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Important message from "The Stipes"

Drivers talking on track
 
Rule 858(1)(n) – A driver must not: after entering the racetrack prior to the start of the race a driver must not speak to another driver until they have passed the finishing line except for safety reasons or in an emergency.
 
Previous examples of concern.
 
Preliminaries
·       Drivers warming up side by side or in groups having a general conversations.
 
Start Areas
·       Drivers having conversations at the start area with other drivers or starting crew.
 
During the races
·       Drivers having conversations during the running and unprofessional behavior i.e. laughing and joking.
 
Media Exceptions
·       Promotional activities (e.g., Drivers Mic and interviews) are permitted before the start, if they do not delay the race start.
 
Education and Enforcement Timeline
1 November to 31 December 2024 - Stewards will be speaking with drivers during this period and offence placed on penalty records.
 
1 January to 28 February 2025 – Stewards will be warning drivers during this period and offence placed on penalty records – 2 warnings in this period will result in a fine – as per a minor infringement which will be set up.
 
Review
Conduct a review on 1 March with HRNZ and the Horsemen’s Association. This structured approach emphasises safety and professionalism, aiming to reduce distractions and improve focus during races
 
Nigel McIntyre
Chief Steward Harness Racing

PDF of this message available here for download

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Reminder message from "The Stipes"
Reminder Notice:

Contact for Race Meetings
 
For any issues leading into a race meeting, please contact the Chairman of Stewards for that day. This information can be found above the race fields on the HRNZ website.

Notification of Drivers
 
In accordance with the relevant regulations, clubs have expressed concerns regarding the timeliness of driver notifications. Compliance is essential to ensure that on-course racebooks display accurate information for investors and the public on race day.

Penalty Guide
 
With the onset of premier racing and several group and listed races the following is an extract from the penalty guide as a reminder for all licence holders of the penalties which may be imposed. The penalty guide has been in place for some time with any updates considered after consultation with key stakeholder’s overtime. The penalty guide is freely available to all licence holders on the link below.

The Penalty Guide provides “starting points” for penalties that may go up or down depending on aggravating and mitigating factors.  
 
 The Penalty Guide states:
 
•           All starting point penalties assume the severity of breach is mid-range except where penalties for low and high-range breaches are stated
•           Penalties can be deferred up to 10 days
•           No warnings will be issued for Group and Listed races
•           Where the term “Group 1” is used that also includes races with a stake of $100,000 or more
•           References to starting point penalties for “Group/Listed Race” are for Group 3 and Listed races.  Starting point penalties for Group 1 and Group 2 races will be higher.
 
An example of the increase in penalties is provided with the whip and rein regulations below which show the increased starting points for Group and Listed races.
 

Other similar provisions with increases for Group and listed races are:
 
•           Failing to take all reasonable and permissible measures
•           Failing to drive out
•           Careless/Reckless/Dangerous Driving
•           Interference
•           Half carting etc

Nigel McIntyre
Chairman of Harness Racing.
 

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Important message from "The Stipes"

Chief Steward of Harness Racing Nigel McIntyre has issued the following regarding horses being attended too at the start.
With the need to have races run on time and presentation being a key part of our industry going forward, here is a refresher on the expectations of all horsemen & women.
In accordance with starting regulations standing starts part 16 point 16.1.2 and mobile start’s part 21 point 21.2.2 which refers to the one-minute call - As far as practicable the track should be cleared of all Starter’s Assistants.

  • If a horse becomes fractious and is likely to cause problems or if a driver requests assistance (ie. Safety issue) when parading prior to the one-minute call for the reasons set out the horse may be removed from circle ( standing or mobile starts) and taken out the back with assistance or positioned on the mobile with a warning issued.
  • An attendant can render assistance if called into the circle within the one -minute as required to prevent a problem or to address a gear issue with no penalty being imposed if the start isn’t delayed or the manners are such that a warning isn’t required (ie . simply pulled over, straightened up or gear issue.)
  • All warnings stay on the horses record for three starts in accordance with the standing down of breaking horse regulations.
  • At all times, the starter is in control at the start area and his instructions must be adhered to.

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The National Council of the NZHT&D Association - July 2024


(L-R) Brett Gray, Brad Steele, Jamie Gameson, Regan Todd, Scott Phelan, Jay  Abernethy.

The National Council of the NZHT&D Association was one of the first groups off the rank to meet with newly appointed CEO of HRNZ Brad Steele in Christchurch yesterday.
 
A number of issues were discussed in an honest, open forum.
 
The Council look forward to meeting with Brad on a regular basis, working in a collaborative manner.

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September 2024 Newsletter
Newsletter #2 New Zealand Harness Trainers & Drivers Association

Welcome  << Test First Name >> to Newletter #2


Our first one was well received, with lots of entries into the two competitions we ran.


Congratulations to Kyle Cameron & Gay Luke.


We’ve contacted the winners and their voucher & products have been delivered.


This month, as well as our regular competitions, we are excited to have a service fee to SKY MAJOR to give away just in time for the breeding season.


