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Bit Of A Yarn

Missing Apprentices


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3 minutes ago, Freda said:

Danika has left Christchurch and gone back home to Timaru.

 

Denby has transferred locally and is marking time while details are sorted out. 

Thanks Freda. 

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24 minutes ago, Freda said:

Danika has left Christchurch and gone back home to Timaru.

 

Denby has transferred locally and is marking time while details are sorted out. 

Denby sits very nice on a horse , even in a finish , but still has to learn pace and when to move in a race .

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12 minutes ago, nomates said:

Denby sits very nice on a horse , even in a finish , but still has to learn pace and when to move in a race .

And to do that she needs practice, how the hell are these kids going to improve when there are 10 day breaks without racing in the South Island?........Petone programers need a rocket up their arses, poor fools the lot of em. Practice makes perfect, tennis pro's golf pro's have coaches, they practice everyday when not out playing, these poor kids are left high and dry, it makes you sick, sadly, sadly.

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3 minutes ago, Joe Bloggs said:

And to do that she needs practice, how the hell are these kids going to improve when there are 10 day breaks without racing in the South Island?........Petone programers need a rocket up their arses, poor fools the lot of em. Practice makes perfect, tennis pro's golf pro's have coaches, they practice everyday when not out playing, these poor kids are left high and dry, it makes you sick, sadly, sadly.

I agree totally. And when they do get a meeting to ride at half the field is ridden by carpetbaggers.

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19 minutes ago, Joe Bloggs said:

And to do that she needs practice, how the hell are these kids going to improve when there are 10 day breaks without racing in the South Island?........Petone programers need a rocket up their arses, poor fools the lot of em. Practice makes perfect, tennis pro's golf pro's have coaches, they practice everyday when not out playing, these poor kids are left high and dry, it makes you sick, sadly, sadly.

Don't they have a local programme committee anymore?  Or is everyone more worried about whip violations?

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Trainers are the problem, uses to be stables that had a heap of youngsters coming through, now most do not support youngsters. Easier to sit on their arse and call a nth island jockey. As per my thread, we are in real trouble with jockeys. 

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2 minutes ago, Newmarket said:

Trainers are the problem, uses to be stables that had a heap of youngsters coming through, now most do not support youngsters. Easier to sit on their arse and call a nth island jockey. As per my thread, we are in real trouble with jockeys. 

But we've been on that slippery slope for years.  What has any administrator and/or stakeholder (trainer) done about it individually or as a group?

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2 hours ago, nomates said:

Denby sits very nice on a horse , even in a finish , but still has to learn pace and when to move in a race .

She'll have plenty of help in that respect going forward. 

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3 hours ago, nomates said:

Denby sits very nice on a horse , even in a finish , but still has to learn pace and when to move in a race .

I agree.I'm no expert but i've watched her ride quite a bit as she seems a real talent.Horses run for her but shes often unlucky. 

I've learnt if i was to have a bet,only do so when she draws wide and is on a go forward horse,otherwise expect to get a bit frustrated. Thats at this stage of her career.

Edited by the galah
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1 hour ago, Freda said:

Yeah....mine were certainly very useful in that respect!

Good kids and a privilege to be instrumental in their development. 

What young jockeys have you had in your stable in the last 10 years? 

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26 minutes ago, Freda said:

My apprentices were a bit earlier than that.

The size of my team dropped and I didn't feel I could justify and support a young rider.

Yeah, I think that’s the issue. Don’t think trainers put the time in nowadays with youngsters, years ago it was common for most stables to have youngsters with live in accomodation, so trainers are the issue. I’m not attacking you, but some with more horses do little…

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I think what we have to remember is that we are in a different time.  Taking on an apprentice is a huge commitment.  These days they are not home as much with races, trials, jumpouts, apprentice school and whatever development course is on, and they get tired and stale.  NZTR seems to have much more of a say than the trainer.  Also now there are a lot more requirements, ACC levies, public holiday/day off requirements, the gear is expensive and needs replacing at more regular intervals .... it is very expensive.

Even getting a trackwork rider license can be a tiring and a costly exercise.

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6 minutes ago, Newmarket said:

Yeah, I think that’s the issue. Don’t think trainers put the time in nowadays with youngsters, years ago it was common for most stables to have youngsters with live in accomodation, so trainers are the issue. I’m not attacking you, but some with more horses do little…

Yes, that's quite true. 

