ODDS AND ENDS - not worth a thread but worth a post

[Amlin]

Vale Gordon Lockman

http://www.harness.org.au/news-artic...?news_id=31971

Gordon was on the tram to the Maribyrnong Speedway one night. The car races were rained out and the tram stopped outside the Showgrounds. Gordon wandered into the trots and never looked back.

A colourful character lost.

[KTQ]

I am still failing to understand why drivers bounce about and lay back in the cart when trying to get their horse over the line? Imagine pulling a wheel barrow and having the pile of manure bouncing about and trying to walk faster and straighter.

I'm willing to change my mind if someone can explain the benefits (Tried it in fast work on our racing ones after watching the US drivers on those stallion videos they used to mail breeders.. didn't work. Pretty sure the horse laughed its ass off to its mates about the drongo in the cart when it got back to the stables)

Can we start a movement to de-cool it and make drivers who do it laughing stocks?

[trish]

I am still failing to understand why drivers bounce about and lay back in the cart when trying to get their horse over the line? Imagine pulling a wheel barrow and having the pile of manure bouncing about and trying to walk faster and straighter.

I'm willing to change my mind if someone can explain the benefits (Tried it in fast work on our racing ones after watching the US drivers on those stallion videos they used to mail breeders.. didn't work. Pretty sure the horse laughed its ass off to its mates about the drongo in the cart when it got back to the stables)

Can we start a movement to de-cool it and make drivers who do it laughing stocks?

relating to sulkies
170. (1) A driver shall, throughout the course of a race, drive with both feet in the rests of the sulky, unless he is activating approved gear. (effective 01.11.2016)



(2) A driver shall not drive in a race with part of the driver’s body protruding beyond the sulky.


(3) A driver who fails to comply with any provision of this rule is guilty of an offence.

[trish]

I think they are fined around $200 for this in NSW.

[KTQ]

I wonder if it's the same across all states.

[trish]

There are drivers over here Katie that don't seem to care how much they get fined. They still lean back. Sometimes they get fined , sometimes they don't . I have always said if you want to drive like the Yanks go to America. BYE BYE.

[strong persuader]

There are drivers over here Katie that don't seem to care how much they get fined. They still lean back. Sometimes they get fined , sometimes they don't . I have always said if you want to drive like the Yanks go to America. BYE BYE.

Here in NSW, and I imagine it would be Aus wide, the drivers are permitted to lean back some degree but not too far! Cannot find the article outlining the limits for clarity, perhaps someone else may have a better memory than I

[Danno]

I think you will see a fair bit of leaning back at Menangle tomorrow, noticed Andy McCarthy id down to drive a few, must be home from the states for a holiday, pretty sure if you don't lean back over there you don't get a drive! personally I think its unsafe due to limiting your vision more than anything else, there is no doubt it will reduce air drag, however, how much effect that has I don't know, I've heard the argument that leaning back reduces the weight on the horse, but it doesn't, it simply transfers that weight onto the wheels which in turn negates the "benefit".


Bouncing around in the cart is for mugs I reckon, the wheelbarrow analogy Katie used is very similar to my own "water in the wheelbarrow sloshing around" explanation........cannot POSSIBLY help the horse and most likely will hinder it.

[KTQ]

I signed up for a USTA account so I could see how a few WA horses that were sold to the states were doing but it says I have to pay for any info. does anyone have a site I can use to check their racing history in the states?

[Messenger]

I have a USTA account too Katie but rarely use it because of the $'s