Thanks to the outstanding generosity of his owner Trevor Casey, the three-time Jewels winner will be available to one of our lucky licensees by asking a simple question.


Sky Major stands at Wai Eyre Stud


Check out our interview with starter Ricky Donelly.


Be in to win some Quality Equine McMillan Feed, and enter into the Seahorse Supplement Competition to win some Maxia Digest.


Thanks to all our sponsors for their continued support.


We’ve included some useful links for trainers from HRNZ to keep you compliant when it comes to the Horse Care Regulations, please read and use the templates available, designed to make it easier for you.


We have a couple of statements from Entain & The National Council regarding the presentation of our sport, both designed to make our presentation more professional.


Best of racing luck to all.

From 1st August, the NZHT&D Association in partnership with Race Images, will supply a framed photo to any licensed trainer or driver having their first win, as a way of marking this significant event.


Thanks to AJay of Race Images for this generous sponsorship.

CONGRATULATIONS

Don’t forget we are now on Facebook!

Click on the icon link below to like or follow our page and stay updated.

Statement from the National Council


Drivers talking and laughing during race preliminaries and pre-race assemblies, reflects badly on the professionalism of participants.


Sooner than having to face the possibility of a Rule being introduced to cover this  issue, with associated fines  and/or suspensions,  which the Association does not support, we are requesting that drivers be aware of the situation and act accordingly, restricting any conversations to strictly necessary ones.


Licence holders are reliant on turnover from the wagering public, and any perceived reason, whether it be valid or not, for them not to bet on our industry, has a flow on effect on stakes and percentages.

HARNESS RACING PARTICIPANT PRESENTATION


Entain is thrilled to be working closely with Harness Racing NZ to showcase harness racing through “Friday Night Lights.”


Having a dedicated focus on Friday nights, getting presenters back on track, telling the stories of the sport and building the profiles of the participants is all part of promoting our domestic harness action and growing engagement in the code.


To help us present the sport in its very best light, we want to remind participants to be mindful of presentation. We understand it is a workplace for most, but little things can make a difference.


You could be on camera at any time, whether being interviewed or in the background.


Please give some thought to dressing as neatly as possible – nothing too formal, just neat casual/tidy attire (and warm!)


Every time participants are on camera, they are marketing the sport.


Help us to promote NZ harness in the very best possible way!

Horse and Racing Jobs is a newly launched job board website dedicated to servicing all facets of the equine industry in New Zealand - from standardbred and thoroughbred racing, breeding to polo, equestrian and more.


While aiming to become the go to website for all job seekers, our motto 'Connecting passionate people with new opportunities in the equine industry' means it is equally important to give employers the perfect platform to find these passionate people!  


We are offering a launch offer for the months of August and September of a featured advert for the price of a basic one. There is no limit to the amount of roles you can advertise.


At Horse and Racing Jobs, we are really passionate about the equine industry and understand the vital contribution that many services make, that's why we are donating a portion of our annual profits to the following charities - NZ Horse Ambulance Trust, Life Flight and St John Ambulance. We all know a raceday cannot be run without an ambulance on-course!


You can find us on the below social platforms, where your featured ad will be uploaded while live on our website. Feel free to pop on over and give us some love!


FB: Horse and Racing Jobs NZ

Instagram: @horseandracingjobsnz

X: @H_and_R_JobsNZ


For further information or to list a vacancy visit our website www.horseandracingjobs.co.nz or email info@horseandracingjobs.co.nz We look forward to hearing from, and working with you!

In The Spotlight
OFFICIAL STARTER
Ricky Donelly

Ricky has an extensive background working with horses, and one that might just surprise a few people.

Check out our interview with him here.

Previous videos

Videos filmed, produced and kindly supplied by Jeremy Black, Black Bird

Seahorse Supplements

Check out the details of this product by going to the website

either by clicking on the image above or clicking on this link


Horse Care Regulations


These are two areas of our HRNZ Horse Care Regulations that are often overlooked, so hopefully this extra information and templates will help you keep up to date and compliant.


Emergency Plan

Planning for emergencies such as earthquake, fire, floods or other natural disasters or unexpected events that may interrupt your day-to-day caring for your horses is essential to ensure their survival and safety. Generally, where it isn’t safe for you, it isn’t safe for your horses, however the need to evacuate horses should be carefully considered and the safety of all humans is paramount.


The link below is for you to create an Emergency Plan that can be easily viewed and used by anyone if an emergency happens. It will include your details, the details of people to contact that could help with the horses if you weren’t available. Your vets’ details in case a horse needed treatment urgently and information about where you keep any survival or emergency kits.


Download your emergency plan here


For more information about why this is important or other information regarding your emergency plan click here


Treatment Logbook

The Treatment Logbook can be a document, spreadsheet or App used for recording all details of the treatments administered to any horse in your care and including, as a minimum requirement, the name of the horse, the date and time of administration of the treatment, the name of the treatment (brand name of active constituent), the reason for treatment, the route of administration, the amount given, and the name and signature of the person or persons administering and authorising treatment. The treatment logbook must be kept at the premises where the horse is housed.


