Thomass Posted November 23, 2019 Share Posted November 23, 2019 So Dittman goes into Queensland's Sports Hall of fame...and agrees with new whip restrictions?? The 'ENFORCER' has mellowed into a marshmallow! Mick Dittman at Doomben Race in 1997. RACING Mick Dittman inducted into Queensland sport’s Hall of Fame as a legend Robert Craddock, The Courier-Mail November 23, 2019 1:22pm Subscriber only Book closes on Australia’s greatest gambler How to find a winner at Doomben on Saturday FORMER champion jockey Mick Dittman will this week be inducted as a legend in Queensland sport’s Hall of Fame. Dittman, who rode 88 Group One winners, has been elevated to legend status in recognition of his exceptional riding career which featured more than 1700 race wins, including the 1982 Melbourne Cup on Gurner’s Lane, three Golden Slippers and two Cox Plates. Live stream the 2019 Virgin Australia Supercars Championship on KAYO SPORTS. Every practice, qualifying & race Live & On-Demand in HD. Get your 14 day free trial > The now-Singapore based Dittman joins George Moore as the only jockeys among the 19 Queensland legends including Greg Norman, Greg Chappell and Arthur Beetson. Dittman will be inducted at QSport’s 25th annual Queensland Sports Star awards at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre on Saturday night. MORE IN SPORT Colman: Is there any truth to Sun’s wild claims? Colman: Is there any truth to Sun’s wild claims? Holbrook makes first move with Cowboys enforcer Holbrook makes first move with Cowboys enforcer Today he talks about his remarkable journey. Mick Dittman (right) and his son Luke at the Gold Coast Turf Club. Picture: Glenn Hampson Do you miss riding? I would do it all over again, no qualms about that. I do miss it but it is a young’s man game and it is a dangerous game. You don’t bounce when you get older. When you hit the ground at age 50 or older you hit it like a block of timber. Nothing bothers you when you are young. Insight Beats Hindsight brought to you by You left school early didn’t you? I left at 12 and a half. I came from just outside Rockhampton. I wanted to try to ride and came down to the city but initially lasted just three weeks and went home but I came back again. Bart Sinclair often says in another life you could have been a doctor. How did you become so street smart? I’ve heard a lot of people say things like that but I didn’t think I was. You just learn off everybody else. Bits and pieces off people you would like to be like. I’d had ponies since I was young so riding wasn’t a problem. I initially did not go to the stables to be an apprentice jockey. I just wanted a job. Mick Dittman, Michael Freedman, and Damien Oliver prior to the running of the Navy Day Handicap at Flemington in 1995. You what was a trait you learnt off someone? I had strict parents. We were a poor family but I did not get away with anything. You knew if you did the wrong thing you would get belted. I had respect for my elders even though I was a little gung ho at times. I had a heart too. I was not the type of person who ran roughshod over people and I felt I did not change much. You rode for the great Tommy Smith. What was he like? Ultra-professional. All business. Never had an ounce of negativity. If you rode 10 horses for him in trackwork you could speak positively about nine but the minute you said something negative he would say “OK, see you tomorrow’’ and he would be off. He did not want to hear it. Dittman and trainer Gai Waterhouse after Teakau Nick’s win in the Metropolitan at Randwick in 1992. So you got along well? I found him great. In all the time I rode for him he did not whinge about one ride and I rode some bad races on horses I should have won on like Bounding Away in the Rosehill Guineas. I left my run too late and came in and said “Tommy we should have won’’ and he said “that’s okay.’’ Great trainer. Great man. It was just terrific fun going to the races with all the characters there. You won the Melbourne Cup on Gurner’s Lane with a daring ride along the rails. Was that the ride of your life? Things went right for him. He had an outside barrier but I got him back on the fence ahead of four or five and things just kept opening up for him. When we straightened up they all left the fence. I went around one horse. Dittman on Gurner’s Lane with jubilant owners Tom Borthwick and Andrew Ramsden after winning the Melbourne Cup in 1982. Did you feel like the villain beating Kingston Town? Kingston Town was just a great horse but they can’t win all the time and that was my turn so I am not going to apologise for it. What was the strangest sling you ever got? I won 11 straight on a horse for Henry Davis and the owner gave me two shirts. I thought “this is what it’s like being spoiled.’’ You were called The Enforcer because of your whip action. What do make of the whip crackdown? I think it is a good thing. They are still able to give them a few whacks. They are different types of whips these days. Some horses used to respond to extra vigour some didn’t. But if you were seen as being light on a horse an owner would often say “why didn’t you give him and extra whack?’’ Dittman shows his action on Stormy Regent at Randwick in 1994. So you prefer the modern way? I think the way they ride now with their weight and balance forward and being lower in the saddle, toes in the iron, not so vigorous and not so much all over them is a better way. If I had to ride today I would have to learn to ride in that fashion and I would be a better rider. Having said that Hugh Bowman and Damien Oliver still ride the old way and do very well so what we did still works. What about the animal protection lobby and the future of racing. Is it threatened? Not in the immediate future. There are some concerns but race horses get looked after that well. It is actually crueller to have a horse in the paddock where he is not getting rugged up at night or gets anything for all the flies and mosquitoes. 