Open Letter from RIB, NZTR and HRNZ: Update including responses to Open Letter from Brent Gardiner

[Chief Stipe]

 An open letter to the racing community from NZTR, HRNZ & RIB

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Open Letter to the Racing Community: Adherence to Racing Codes of ConductHttps://bitofayarn.com

To all participants, members, volunteers, employees, suppliers, and supporters of
New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing and Harness Racing New Zealand.

New Zealand’s racing industry thrives because of the dedication, integrity, and passion of thousands of individuals, on the track, behind the scenes, and in our communities. Each of those individuals who run businesses, are employed, volunteer their time, or in other ways lend their positive support to racing and its participants play a vital role in ensuring our sport remains strong, inclusive, and future-focused.

Unfortunately, there is a small minority of people whose persistent negative behaviour runs counter to these shared values. This may be either online abuse, personal attacks, public harassment or unwanted attention. These behaviours cause real harm, impacting individuals’ mental wellbeing, reputation or career, and eroding the trust and cohesion our sport depends on.

Together, we have a collective responsibility to uphold the standards of respect, professionalism, and integrity that define a healthy and sustainable industry. Abuse, whether verbal, physical, written, digital or psychological, has no place in New Zealand racing. We all deserve to work and participate in an environment where people are treated with dignity.

This is not just about compliance, it’s about maintaining a supportive and positive culture and community that more people want to be a part of. It’s about creating an environment where people feel safe, valued, and proud to be part of the racing industry.

We ask everyone, regardless of their role, to lead by example, speak out when behaviour falls short, and support one another in maintaining high standards of conduct.

As part of this commitment, our organisations have:

• Maintained strong channels to raise concerns or report misconduct, so individuals can confidently, safely and confidentially report concerns.
• Reinforced expectations for on-course behaviour at all race meetings and industry events.
• Confirmed that appropriate consequences will be applied, ranging from formal warnings up to disciplinary action or removal from participation in industry activities.
• Committed to strengthen each Code’s respective Rules of Racing, including explicit references to such misconducts and to the sanctions that may be imposed.
• This letter marks a united stance across equine codes and the Racing Integrity Board. We are committed to taking meaningful action, and just as importantly, to setting a positive and respectful tone for the future.

Let’s lead with integrity. Let each of us call out poor behaviour. And let’s all stand together in creating a racing industry where everyone feels safe, supported, and welcome.

Yours in racing,
Racing Integrity Board
New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing
Harness Racing New ZealandHttps://bitofayarn.com

 

☎️Racing Integrity Board Confidential Integrity Line

Make an anonymous report by:

• calling 0508 742 123, or
• submitting information online via: www.integrityline-nz.org/rib

☎️OnTrack

In a non-emergency, contact the OnTrack support line on 0800 667 224 for free, confidential support and assistance.

Tel: 0800 667 224 (support line)
Email: support@ontrack.org.nz

 

[Chief Stipe]

@curious response.Https://bitofayarn.com

Open letter response to the recent open letter from the RIB, NZTR and HRNZ.

 

Racing’s Call for Respect Risks Sliding into Authoritarianism

 

By curious.

 

An open letter recently issued by the Racing Integrity Board, New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing, and Harness Racing New Zealand aims to promote respect and professionalism in the racing industry. It outlines a unified stance against behaviours such as online abuse, public harassment, and negative commentary, and calls for all participants to model integrity and support one another.

On the surface, the letter expresses admirable goals: protecting individuals' wellbeing, creating a safe environment, and upholding the dignity of the sport. But when examined more deeply, it raises serious concerns about how far central authorities are willing to go to control speech, enforce conformity, and discourage criticism. In the name of promoting unity, the message risks veering into authoritarianism.

 

Central Control over What Can Be Said

 

The letter promotes a singular, top-down vision of acceptable conduct—defined by governing bodies and enforced through disciplinary means. While civility and respect are important, when leadership dictates what constitutes “supportive” or “negative” behaviour, and equates the latter with moral failure or professional risk, the result is a chilling effect on open dialogue. Dissenting opinions—even those voiced in good faith—may be rebranded as harmful or abusive.

This is not inclusivity; it is control..https://bitofayarn.com

Https://bitofayarn.com

Vague Standards, Broad Powers

 

The letter cites “online abuse,” “unwanted attention,” and “negative behaviour” without defining them. This ambiguity gives the authorities wide discretion to determine what crosses the line. One person’s whistleblowing could be another’s misconduct. One person’s critique of governance might be labelled as “eroding trust.”

Authoritarian regimes often thrive in such grey areas, where boundaries are not defined by law or principle, but by the mood of those in charge.

 

The Threat of Punishment

 

The letter makes clear that disciplinary action—including removal from participation—is on the table for those who breach these ill-defined standards. Without transparency about how such judgments are made, who hears them, or what recourse individuals have, this becomes less about justice and more about control. It fosters an atmosphere where people are less likely to speak out—Https://bitofayarn.comfor fear that their words might be misinterpreted as misconduct.