The treatment logbook should be completed every day for each horse that needs treatment, and the logbook must be kept for the 12 months following the end of the horse’s treatment.


HRNZ created a logbook template that you might find useful, and this can be found here


For more information regarding Treatments click here


TRAINERS' TOP DIVVIE


$250 TAB Bonus Cash Prize sponsored by ENTAIN


Kate Coppins drove her first winner behind her grandmother’s trained horse President Flynntin to scoop the prize for the largest winning dividend for July-August .  Jill wins $250 of TAB bonus cash and is in the running for the highest dividend for the year, a $1,000 BONUS CASH PRIZE.


Congratulations Jill, your money will soon be in your account.


This next competition period is 1st September to 31st October, good luck with those roughies.

Upcoming things to look forward to in the next newsletter


  • Our next interviewee is the new Chief Executive of the Racing Integrity Board -
    Dr Eliot Forbes


Feedback Survey

If you have any feedback you would like to give the Association with regards to this newsletter idea, or something you feel you’d like to bring our attention to please complete the survey below and include your Name and contact details.

Sponsors

Keep watch for our next newsletter which will be published 1st November 2024

July Newsletter
*|MC:SUBJECT|*

Welcome  *|FNAME|*


Welcome to the first ever newsletter from the New Zealand Harness Trainers & Drivers Association.


You're receiving this as you are a licence holder with Harness Racing New Zealand.


It is this Association’s aim to be more engaging with our members and this newsletter is a result of that, something you can look forward to on a bi-monthly basis.


We plan to keep our members informed on what is happening within the Association, as we represent you in our wonderful sport of Harness Racing.


We’ll be supplying you with information we feel you need to know in a more direct manner, with our members best interest at heart.


Here you’ll find articles, any updates that we feel you need to know, links to items of interest including our YouTube channel, which we hope you will visit to see some interesting people being interviewed.


We’ll also be asking your opinion on matters through our polls, giving your representatives on committees a mandate to move things forward.


As any good Association citizen, we plan to develop as we go, with sponsorship, competitions , prizes and regular contributors on our radar.


We welcome feedback and ideas on what you want to see in your newsletter, so use the feedback form if you’d like to get in touch.


All of our National Council members are listed at the bottom of this newsletter, and, if you have any concern at all or you’d like some support from the Association, don’t hesitate to get in touch, and we will do our best to support you.


Remember we represent you, our licence holders.

We're on Facebook now!

Click on the icon link below to like or follow our page and stay updated.

The National Council incorporates each areas main representatives and regularly meets usually twice a year in person, and more regularly by Zoom meetings throughout the year as the need arises. National President is Jay Abernethy.


While each represents their individual territories , it is as a collective that decisions are made and voted on, with plans put into action.


With so much change going on within the industry, it is imperative that we as a collective and whose livelihoods depends on, the decisions made by the powers that be are challenged and debated so that members views are the forefront of those in positions to make a difference are heard.


We will be supplying regular updates on meeting issues and progress, taking the collective and diplomatic approach to solving problems.


Recent meetings have been over some licencing issues and the huge amount of work

undertaken by John Mooney for the Utilisation Reference Group.

Continuous improvement of our industry participants regarding their knowledge and professionalism is important for our sport, to meet the standards expected of a professional sporting organisation. NZTR and GRNZ have already started professional development programmes and HRNZ is looking to implement compulsory Continued Professional Development (CPD) for our licenced participants.


At this early stage HRNZ is working with the Trainers and Drivers Association to identify relevant topics and sessions that would be of benefit to everyone. Currently these have been to provide information only and have been in the form of online education modules such as ‘Preparing for a Stable Audit’ and another education piece providing more information on the ‘Accountable Person Regulation’.


It was suggested by the TDA that some more information on Health & Safety would be appreciated, so HRNZ is working with a Health & Safety consultant to develop templates specific for Trainers, these should be available by the end of June. We will continue to work with the TDA to identify other areas that will be beneficial for participants.

Natalie Gameson

EDUCATION & ANIMAL CARE MANAGER

https://bit.ly/preparing-for-stable-audit


https://bit.ly/4bugw4p

TRAINERS' TOP DIVVIE


The NZ Harness Trainers & Drivers Association is delighted that Entain/TAB NZ are sponsors of this fun prize for the current season. A $250 betting voucher will go to the trainer of the horse paying the top dividend every two months, and there will be an ultimate $1,000 prize to the overall winner for the season.
The first voucher will be for the period 1 July to 31 August 2024

Entain/TAB NZ are generously contributing to stakes in a number of ways and it is really pleasing to have them also reward trainers directly with this fun prize.

Feedback Survey

If you have any feedback you would like to give the Association with regards to this newsletter idea, or something you feel you’d like to bring our attention to please complete the survey below and include your Name and contact details.

Sponsors

Keep watch for our next newsletter which will be published 1st September 2024
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