MANY sectors of our economy and society have suffered huge damage during the current pandemic and those involved with horses have been no different.

All sectors have had to cope with reduced activity and periods of no activity but the sector that has suffered most has been the Horse and Pony Racing sector.

The southern region’s Ballyheigue Strand Meeting on New Year’s Day 2020, over 14 months ago, was the last time they saw action and as that is a traditional stand-alone meeting, it means that for most participants, it is now already closing in on 18 months since their last participation.

With no end in sight for restrictions and with the vaccination programme likely to continue into the autumn, it is very likely that this year will also result in little if any action.

While some committees do hope to get up and running this year, that is based on hope more than reality. The Glenbeigh Racing Festival, an event that I have been involved in for many years, is one of the biggest meetings in the calendar, second after Dingle, and they have already been forced to abandon plans for 2021.

The only certainty amongst the uncertainty is that when the time comes whereby it is possible for Horse and Pony Racing to recommence, it will be in urgent need of financial assistance and it will need HRI and those in the overall racing industry to provide some funding and help.

While many people have had only a fleeting interaction with Horse and Pony Racing, it is an integral part of the eco-system of racing both as an entrance and training facility.

Successful riders

I could fill these pages with riders who have come through the Horse and Pony Racing ranks and still overlook some of the biggest and most successful riders of any generation.

From Charlie Swan, Adrian Maguire, Aidan Coleman, Norman Williamson, Pat Smullen, Barry Geraghty, Ruby Walsh and Richard Hughes through to Colin Keane, Chris Hayes, Shane Foley, Davy Russell, Paul Townend, Rachael Blackmore and Jack Kennedy. It is actually more exceptional than normal to find jockeys who didn’t start in Horse and Pony Racing.

Amongst last year’s Irish apprentices all of the top 10 in the Championship came through the Horse and Pony Racing route while eight of the top 10 in the flat professional riders’ table were graduates of the Horse and Pony Racing circuit.

It is similar in the National Hunt sphere where eight of the top 10 riders in the current championship started in Horse and Pony Racing.

However, it is important to note that while some riders spent many seasons in this sphere attracting quite a bit of attention, there are other riders for whom it is an introduction, whetting the appetite while they do not “travel the circuit”.

A case in point here is Rachael Blackmore whose participation was limited to a few races but nevertheless it gave her the introduction that ultimately led to great things.

However, while Horse and Pony Racing is recognised for its contribution to the development of jockeys, its broader contribution to the horse racing industry is often overlooked.

Quite a number of trainers have gained their initial experience training horses for pony racing before progressing to taking out a training licence, the most successful examples being Noel Meade and Denis Hogan (trained his own ponies before becoming an apprentice jockey).

Not all of those who start off in Pony Racing become successful jockeys, but many subsequently go on to play very important roles within racing stables and it can and does play and important part in recruitment for the industry.

Like most sports, a love and appreciation often can be traced back to an interest developed as a child and many of those involved will go on to become owners at a future time.

And in many instances, it can be a case that the families who attend their local pony race meeting and who enjoy the experience will be enticed to follow up with a visit to their local racecourse.

External funding

The financial model under which Horse and Pony Racing is run has been hugely damaged by the impacts of Covid.

Unlike other equine activities it receives no external funding and is entirely self-funding.

It is totally run by volunteers made up the regional associations who deal with the administration and integrity and the local committees who raise the funding and handle the on-the-ground.

Each day’s racing costs close to €2,500 excluding prize money and this covers ambulances, doctor, veterinary surgeon, public liability insurance and the provision of temporary sanitary facilities, etc. In addition, some committees may have to pay for the rent of a field or for whatever maintenance is required to repair it following racing.

While there will be some contributions from bookmakers and catering vans, the main source of income for Pony Racing is sponsorship and gate receipts along with owner’s registration and race-entry fees.

The sponsorship income is dependent on the support of local business, and these businesses will have taken the brunt of the financial effects of the current Covid restrictions with many of them experiencing extended periods of closure.

Many of those who generously contributed in the past will simply be unable to support their local pony race meetings when they resume, or others will do so but in a reduced manner.

This will make it very difficult for pony racing to meet the costs inherent in the hosting of a race meeting.

In addition, the regional associations paid about €8,000 from their reserves last year to cover the cost of public liability insurance in order to maintain continuity of cover – the concern being that if they let it lapse they might find it difficult to regain cover or that the premiums might be significantly increased.

Commitment

I do not know if they will need to do it again this year or if they even have the resources to cover it.

The contribution Horse and Pony Racing makes to the horse racing eco-system has to be recognised in a proper manner and there needs to be a commitment made to provide it with the financial support needed to get it back on a secure footing when the time comes where it can be restarted.

The current and future generations of young people must be provided with the same opportunity to participate in Horse and Pony Racing in order to develop the interest and experience that has proven to be so valuable for so many people over the past.

Horse and Pony Racing will need some support from HRI and the broader racing community in order that we do not lose a nursery that has served Irish Racing well over many generations.

In effect, the sector needs, as Leo Powell has previously written in this publication, “to be brought in from the cold”.