Originally Posted by
Dot
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I like the idea of a staggered grant system, firstly this can be used directly to mobilise broodmares already in the broodmare paddock and not being bred from back into the breeding shed. Staggered grants don’t exclude anyone’s mare but does weigh the money in line with industry expectations for likelihood of producing winners. Like HRNSWs rebate scheme HRV could also use the funds to support a particular tier of sire, $max fee, max book size, colonial bred, Australian owned or Victorian based or a combination of these.
With a criteria of not bred last season it shouldn’t be to difficult with HRVs extensive access to data bases to identify the majority of eligible mares, and then cost the scheme by multiply each eligible mares grant to reach a total, of by having a fixed total dividing that by eligible mares to reach an amount for each grant clause. Depending then on the uptake rate HRV want they could administer the scheme by having breeders apply and with restricted stallions available( low up take) to emailing mares owners with their mares specific grant amount and available restricted sires for a higher up take, or email mare owners with available grant for mare, and no restriction on stallion used for highest uptake.
Such a grant scheme is only good for a couple of seasons as some breeders are already every other season breeders and grants for mares not bred the previous seasons rewards them disproportionately to others and may encourage others to breed less frequently in order to access a grant.
But for a couple of seasons it could be very useful to get empty mares back into the breeding shed and increase foal numbers. ( yes I know some of these mares would have been back breeding next season anyway, so make it for mares left empty for 2 seasons or more if preferred) And give time to formulate plans for more long term schemes to stimulate breeding, and more importantly plans to get more of the horses we do breed to the track as “starters” preferably as multiple starters over a length of time, and best of all for connections a genuine opportunity to be a winner.