“Negative Year” For Trotting

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31768, 27 August 1968, Page 4

“Negative Year” For Trotting

"TH* frtst" Special Servu* AUCKLAND. T«* Inter-Demlnion Champion«bip Mrie* apart, the 1967-68 season had been a “negative year of trotting," the president of the Auckland Trotting Owners, Trainers and Breeders' Association (Ur M. T. Willis) said at the annual meeting last week.

The association's views on an extended season in the North Island, nine-race programmes, right of re-entry, and balloting all seemed to have the support of enough clubs to ensure some changes being made, he said. But this had not happended. Mr Willis said the association was pleased over a “new spirit of co-operation and understanding” that had developed between th* association and some clubs, notably Auckland. Mr Willis told the meeting he felt it was unlikely that matters urgently requiring attention would b« attended to unless clubs had a greater voice in the control of trotting.

“R*pre*ent*tiv*> of elubs meat only one* » y*»r—at the annual conference—and the result is that the executive make* nearly all the decielom," he said.

He believed it was imperative that more than one meeting a year be held of club repre tentative*. unanimous support was given the association’s campaign for a longer season in the North Island. Mr Willis gave an assurance that both the New Zealand association and the Auckland association would “continue the fight for what Is right" next year.