99 per cent of race horses are so well looked after. They get a fortune spent on them. You were apprenticed as a youngster to trainer Bill Kraft. He sounded quite no-nonsense. In those days they were quite tough and he was no exception. Up at 3.30am to start at 4am and you would go most of the day and once the horses were done you might have to mow the lawn. It was tough but good. Tommy Smith, John Giganti and Dittman at the Ansett Horse of the Year Awards in 1985, where Red Anchor was named the winner. Do apprentices these days get it a bit easier? Absolutely. There are rules and regulations these days. They don’t get hammered like they used to. Who was the most famous person you dealt with in racing? I met a lot of Australia’s Prime Ministers and Lloyd Williams and Kerry Packer, who I had a lot to do with. Those men you had so much respect for because they were very clever. You can’t be the same as those blokes but you have to learn from them. How has it been for you having your son Luke as a jockey? He has done well. He rides at around 56.5kgs mainly on the Gold Coast. He is tall and lanky and is like his mother in that she just loved riding and was big into the shows. He has ability and has found his niche and has a pretty damn good record. Dittman takes a spell with Shane Dye after trackwork at Flemington in 1996. Who was your greatest rival? I grew up with Larry Olsen who is still a great friend. When I went south there was guys like Peter Cook, Jimmy Cassidy and Shane Dye. Racing is the sort of game where if you have that will to win you really think you have no friends on the course. I really felt that raw competitiveness but the great things about jockeys is that most of them are decent guys who know what we all went through. Some are more desperate than others and I was one of those. If I rode four winners I wanted five. What did you make of the Winx story? Winx was known throughout the world and I have only good things to say for her. She was a champion mare and she was extremely well placed in weight for age races. She never really came up against anything you thought might have really tested her. They did not take her overseas simply because they thought there was no sense because there is so much prizemoney in Australia and she had those races at her mercy. I probably would have done the same thing but the ultimate challenge is to win everywhere. How do you feel about being admitted as a Queensland Sporting Legend? I feel very honoured and I am really looking forward to the night. I had an average upbringing and limited schooling. Where was I going to meet the Kings and Queens? I am thankful for my journey and what the game has given me. 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Thomass Posted November 26, 2019 Author Share Posted November 26, 2019 Interesting article in TDN today.... And very interesting the remarks of Racing Vic. CEO.... Featured article 1 of 16 The Discussion: Whip Debate Written by Bren O'Brien Edition Article 9 min read With the whip debate again dominating discussion, TDN AusNZ takes an in-depth look at the complex issue and speaks to a current jockey and a former champion about the cases for and against change. The conversation over the desirability of the whip in racing is something that often rears its head and with so much focus on equine welfare this spring, it is hardly surprising to see the debate again front and centre. There have been a variety of opinions emerge from jockeys, trainers, owners, breeders and regulators, but the overwhelming trend is that more people than ever are in favour of banning the whip. The debate within the thoroughbred industry invariably focusses on the public perception issues of jockeys' use of the whip in the context of shifting community attitudes towards what constitutes the proper treatment of animals. While there are a broad range of perspectives from different stakeholders, it is the opinion of those who utilise it as a tool every day, the jockeys themselves, which should hold greatest weight. That is why Chris Symons' decision to raise the issue of the public’s perception of whip use on Melbourne radio last week was so significant. Symons may not be the highest profile jockey in the ranks, but the 37-year-old has a wealth of experience in the saddle and he believes it's time for a discussion about the whip. When TDN AusNZ spoke to Symons a few days after that interview, he was decidedly more cautious about the tone he struck. The whip issue is a vexed one in racing and he admitted had felt the heat of expressing his thoughts. Chris Symons "I got whacked on the head [regarding media comments] and it is what it is. But I didn't not think that that was going to happen. I knew that as soon as I said something, that there was potential backlash," he said. "I just know that based on where I sit at the moment, looking sometimes from the other side of the fence, that there seems to be an issue. We can bury our heads in the sand if we want, or we can rise up and say how do we get on top of it?" "I just know that based on where I sit at the moment, looking sometimes from the other side of the fence, that there seems to be an issue." - Chris Symons Symons' passion for racing and animal welfare can not be undersold. Through his animal theme park, The Funky Farm, he is exposed more than most to prevailing community attitudes about the treatment of animals. He says he is not an advocate for change but is an advocate for the ability to sit down and have a proper discussion. Michelle Payne was another supporter of banning the whip "Do I think (banning the whip) is the right direction to go in? I don’t know. But is the industry in a bit of a crisis at the moment when it comes to animal welfare? I'd say yes," he said. "Is the industry in a bit of a crisis at the moment when it comes to animal welfare? I'd say yes." - Chris Symons "We can keep saying, let’s keep telling everybody to nick off, or we can have a proper discussion." Symons' initial comments drew support from Melbourne Cup winning jockey Michelle Payne, while Victorian Jockeys Association Matt Hyland said it was something that would be discussed among the 180 members of his organisation, but that its position was to retain the use of the whip in races. Whip comments strike a chord across industry The prospect of a ban on the whip drew support from significant industry figures on social media, including Newgate's Henry Field, who urged the Australian industry to be world leaders