A QUESTION OF JOCKEYS

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 14099, 19 July 1911, Page 10

A QUESTION OF JOCKEYS

AN INDIGNANT COUNTRY CLUB SECRETARY. (FBEBB ASSOCIATION TELEGRAMS.) •WELLINGTON, July 18. Whananaki was to the fore at the Racing Conference to-day with a letter urging that the rules of the Racing Conference should bo so altered that those who spoilt sport there could be adequately dealt with. "For instance," the writer of the letter, who is the i secretary of the Matapouri Amateur ! Sporting Club, continued "the jockey I business is ridiculous. Take this case — only one out of many. It was in our hurdle race, £7 for first horse. A j settler brought his horse te compete. !At other times of the year the horse is worked as a plough horse or i>atk I horse and the owner lives fifty miles from the course. The owner's &en, a fine horseman, was dressed te ride the animal in tho race when into the weigh-ing-room comes a licensed jockey and demands the ride under the rules. We could do nothing but make the undoubtedly better horseman stand down, to the disgust of tho owner. The piofessional went up. The horse won, tho owner got £3 and the jockey £4." Tho writer concluded by stating that a ' rulo to meet the case was necessary, "for after all," he added, "it is only a day's sport once a year amongst ourselves. We do no harm to anyone Outside, but it is the outsiders who jjtt in under the present rules." »r Tho Conference gave the letiar a sympathetic hearing and decided 4 -i inform country clubs that whore, in tho opinion of tho stewards of a club, thero aro not snOrient licensed jockeys present for the purpose of tho meeting, they may with tho consent of the Metropolitan Club issue emergency riders' certificates, te be effective throughout the meeting, even if a licensed jockey be available.