The racing industry already operates in a tight-knit environment where reputations are hard-earned and easily destroyed. Introducing threats of punishment for loosely defined behaviour further concentrates power in the hands of a few, while silencing the many.

 

Emotional Appeals as Tools of Compliance

 

Finally, the repeated use of emotional language—“let’s stand together,” “lead with integrity,” “we all deserve to feel safe”—while seemingly benign, carries a deeper implication: that anyone who resists or questions the narrative is an outsider, undermining unity and progress. In authoritarian environments, emotional appeals are often deployed to equate obedience with virtue, and dissent with disloyalty.

This framing discourages necessary friction and fosters an unhealthy culture of silence, in which genuine concerns or systemic issues are swept under the rug for the sake of "harmony."

 

A Better Way Forward

 

Respect in racing is vital. But respect must also be extended to those who speak out, ask hard questions, or challenge the status quo. If the industry truly wants to build a safe and inclusive culture, it must begin with transparent, democratic processes—not top-down decrees.

There is a clear and present risk that the good intentions behind this letter could slide into an authoritarian approach to industry governance. Rules must be fair, specific, and consistently applied. Dissent must not be mistaken for disloyalty. And integrity must mean more than compliance—it must include courage, openness, and accountability at every level.

Otherwise, New Zealand racing may find that in its effort to silence a minority, it has silenced the very voices that could have helped it grow.

Open letter response from Brent Gardiner the RIB, NZTR and HRNZ (1).pdf

[Chief Stipe]

With Brent's prior approval his Open Letter was forwarded to Dr Eliott Forbes - CEO RIB, Mr Matt Ballesty - CEO NZTR and Mr Brad Steele - CEO HRNZ.

Their respective responses are posted below - however note that the RIB responded on behalf of all three agencies.

My email with the Open Letter attached was as follows:

Dear Mr Steele

 

My name is Doug Graham.  I host and manage an online forum called Bitofayarn.com (BOAY).

 

The Open Letter to the Racing Community: Adherence to Racing Codes of Conduct jointly published to all racing stakeholders by NZTR, HRNZ and the RIB was published on my site and elicited a number of responses.  One poster has written his own Open Letter in response - Mr Brent Gardiner (@Curious) which has drawn a largely favourable response from other posters.  I have attached his Letter to this email.

 

Firstly I would like to say that I somewhat concur with the intent of your Open Letter having had to deal with some over the top posts from irate industry stakeholders.  Trying to maintain a balanced debate while moderating the extreme views can be difficult at times.  That said I have found some comments by known active participants in the racing industry to be way beyond common decency.https://bitofayarn.com

 

You can view the debate on BOAY here:  https://bitofayarn.com/topic/142345-an-open-letter-from-nztr-hrnz-and-the-rib/

 

I would interested to hear your response to Mr Gardiner's attached Open Letter and would be grateful if you would respond.  I know Mr Gardiner personally and although we differ widely on some issues in the industry I know he is an active and passionate investor in the industry with the best intentions.  That said he has felt first hand the impact of what he considers to be poor decisions made by the administrators of the industry.

 

Regards

Doug Grahamhttps://bitofayarn.com

"Chief Stipe" - Bitofayarn

[Chief Stipe]

Response from RIB:

Dear Mr Graham,

The letter was grounded in a clear and straightforward premise: to promote respectful conduct and professionalism across all sectors of the industry. It was intended to reaffirm the shared values fundamental to a healthy and sustainable racing environment.https://bitofayarn.com

We consider that the letter articulates the position clearly, and we have no further comment to make at this time.

Kind regards,

 

Eliot Forbes

 

Dr Eliot Forbes
Chief Executive

m: +64 27 354 9711
e: eforbes@rib.org.nz
w: www.rib.org.nz

 

https://bitofayarn.com

[Chief Stipe]

Response from HRNZ:

Hi Doug,

Thanks for your emails.

I caught up with Brad late yesterday and he has noted that Dr Forbes has responded on behalf of the codes, so HRNZ will not be responding separately.

Kind Regards

Leanne

 

Leanne Holdem

EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT & BOARD SECRETARY

Phone 03 964 1194   Mobile 027 445 1414
Email leanne@hrnz.co.nz  https://bitofayarn.com

114 Wrights Road, Christchurch 8024 PO Box 459, Christchurch 8140 www.hrnz.co.nz   https://bitofayarn.com

[Chief Stipe]

Response from NZTR:

Matt Ballesty	Jul 24, 2025, 2:37 PM (11 days ago)
to Darin, Chief

Eliot responded on behalf of NZTR

[Chief Stipe]

Original  BOAY Thread:

 

[curious]

I don't really see where Eliot's response suggests it is on behalf of anyone other than him and the RIB?

[Doomed]

I suppose a disappointing, but not surprising response.

