United states trotting assocaition

[the galah]

Reading some of the stories that have come out of the USA recently.

One thing that seems pretty clear.

That is the UTSA leadership is viewed as one of the major problems for the  sport going forward.

Many articles have been written about many different examples of that.

The lastest was relating to the UTSA getting involved on behalf of high profile owner and lawyer,howard taylor.

Howard Taylor was one of the owners whose horses have been banned from competing at jeff gural operated tracks,due to being tied up with the massive drug cheating scandel,that many went through the courts in the last couple of years.

The UTSA has tried to put pressure on the john campbell led hambletonian society who stage many of the bigger stakes races and breeders crowns. They want the hambletonian society to join the fight against gural ,but john campell has said jeff gural has every rite to do what he has done and they won't be changing venues.

A recent article written by the well read paulick report said

"lts telling the UTSA have chosen to prioritize an investigation into taylors exclusion but not priorotize an investigation iinto the merits of the allegations that prompted the exclusion. The UTSA want us to believe the real scandel here is gurals reaction to taylor being named on fishman'(the drug cheating peddlers) list,not why taylors name was on the list in the first place."

Of course you only have to look at how the UTSA dealt with other aspects of that massive cheating scandel.

The UTSA chose to throw the book at the whistleblowers who chose to come forward,admitting their own involvement and providing evidence and shining light on the cheaters.

It was widely seen as a statement from the UTSA ,if your going to air harness racings dirty washing in the public,then we are going to punish you big time. We,the UTSA do not want dishonest deeds having any light shone on them."

Just this week on the alumini harness show that had an official from the state of indianna saying how he feels indianna leadership has no integrity ,with a possible insinuation of who has been putting pressure to remove him from his job. That offical stating that he would only work in harness racing agian if he were to be employed by someone with integrity which is why he is no longer employed in indianna.

Then you have had not that long ago the story about how in certain states the draws for some of the higher stake races were apparently rigged.

Theres much more,but what it seems is there is a real clash of some high profile paticipants with the decisions and personalties of the leadership of the UTSA ,who are seen as lacking in integrity.

It really sounds like harness racing in some place over there is led by people who place their self interests ahead of anything else.

Then you have the UTSA fighting in court the introduction of rules which introduce  policies relating to racetrack safety,anti doping and medication control.(called HISA).

Stats are already showing that in the districts which have embraced the HISA rules,racetrack horse deaths have shown a significant drop. That has given the thorougbred industy over there some respite from the bad publicity about racehorse deaths.

Edited April 18 by the galah

[the galah]

On 18/04/2024 at 2:11 PM, the galah said:

Just  this week on the alumini harness show that had an official from the state of indianna saying how he feels indianna leadership has no integrity ,with a possible insinuation of who has been putting pressure to remove him from his job. That offical stating that he would only work in harness racing agian if he were to be employed by someone with integrity which is why he is no longer employed in indianna.

Then you have had not that long ago the story about how in certain states the draws for some of the higher stake races were apparently rigged.

 

That alumni harness racing show gives an interesting insight in harness racing in some parts of the usa.

Last weeks show again had the indianna official on. 

Turns out he belives it was no coincidence that he was terminated after making a complaint against his boss. She had sent him a text with photos of her underwear and asked would he like them at the end of his bed.He thought thatjust a tad  inapproriate.

Also,he went on to list examples of how the indianna racing commission boss gets rid of other employees(sacks), who bring information about wrongdoing involving people she prefers not to penalise or do anything to. Then he went on and listed how the lady in charge swept things under the carpet if it involved high profile persons including possible drug violations,plus jobs for her friends,conflicts of interst in those adjudicating,drunk steward (twice) that they just ignored and said carry on .

 

Edited May 1 by the galah

[Chief Stipe]

Thankfully NZ Harness Racing has so much more integrity.