Flatting and modern city life is also a very  different environment to the older private stables with,  as you say, accommodation.  Rented/ leased stables at tracks are now the norm and the early mornings and long hours along with the temptations that naturally arise do make it difficult to attract young people to the lifestyle. 

Rule changes also made things harder for employers.  Things weren't perfect years ago and things did have to change,  but for a long time, not for the better.  IMO.

One well-known trainer commented ' they've taken control away from the employers,  but replaced it with nothing ' and I feel he was right.

A lad down here on loan, 4 claimer Donovan Cooper, seems to ride well, sits nicely, balanced and whip use tidy.  Trained where?  South Africa. 

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6 minutes ago, Special Agent said:

I think what we have to remember is that we are in a different time.  Taking on an apprentice is a huge commitment.  These days they are not home as much with races, trials, jumpouts, apprentice school and whatever development course is on, and they get tired and stale.  NZTR seems to have much more of a say than the trainer.  Also now there are a lot more requirements, ACC levies, public holiday/day off requirements, the gear is expensive and needs replacing at more regular intervals .... it is very expensive.

Even getting a trackwork rider license can be a tiring and a costly exercise.

Then you can't expect to have good riders in numbers coming through.  It's always been hard.

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20 minutes ago, Newmarket said:

Yeah, I think that’s the issue. Don’t think trainers put the time in nowadays with youngsters, years ago it was common for most stables to have youngsters with live in accomodation, so trainers are the issue. I’m not attacking you, but some with more horses do little…

You're spot on, think Waller, and Maher, and a few other takers, at Least Gai tutored apprentices, like her Dad, I think her last apprentice was Winona Costin, a very good rider, holds her own with any, Leon Macdonald, wonderful mentor, had some brilliant apprentices until he retired recently, they gave back, thank God for people that do, enough takers, not enough givers.

If you do take on a youngster, you owe it to them to provide every chance, their future is in your hands, I've seen so many talented young kids lose their way in life, an academy is all well and good, it's who's running the thing that matters, and what happens when the apprentices go back to their bosses, unfortunately some of these so called riding masters have complex private lives themselves so what role models are they.

There is no substitute for a good caring responsible boss, small team, big team, no matter, just someone that can identify and nurture talent, and encourage good manners and civility, respect has to come from within, in an ideal world their parents have provided that.......hopefully.

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3 minutes ago, Special Agent said:

Yes, it has always been hard.  Now it is a different hard, and dare I say it the young of today are soft.

Afraid you are right. 

Discipline in homes seems non-existent,  so it is very hard to get the level of commitment needed to succeed . Hard night out?  Don't turn up to work.  Stiff and sore because new muscles are being used for, in some cases,  the first time.? Have to have a week off.  Cold wet day?  Can't possibly go out and get soaked. 

Different ball game now.

So we get back to the imports, who for the most part are respectful and hard working,  and grateful for the opportunity.  And often get treated badly as a result,  makes me very ashamed of our culture sometimes. 

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Certainly been a lot that have come and gone over the years, a few I used to follow j Moffat, ray bruce,viki askew, Garry Blair, just to name a few,very tough game when you see the turnover of riders over the years, many I've forgotten about, the memory gets a reminder when I pick up an old race book.

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18 minutes ago, Freda said:

Yes, that's quite true. 

Flatting and modern city life is also a very  different environment to the older private stables with,  as you say, accommodation.  Rented/ leased stables at tracks are now the norm and the early mornings and long hours along with the temptations that naturally arise do make it difficult to attract young people to the lifestyle. 

Rule changes also made things harder for employers.  Things weren't perfect years ago and things did have to change,  but for a long time, not for the better.  IMO.

One well-known trainer commented ' they've taken control away from the employers,  but replaced it with nothing ' and I feel he was right.

A lad down here on loan, 4 claimer Donovan Cooper, seems to ride well, sits nicely, balanced and whip use tidy.  Trained where?  South Africa. 

The Academy in Durban up at Summerveld is wonderful, Summerveld is a bit like Pinecliff or Lindsay Park, a huge training centre and the young jocks get every chance not only re riding and horsemanship but life skills as well.......if only Petone got off their collective backsides and flew over and had a look see........there has to be a will though, it might give then an insight as to how a Greenfield's would work......Just Saying.

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