Owners And Breeders’ Requests On Swabbing

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29797, 13 April 1962, Page 4

Owners And Breeders’ Requests On Swabbing

Several resolutions about swabbing were carried unanimously at a meeting convened by the New Zealand Owners’ and Breeders' Association in Christchurch last Friday. The meeting was presided over by Mr E. T Hubbard, president of the association, and it was attended by 31 delegates representing 10 district owners’ and breeders’ associations, the New Zealand Horsemen’s Association and the North Island Horsemen's Association.

A supplied statement says that the resolutions passed and sent on to the New Zealand Trotting Conference were:—

(1) That at any official inquiry into the finding of a positive swab,. the defendant, such as an owner, trainer or stablehand, be entitled to retain counsel t2) That two samples be taken from all horses swabbed and one be made available to the owner.

(3) That representatives of the press should be present at all hearings at which swabbing cases are discussed.

(4) That the hearings be held within one month if the swab is declared positive and that any appeal be htard within one month of the lodging of the appeal.

(5) That owners be protected from unauthorised access to horses by better supervision being provided, where possible, at loose boxes. Also it is suggested that the employment of more racecourse inspectors would assist to provide better supervision.

(6) That stipendiary hearings regarding swabbing be abolished and that two panels be established, one in the North Island and one in the South Island, to hear al! cases.

The handicapping system was also discussed at the meeting, says the report, but as the Canterbury association was at present preparing a report on various handicapping systems, the meeting decided to defer a full discussion until the Canterbury report was available.

The meeting decided to ask the conference to supply more information in future volumes of the New Zealand Stud Book and to draw attention to the fact that there were many mistakes in the latest book.

The following resolution was passed after the Otago association had brought forward the question of the reinstatement of licences after a period of disqualification: “That this association write to conference and request that when the period of disqualification has ended, the licences should be reinstated immediately ” Public liability insurance on race days was discussed and it was decided that district associations should take this matter up with clubs in their own areas and ask that owners and trainers be included in the cover for race days, says the report.