Despite their brevity, there was probably quite a bit of time and money went into formulating those desultory and arrogant responses. You don't come across that arrogant without trying reasonably hard at it.

They could at least have come up with something along the lines of: "We treasure your valuable and well thought out input. Don't hesitate to get in touch in future if you have any more bright ideas."

[Freda]

Eliot and Holdem did make an attempt to appear pleasant, however cursory.  More than can be said for Ballesty.

[Doomed]

19 minutes ago, Freda said:

Eliot and Holdem did make an attempt to appear pleasant, however cursory.  More than can be said for Ballesty.

Yes, a quite shocking attitude I thought. Doesn't come across as someone who has the interests of the racing industry at heart.

Sounds like another two year appointment. He will be off as soon as he realises it is all a bit hard for him and people are starting to find him out.

[Chief Stipe]

2 hours ago, Freda said:

Eliot and Holdem did make an attempt to appear pleasant, however cursory.  More than can be said for Ballesty.

Perhaps.  But Ballesty and NZTR are getting the most feral comments in social media.  From the usual suspects I might add.  I just don't get how some of these people like Colin Wightman @Transparency get away with it without inciting a legal challenge of some kind.

@Freda you may have valid issues with the management local and nationally but some of the stuff Wightman is posting is way over the top.  Most of it BS I might add.

Plus there are NZTR license holders hiding behind non-de-plumes and proxies saying some way off comments.  Even I have received those.

[Freda]

6 minutes ago, Chief Stipe said:

Perhaps.  But Ballesty and NZTR are getting the most feral comments in social media.  From the usual suspects I might add.  I just don't get how some of these people like Colin Wightman @Transparency get away with it without inciting a legal challenge of some kind.

@Freda you may have valid issues with the management local and nationally but some of the stuff Wightman is posting is way over the top.  Most of it BS I might add.

Plus there are NZTR license holders hiding behind non-de-plumes and proxies saying some way off comments.  Even I have received those.

I don't think I have ever condoned Wightman's manner.   Yes, some of his concerns have foundations, but not his abusive or derogatory approach.  Please don't imply I approve of that.

[curious]

5 hours ago, Freda said:

Eliot and Holdem did make an attempt to appear pleasant, however cursory.  More than can be said for Ballesty.

Another example of the top-down autocratic approach to leadership that I wrote the letter about.

[mikeynz]

Is it just me but the Facebook racing chat page Mr Wightmans always posting in, I can't find, has it been removed ?

[curious]

49 minutes ago, mikeynz said:

Is it just me but the Facebook racing chat page Mr Wightmans always posting in, I can't find, has it been removed ?

https://www.facebook.com/groups/424229018789803

[mikeynz]

1 hour ago, curious said:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/424229018789803

I'm only getting a blank page, it was there last night.

[curious]

31 minutes ago, mikeynz said:

I'm only getting a blank page, it was there last night.

Works for me still.

[mikeynz]

4 minutes ago, curious said:

Works for me still.

Something odd, computers do funny things sometimes.

[curious]

Just now, mikeynz said:

Something odd, computers do funny things sometimes.

Clear your cache and cookies if you haven't already.

[Shab]

2 minutes ago, curious said:

Clear your cache and cookies if you haven't already.

Try a restart.

[mikeynz]

No can't access said Facebook page, I just get the it's been deleted or restricted as to who can see it, I only posted one comment, strange indeed.

[hesi]

You've been chopped.

I know somebody else that the same thing happened to them.

You're not missing much anyway.  The site is a disgrace and a gives social media sites a bad name.

It is infested and dominated by a SMALL number of conspiracy theorists and racing malcontents that pop up to support each other when they are challenged, including the site admin (found that out pretty quickly).  They make a lot of noise, giving people the impression everyone in racing is like that.

[mikeynz]

13 minutes ago, hesi said:

You've been chopped.

I know somebody else that the same thing happened to them.

You're not missing much anyway.  The site is a disgrace and a gives social media sites a bad name.

It is infested and dominated by a SMALL number of conspiracy theorists and racing malcontents that pop up to support each other when they are challenged, including the site admin (found that out pretty quickly).  They make a lot of noise, giving people the impression everyone in racing is like that.

I'm only on Facebook for one or two things, some of the news comments, the racing one I just stumbled on , it does have some rather interesting comments from one poster, Facebook can be a weird place, so much fake stuff.

Edited August 5 by mikeynz

[hesi]

5 minutes ago, mikeynz said:

I'm only on Facebook for one or two things, some of the news comments, the racing one I just stumbled on , it does have some rather interesting comments from one poster, Facebook can be a weird place, so much fake stuff.

Michael Hawke, who I've got to know quite well, was also chopped, but mysteriously allowed back in after a month or so, must be a cooling off time period.

Yes, AI generated stuff is saturating FB groups and also YouTube.  Some of it is quite good, but fake and therefore frivolous