The ASBP Report: How can they be serious? Bad news for harness owners

[triplev123]

Hello Mr Triple V. Why then if the above was true would those in charge of trying to address these issues push forward ideas that have implications for the wider industry?
Coming up with a suggestion 'just because it suits the breeding industry' without contemplating the wider ramifications is ignorant at best. In fact it is downright dismal. I certainly would have expected more on that front than they have presented.
[VVV] Hello Mr. TBM. Rightly or wrongly they were not free to consider any of the wider ramifications.
Perhaps there was also a certain level of detachment from the whole 'put a syndicate together, buy going stock in NZ & race in Oz' angle in there too...one that was either pre-existing or that was otherwise thrust upon the Panel by way of their initial brief. I can only speculate.

Smithy said 'you can't support breeders at the expense of owners'. How true.
[VVV] I think that is particularly relevant because, as the Panel's own paper suggests, these groups are effectively one and the same. It is also relevant from the point of view that so many have subsequently joined the ranks of the Breeders by way of first enjoying their involvement with a racehorse.

Incidently I should point out I am a small time breeder and an owner whom in the last 12 months has bought yearlings, racing horses domestically and from abroad.
[VVV] Indeed you are and this is without question.

To make a suggestion as an import fee is creating a barrier to entry to the market that has the potential to discourage potential ownership. It is the last thing harness racing needs as it struggles to compete with other entertainment mediums.
[VVV] The potential owner entry point aspect carries a great deal of weight I have to agree. If there are possible alternative sources of funding, which I've no doubt you've investigated, then please, by all means they should be considered.
There is nothing to stop you from sending in a submission to HRA, one which deals with that aspect of the Panel's report/paper.
Having spoken to Andrew Kelly a few times both before and since this whole thing came to pass I'm sure he'd be only too happy to hear from yourself and anyone else. As our mate Mightymo has said a number of times...put it in writing and send it in.

Keep well,

[The Big Mile]

Triple V the problem here is that the HRA CEO is actually secretary of the Panel and that is the panel whom have made a FINAL RECOMMENDATION to go to HRA. So essentially Mr Kelly knows what he is going to get.

There are many avenues for revenue collection and it amuses me to hear that avenues where Breeders will be asked to support themselves (like broodmare registration) has been shot down in flames as a massive no, no.

Lets slug owners, lets make them pay. But oh no, anyone associated with the ACTUAL breeding side cannot.

This kind of ignorance I simply cannot cop.

[gutwagon]

The point of this report was to help Australian breeding. Buying horses from NZ does not help our breeding in any way. As a small time breeder and owner I support every part of this report. Persoally I think that there are too many NZ horses here, I would make the import fees even higher. With the Aus dollar so high we will be flooded with them even more.
One part of the report that I found amazing was the fact that 50% of foals are female yet only 6.6% of races are for fillys or mares. This needs to be lifted to 20 or 30% asap.

[smithy]

The point of this report was to help Australian breeding. Buying horses from NZ does not help our breeding in any way. As a small time breeder and owner I support every part of this report. Persoally I think that there are too many NZ horses here, I would make the import fees even higher. With the Aus dollar so high we will be flooded with them even more.
One part of the report that I found amazing was the fact that 50% of foals are female yet only 6.6% of races are for fillys or mares. This needs to be lifted to 20 or 30% asap.

how about kiwi stallions CUF and christain cullen..mach three stands there too - we better ban them because they are kiwi horse.. while we are at lets ban all the US horses and stallions .. because we don't want our money going overseas

see the ludicrousness of this idea

[gutwagon]

smithy, Stallions do help our breeding industry. Nz racehorses don't. I didn't mention banning anything. I can't see anything ludicrous about my statement, you just don't seem to understand it.
Where does it say ban nz horses in my statement ?

[The Big Mile]

The point of this report was to help Australian breeding. Buying horses from NZ does not help our breeding in any way. As a small time breeder and owner I support every part of this report. Persoally I think that there are too many NZ horses here, I would make the import fees even higher. With the Aus dollar so high we will be flooded with them even more.
One part of the report that I found amazing was the fact that 50% of foals are female yet only 6.6% of races are for fillys or mares. This needs to be lifted to 20 or 30% asap.

Smithy. Unfortunately the above is a too common theme amongst harness racing participants in Australia. It is a mentality that will see the sport continue its downward slide in most states, NSW exempt of that.

Problem is in harness racing in general is that many - well certainly a high proportion - have a seriously delusional view of the industry, and their niche within it. Breeders are one that sit on some other plane alltogether. You only need to waltz around a yearling sale, any yearling sale and hear the delusion bellow from the boxes with the ridiculous expectations placed on their horses. Harness Breeders are habitual over-valuers. Both ones that go to the sales and ones that don't.

[triplev123]

There are many avenues for revenue collection and it amuses me to hear that avenues where Breeders will be asked to support themselves (like broodmare registration) has been shot down in flames as a massive no, no. Lets slug owners, lets make them pay. But oh no, anyone associated with the ACTUAL breeding side cannot.

Well mate, you know full well where that head buried right up their own backsides attitude is coming from. You did your time there like I did only I, after having left in absolute disgust once, was stupid enough to go back for a 2nd term only to vacate again soon after wondering why in the Hell I'd ever even considered it in the first place. I wouldn't have any big issues with a modest annual charge of some sort. Most reasonable people wouldn't. You are not dealing with reasonable people however. Cast you mind back if it is not too painful to do so. See what I mean?

[smithy]

import substitution does not work!

the import fee is clearly aimed at helping the fillies going through the sales, but the statistics show most people don't sell - someone make some sense of that for me

[gutwagon]

I do agree that many breeders want way too much for thier yearlings, they should let the market determin the value of thier stock. They are just the same in NZ.

[gutwagon]

This report was about the breeding industry in Australia, not about owners, they may get their own report one day.
So you blokes think Aus breeders should just give it all away and all owners just buy from NZ. You seem to think you cant buy going horses in Aus, only overpriced yearlings ! I know several people who paid good money for nz horses and had very little luck. They then brough Aus stock and are doing much better, it can work both ways.
And Smithy nobody wants to ban US or NZ stallions. Nowhere in the report do they suggest this, they only recomend increasing the import fee on racing stock from o/s, to encourage owners to buy Australian.Also if there are no breeders there will be no owners !