in implementing change. Lloyd Williams, one of the most influential owners of the past 30 years in Australia and the winner of the Melbourne Cup on six occasions, was quoted last month of his desire to see an end to the use of whip in races. “Australia needs to be at the forefront and withdraw the whip,” Williams told the Herald-Sun. “If we are not proactive, the industry will be lucky to survive. “If the industry doesn’t do something, it will be done for them. The world has changed. I have seen some research. The whip has to go.” Willams (right) urged the industry to be proactive in order to survive Williams' opinion saw the whip debate bubble to the surface again and prompted a response from Racing Victoria CEO Giles Thompson which raised a few eyebrows across the industry. "This is a debate that has been around a long time and will continue until the whip is banned," Thompson told RSN. "I don’t see the whip being sustainable in the long term. The question for us in racing, is how do we make that inevitable transition and when do we make that inevitable transition." 'A sad day for racing ' The sense of inevitability around the whip discussion is something that worries former Champion jockey and now Hall Of Fame trainer Ron Quinton. "Unfortunately, the future for the whip is not looking too bright. A whip to a jockey, it's a tool of trade. It’s not so much about the aggressive whip riding or anything like that, it’s a guide for the jockey to use with that horse, particularly young horses," Quinton said. "A whip to a jockey, it's a tool of trade... it’s a guide for the jockey to use with that horse, particularly young horses." - Ron Quinton Quinton pointed out that whip use had continued to evolve with community standards and he doesn't see a compelling practical reason why a whip ban is required. "I'm all in favour of the horses not being hit too regularly, and there should be one blanket rule saying how many times you can hit that horse and not be worried how many times in certain parts of the race," he said. Ron Quinton believes there needs to be a blanket rule for number of hits to the horse "The racing bodies and the jockeys and the trainers have done everything in their power to provide a whip which has no ill effects on the horse. The horses have a thick hide, the whips of years gone by were much more severe and the racing authorities have provided jockeys with a whip now that is not too harsh. "I think that they have done everything in their powers to accommodate the people who have had concerns about it. I think it will be a sad day if a jockey wasn't able to carry a whip in a race." "I think it will be a sad day if a jockey wasn't able to carry a whip in a race." - Ron Quinton The public perception argument is not something that washes with Quinton, who said it is the opinion of those who work with horses every day which matters most. "The greater percentage of people outside the racing game really don’t understand. They don’t know. Our racehorses are the most pampered and well looked after animals that you've ever seen. The thing is that horses are bred to want to run and generally speaking, most of them do their level best," he said. "A whip is a tool of trade and it does teach the horse manners and it teaches them discipline. I think it’s an important tool." Jockeys must be at heart of discussion While there is a wealth of interested parties, both Quinton and Symons agree that the jockeys must be at the heart of any discussion. "The conversation needs to be had with the jockeys, it's their life," Symons said. "It’s what they do and they are the ones that may have to change to adapt. There's more to a whip than just making a horse find its best, which is important to know. It’s there as a safety tool. "They need to be part of that discussion and they need to make the call on it." Both Quinton and Symons agree that the jockeys must be at the heart of any discussion Quinton, who rode the winners of 46 Group 1 races and won Sydney's jockeys' premiership seven times in a 30-year career in the saddle, said in the eventuality that the whip is no longer available for jockeys to use, there will need to be significant adjustments made in how horses are ridden. "They will have to learn to ride differently. They will have to have a bit more control of the horse's head for guidance. If it eventually happened, they would find a way around it. They would have to," he said. It's a complex debate, something Symons understands well with his acknowledgement that the projected impacts on wagering also need to be considered. Impacts on wagering will also need to be considered But he is also adamant that the complexity or divisive nature of the debate shouldn't prevent it from occurring. "The answer may be to just move on with what we have now and I'm happy to ride within the rules if that is the case. Is it having a detrimental effect? That's the question I want to ask," he said. "Let’s not forget, I didn’t bring it up. It’s a discussion that has been had forever. It's been on the forefront of the industry's mind for the past couple of months. I was just answering a question." The prospects for change Even if there is a common view formed on the desirability of the whip, the next challenge would then be how to implement change. The regulatory framework around racing in Australia is not well designed for industry-wide reform, with individual states having the ability to determine how they police the Australian Rules Of Racing. There have been suggestions of conducting trials of whip-free racing to measure the public response There have also been suggestions of conducting trials of whip-free racing to measure the public response, but the comments of RV CEO Thompson last month provided an interesting insight into how that state may choose to proceed. "We are capable of making bold decisions when we need to, but it will remain a hot topic for quite a while," he said. "It’s something that we are very aware of and alert to at Racing Victoria. We talk about it a lot. At some point, we might have to say, we will make a bold decision about this and go for it." 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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