly some of the events should have been reported to the police or regulatory bodies – yes they were THAT serious.
The problem in Newmarket in particular seems to be that many a trainer will sack you on the spot if you dare to complain. Loss of a job means loss of income and accomodation so nothing ever really gets done.
Someone on this forum has given me some good advice about what I can still do but as both my daughter and her Swedish friend have now left racing completely disillusioned, there seems little point.
The Swedish girl stayed with us to recover and has now returned to Sweden. She doesn’t even want to work with horses anymore.
For my daughter things are much brighter. She decided to use her skills in another field and travels to different countries working as a trail guide. She is about to go to Denmark to start a new job there.
A lot of money is spent on courses at the racing schools but they don’t really prepare students for life outside of the college. At the college you are provided with a bed, food, instructors with time and patience to help you move on.
Once you leave college, you’re more or less on your own, away from home at the age of 16. People of that age are very vulnerable and easy to exploit. The drug problem is rife in Newmarket and while the powers that be say they are addressing it, there is little evidence of that.
If you have connections i.e. Daddy is a trainer or jockey you’ll be looked after. The rest in my opinion are not valued and are easily replaced with more fresh meat from the colleges. It’s a scandal that really needs addressing.
I’m so glad that for your daughter things are much brighter. I hope the Swedish lass recovers and is not permanently scarred.
Regarding reporting the matter,a young foreign girl did report abuse to the police. She was not based in Newmarket. The police said she did not have enough evidence and then she was sacked. Fortunately she is now at a smaller decent racing establishment but her job might fold as the yard is struggling.
Another lad went home suffering from anorexia and probable drug problems. His family are still trying to help him.
Yet another was asked to pull horses, packed up, and left racing, dreams shattered. He was considered "talented". He did not report because he had no proof. He wasn’t based at Newmarket either, but did not want to go there, or anywhere else, because he had heard enough of what other yards got up to.
I know of others who have also left, some of them badly damaged by their experiences. All the ones I have spoken about had no "connection" but those that have do as they are told too. One young "connected" lad was really upset in the weighing room after winning a race. When asked why, he said his dad would be in trouble because the horse was not supposed to win and the owners would be furious. He did not have the strength or experience to stop it from winning.
The BHA should really hang their heads in shame and sort this out. It’s where corruption can begin, and there is no protection. As I have said before, the racing schools should employ these youngsters for their period of training (minimum 2-3 years), and not the trainers. All foreign youngsters should also come under this requirement.April 21, 2011 at 07:50 #351361An excellent idea from Nor regarding the minimum training period
.I am just a parent. I enjoy horse racing though I rarely gamble. I just feel that young people get a very raw deal when they pursue what for many is a dream and don’t forget many of them go into racing because they love horses. My daughter loved her work. It wasn’t the horses that let her down, it was the people.
One other thing, before you all get sick of me, girls in partcular are treated very unfairly. A much higher percentage of girls make up the college numbers and racing yards would fall apart without them but they are second class citizens in many yards and don’t even get me started on the way some of the Indian lads are treated.
Right, I’m off my soap box now but all of you that love your racing, spare a thought for the lad/lass leading up your possible winner. They do an awful lot for often not a great deal.
April 21, 2011 at 09:24 #351371This all sounds like an area a very assiduous journalist could write up rather effectively.
Maybe no names could be used, but a decent piece could well turn a few heads. - AuthorPosts
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