Coroner declines to investigate tragic death of Megan Taylor

[Thomass]

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/coroner-closes-case-of-promising-young-jockey-killed-in-horror-race-crash/DK7OI3WALZBT5DDTE7PUZ2LKXU/

Quite surprising this.

The expert evidence of the likes of David Walsh and Kim Clapperton was very damning  on certain aspects of so called 'normal' riding standards.

"riding without due care for other riders" stuck out for one.

This comes under the guise of 'competitive riding' and the accepted practise of making room for oneself aka as riding into other horses

Highly dangerous to both horse/jockey imho

[Freda]

My stance on this- as well as the current discourse about Bosson - is that there would be a lot less careless/dangerous riding if infringements were properly dealt with.

No way did Denby deliberately create the havoc she did....but shifting ground and tightening horses up happens all the time...and it shouldn't. 

And Denby will have to live with this the rest of her life.

I recall Bosson nearly putting a young Gosen Jagoo over the fence,  coming from behind him( the lad was leading) and going under his neck as he went past.

Competitive riding it was called.  Karen Parsons whose horse it was went absolutely ballistic.

[Wingman]

1 hour ago, Freda said:

My stance on this- as well as the current discourse about Bosson - is that there would be a lot less careless/dangerous riding if infringements were properly dealt with.

Agree 100%. There was a vicious piece of riding a few seasons back in Sydney where the culprit was hugh bowman and a young rider fell. The penalty did not fit the crime so one has to think that the stipes on both sides of the Tasman are being soft on the 'name' riders

 

[Chief Stipe]

1 hour ago, Freda said:

My stance on this- as well as the current discourse about Bosson - is that there would be a lot less careless/dangerous riding if infringements were properly dealt with.

What do you mean by "properly dealt with"?

[curious]

17 minutes ago, Chief Stipe said:

What do you mean by "properly dealt with"?

I'm guessing that in part she means dealt with at all, and then with severe enough penalties to significantly reduce their incidence.

[billy connolly]

5 hours ago, Freda said:

I recall Bosson nearly putting a young Gosen Jagoo over the fence,  coming from behind him( the lad was leading) and going under his neck as he went past.

Oh dear, now we've got the woman trainer from Riccarton putting the boot into a Hall of Famer with over 2000 wins in the bin.

Possibly 80% of race interference can be attributed to slow bastards getting in the way of horses with ability which has no doubt been a contributing factor in Bossom's rap sheet.

There's not a lot of difference between winning and losing in this game but the winners have the mongrel to succeed!

 

[curious]

30 minutes ago, billy connolly said:

Oh dear, now we've got the woman trainer from Riccarton putting the boot into a Hall of Famer with over 2000 wins in the bin.

Possibly 80% of race interference can be attributed to slow bastards getting in the way of horses with ability which has no doubt been a contributing factor in Bossom's rap sheet.

There's not a lot of difference between winning and losing in this game but the winners have the mongrel to succeed!

 

There's no place for mongrel in this or any other game if that puts the lives of humans and horses at any more risk than necessary for the sport to continue. TR will go the way of greyhounds if it's not sorted and promptly.

[Thomass]

5 hours ago, Freda said:

 

No way did Denby deliberately create the havoc she did....but shifting ground and tightening horses up happens all the time...and it shouldn't. 

.

Exactly...

Here's Noel Harris's take on the extreme tightening

"Denby’s mount has stepped out in the straight taking the line of Kavish Chowdhoory. Kavish has continued to ride his mount aggressively to “hold his line.” Although Kavish was entitled to be where he was in the running, with experience you learn to evaluate the risk involved in making these decisions and ease the pressure.

Had Kavish eased his mount and not continued to push forward, the outcome would have been different."

Oatham said Kavish was entitled to ride forward as easing and pulling back would have put him in a dangerous position

What turned out far more dangerous and put his fellow riders at risk then?

In his last CR charge the adjudicative panel commented

the video evidence clearly showed that Mr Chowdhoory moved inwards when only one horse-length clear of SHEZAHAPPYONE, falling short of the required two-length clearance. Ms Lindsay’s vigorous calling and the fact that she was checked for several strides, further emphasise the severity of the interference.

Mr Chowdhoory’s riding record is considered an aggravating factor. The Adjudicative Committee notes a concerning pattern of Mr Chowdhoory not exercising due care during races, which is essential for the safety of both horses and Riders.

Still doing it!

How long until it sinks in to 'take due care of fellow riders'?

[Chief Stipe]

36 minutes ago, Thomass said:

Had Kavish eased his mount and not continued to push forward, the outcome would have been different."

