- This topic has 38 replies, 13 voices, and was last updated 3 years, 8 months ago by
.
-
Posts
-
Bans mean far less to amateurs too, because big races in the amateur calendar come far apart and the number of other amateur races missed due to a ban is generally far less than a professional. They don’t appear to care anywhere near as much if a ban is handed out.
Good point and THM’s suggested solution is interesting.
If you look at my first post, Ham…
The actual reason for no amateur riders does not matter. For me the mere fact there will be no amateur riders at this year’s Cheltenham Festival is something to be celebrated. Because there is less chance of horses paying the price of poor jockeyship… And less chance of jockeys taking no notice of the rules of racing. imo Bringing the game in to disrepute.
I just wish it was every year.
The reason I put the thread in this section is because I did not want the reasons I’m happy with no amateur riders at Cheltenham to be confused with the completely different reason the Authorities give for them not being there.
Value Is EverythingCorrect in one way; “newbies to the sport haven’t a clue in a race about a whip offence”. eg They just see jockeys whipping their horses time and time again and are put off; believing it the norm.
You say there are zero stats, Ham.
Have you never looked at who the worst whip offenders are during Cheltenham – considering how many rides they’ve had at the meeting?
Timeform sometimes highlight a rider who’s gone OTT even when they’ve got away with it too.
Do you really believe a rider who’s going to have a few rides the following month is going to keep to the rules just as much as a professional with a likely 150 rides? Not that it stops many of the top amateurs cracking in to their mounts.
Do you believe the average (many being inexperienced) amateur jockey judges pace just as well as the average professional?You don’t get what I mean by exhaustion. Exhaustion is in this case nothing to do with fitness and all about pace. Horses can be as fit as the trainer can possibly make them. (You mention the olympics). If a top 1500 metres runner goes the first 800 metres of the race in world record 800 metres speed, he/she will be exhausted by the end of that 1500 metre race no matter if his fitness is the best it’s ever been.
I’ve already said that pro’s get it wrong too. Point is percentage-wise amateurs get it wrong far more often and appear to deliberately break the rules of racing.
Value Is Everything“To say that amateurs put horses at an unacceptable level of risk because they don’t judge the fences as well as professionals”…
I didn’t thm.
There is not just one issue that goes to making it imo an unacceptable risk. There are many issues that individually wouldn’t be a massive problem. But there are many issues (including the issue you agree with me on – ineffective suspension) that add up in to one unacceptable problem / risk.
Value Is Everything
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.