Oatham said Kavish was entitled to ride forward as easing and pulling back would have put him in a dangerous position

Couldn't you say the same about Denby i.e.  she should have evaluated the risk and not taken Kavish's line?

[Chief Stipe]

1 hour ago, billy connolly said:

Oh dear, now we've got the woman trainer from Riccarton putting the boot into a Hall of Famer with over 2000 wins in the bin.

Hardly "putting the boot in" and being a horse trainer regardless of them being a woman or from Riccarton is a reasonably good qualification to have a valid opinion.  Your qualifications @billy connolly , aside from obviously being a win at all costs punter, are?

[Murray Fish]

13 minutes ago, Chief Stipe said:

our qualifications @billy connolly , aside from obviously being a win at all costs punter, are?

I'm keen to hear the reply to that sort of thing!!

[curious]

23 minutes ago, Chief Stipe said:

Hardly "putting the boot in" and being a horse trainer regardless of them being a woman or from Riccarton is a reasonably good qualification to have a valid opinion.  Your qualifications @billy connolly , aside from obviously being a win at all costs punter, are?

Maybe a win at all costs rider? Perhaps a has been one?

[Gammalite]

One problem NZ racing has is the deliberate fanning all over the track looking for the best lane as they turn for home in races,  at a large amount of the tracks too. Resulting in horses changing direction (not keeping a straight line) all over the course. No one is trying to hurt each other. just finish first. the whole idea of the Game. 

In Australia they keep a much better line. but incidents happen still in the heat of battle.

some of the worlds best in Hugh Bowman and Tommy Berry served long suspensions and fellow jockeys Adkins and Avdulla were very seriously injured and their mounts were destroyed in 2 sad incidents the past few years in Sydney.

Thankfully the 2 jocks survived and Hugh and Tommy did 6 week suspensions for interference , the same as Denby Tait in the very sad Ashburton incident.  Horses race tight at times and things can happen very quickly.

I feel very sad for Megan Taylor , getting killed in a sport we all love, but no need for the coroner to pursue things. The nature of the work is 'great risk' and authorities had given the 6 week suspension , for home straight interference and taken the rules course of action as best applied.

almost 2 years to the day that Megan passed. 

Nothing else can be achieved. (by coroner)  Just remember a fine young lady doing something she loved. RIP Megan. condolences to her family and friends.

[Shad]

Been a few tragic deaths on that track, and one never forgets some of the fallen ones, many a year ago I think a young jockey Hunter Thomas lost his life, also Ray Hewinson, maybe both on jumpers, so sad for the families, and punters alike, one always pleased to watch a great days racing, where jockeys and horses, pull up unscathed.

[Wingman]

2 hours ago, Gammalite said:

some of the worlds best in Hugh Bowman and Tommy Berry served long suspensions and fellow jockeys Adkins and Avdulla were very seriously injured and their mounts were destroyed in 2 sad incidents the past few years in Sydney.

The Bowman incident was July 2020 and it was beyond ugly. Bowman was rusty having his first ride after a month off for a hernia operation and then a brief holiday. He still showed extremely poor judgement for someone of his experience and the stewards said 3 months. People of Bowman's stature and wealth have access to the best advisors and on the basis of what was presented on appeal and as the stewards said "because of only one careless riding charge in the previous year (Everest night) the suspension is reduced to 6 weeks". The apprentice jockey who fell, Andrew Adkins is currently having his best season however in 2020 because of Bowman's desperate tactics  he sustained the following: Collapsed lung, seven broken ribs, broken collarbone and two fractures in one leg. His horse survived, another did not (euthanized)  and a second horse involved in the melee had to have surgery for a broken bone. 

Three months was a let off, reduced to 6 weeks a travesty. 

Billy C poncing and posing on a horse looking like the absolute tosser you are, society does not need you ,nor this site. There will always be slow horses getting in the way in a race but that in no way excuses stockcar mentality from any jockey, especially the so called best 

[Thomass]

18 hours ago, Chief Stipe said:

Couldn't you say the same about Denby i.e.  she should have evaluated the risk and not taken Kavish's line?

I've watched the video many times and agree with David Walsh's take

 "In Mr Walsh’s opinion, Mr Kavish Chowdhoory caused the interference not Ms Tait who in his view had been “thrown under the bus.”

[47] Having viewed the race films Mr Walsh took the view it was Mr Chowdhoory who made the deliberate inward movement when there was no gap for him. He was partially behind Ms Tait’s mount and it was impossible for him not to make contact with MISS PEARL who had blinkers on and turns its head out without noting its line. Any contact would have had an effect on her. Ms Tait tried to balance her horse but the pressure on its hind quarters forced it out.

[48] Mr Walsh said that “Mr Chowdhoory put himself there. Referring to the race films he contended that there was a bump “just for a stride”. He said that it was only marginal and MISS PEARL’S head turns. He said that it was his belief that Mr Chowdhorry’s horse has made contact with MISS PEARL’S hindquarters, and this has caused her to turn her horse out. He added that she turned out because she was trying to regain her balance

 Mr Walsh would not have done that if he had been riding and believes if Mr Chowdhoory had not put his horse there this accident would not have happened.

He said that “I wouldn’t have put myself there – I would have eased and waited for a gap”. He reiterated at that if Mr Chowdhorry had backed off none of this would have happened. "

It's the accepted way to ride here though

'Competitive riding' aka allowing horses to be used as dodgems, steering into others to make gaps

The rule needs to be changed in this circumstance to..

RECKLESS riding..a month off minimum and this playing with other jockeys lives will soon end 

[curious]

I agree too. It's a bit like the whip rules. Not a lot wrong with the rules but if the enforcement and penalties remain so weak, the incidence of offences will not reduce, and we will continue to give human animal welfare advocates more ammunition to close racing down.

[Thomass]

And just to finish off the expert jockey evidence and how the aggressive riding caused the tragic death and not the slight 'interference'

Kim Clapperton

 "I believe that Denby was always a length in front of Kavish so that Kavish had to steer his mount outwards quite abruptly from behind her and made contact with Megan Taylor’s mount.

At that point Kavish Chowdhoory “should” have taken a hold, evaluating the situation, that there was no room for him, but chose to kick up very aggressively to try and hold his spot. As a senior rider I would have expected him to ease the pressure and take a hold instead of adding more pressure to the situation. I feel he chose to look after himself instead of his fellow riders. "

This is where Stipe Oatham disagreed with these very experienced senior jockeys and basically talked a load of b/s

"He said that Mr Chowdhoory was committed to take the gap and was forced outwards onto Ms Taylor’s mount, which set up a chain reaction. He concluded that Mr Chowdhoory was not required to ease because he was committed to the run and he done so he could have clipped heels."

So anyone watching the horrific vide ( obviously including these very experienced jockeys) could tell the aggressive forceful riding was Kavish trying to win the race, NOT as Oatham said 'committed and could've clipped heels'

Pftt, wtf is worse, riding into 3 other horses at 45 degrees or pulling back in the unlikely event he'd clip heals?

Which would've have resulted in  "looking after his fellow riders"

Ask yourself, not John Oatham

[Thomass]

 

Unfortunately the RIB's pathetic argument was accepted after further report were submitted to the Coroner

Of course the 'judicial' systems look after their own and ignore the actual fact that riding into horses aka 'competitive riding' is highly dangerous and shouldn't have been taken as the accepted norm.

Massive black mark to the Coroner

[Chief Stipe]

2 hours ago, Thomass said:

 

Unfortunately the RIB's pathetic argument was accepted after further report were submitted to the Coroner

Of course the 'judicial' systems look after their own and ignore the actual fact that riding into horses aka 'competitive riding' is highly dangerous and shouldn't have been taken as the accepted norm.

Massive black mark to the Coroner

So what are you going to do about it other than bang on about for another 5 years?

[Chief Stipe]

2 hours ago, Thomass said:

And just to finish off the expert jockey evidence and how the aggressive riding caused the tragic death and not the slight 'interference'

Kim Clapperton

 "I believe that Denby was always a length in front of Kavish so that Kavish had to steer his mount outwards quite abruptly from behind her and made contact with Megan Taylor’s mount.

At that point Kavish Chowdhoory “should” have taken a hold, evaluating the situation, that there was no room for him, but chose to kick up very aggressively to try and hold his spot. As a senior rider I would have expected him to ease the pressure and take a hold instead of adding more pressure to the situation. I feel he chose to look after himself instead of his fellow riders. "

This is where Stipe Oatham disagreed with these very experienced senior jockeys and basically talked a load of b/s

"He said that Mr Chowdhoory was committed to take the gap and was forced outwards onto Ms Taylor’s mount, which set up a chain reaction. He concluded that Mr Chowdhoory was not required to ease because he was committed to the run and he done so he could have clipped heels."

So anyone watching the horrific vide ( obviously including these very experienced jockeys) could tell the aggressive forceful riding was Kavish trying to win the race, NOT as Oatham said 'committed and could've clipped heels'

Pftt, wtf is worse, riding into 3 other horses at 45 degrees or pulling back in the unlikely event he'd clip heals?

Which would've have resulted in  "looking after his fellow riders"

Ask yourself, not John Oatham

Sorry when was the last time you rode a horse?  I realise it can't have been recently as that would have been an animal welfare issue.