colours

i see on racing web people are moaning about the colours jockey are wearing for international meeting i think it is a good idea this is a once off so why do people have to moan all the time

I agree with you Carlos on the colours,but rules are there for a reason

@Carlos:

Will the Makhtoums agree for their colours to be replaced for the Dubai International?

Owners identify with their colours as that's one of the intrinsic reason for involvement in this game.

Commentators often refer to or talk of the famous Oppenheimer black and yellow silks.... why?

I don't care even if a monkey sits on my horse and it wins; I want that pic of my colours to show to my friends, family and posterity.....THOSE WERE MY COLOURS!

If colours are not such a great issue, where were the same endorsers / cheer leaders when Dr Richard Maponya was delayed for 6 years before being granted his silks by the then Jockey Club...... THE COLOURS OF THE (THEN BANNED) ANC?

Magic and Carlos; you were around.... never heard you making similar remarks..... a trivial issue? Or, did you typically hide behind the pet excuse.... no politics in this game?

(Ironically, colour still remains a national issue!)

Right now, such events are being shoved down the punter's & owners' throats on any pretext, without regard or respect of their rights / preferences..... solely to generate profits for shareholders and boost the ego of a handful; at what cost?

I will think twice about ever owning a racehorse and running it under the current mish-mash rules; I will even advise anyone not to even think of it!
Let's have some consistency as far as rules are concerned and the rights of owners.

Great idea to wear those colours! Also supperb event put together by Phumelela and the RA!

My TV is black and white they all look the same

I'm all for the colours!!!!! b*tching and moaning all the time, some will never be content at all!

It is hardly as if this sort of thing is without precedent, there used to be an annual race meeting at Scottsville years ago where horses ran in the colours of various schools. Also at Scottsville they used to have a "Skins" meeting where the leading jockey in the competition rode in all yellow silks (like the leader of the Tour de France, basically) and nobody made a noise. Of course that was in the days before the Internet and message boards, but still. I also like to see horses racing in colours that I know well, but for a handful of races I really don't see the point of making a big issue out of it.

It's not as if there is nothing else in racing to moan about!

@Homer, etc:

I respect your preferences.

However, I have backed up my objection with pertinent and logical questions: nobody dares answer them but resort to attack & ridicule only.

Nowhere do I state that I am against the event- I do question it, the costs, disruptions, agendas, etc (unilateral decisions) against the disquiet within the industry vis a vis the see-saw application of rules.

Let's put an end to the farce- there's dogfights within the NHA, RA and GC with the integrity and reputation of the horseracing industry in the dumps. Status and egoistical games are being played out with public assets and events and certain praise-singers flay into any discontent ......worse than a despotic, Stalinist communist regime!

At the same time, the pusillanimous reactions of the disgruntled sector are mortifying- nobody has the guts to form an alternative, independent body to challenge the status quo, either via Government representation, united, co-ordinated strike action (refuse to nominate horses in races, etc) or the courts..... talk...talk... talk.... moan... moan...moan !

For myself, I have no stake within the industry (or harbour getting into 'it' for gain) .....just a punter! Like many others, we are concerned; very concerned.

Want to tell us to f.. o...?

(td) (td) (td)

Precisely, Umlilo. We have far greater things to worry about than this colours issue! I agree that the manner in which the colours thing was implemented may have been handled better (what in racing can't?), but the end result remains the same. It is hardly a matter of staggering importance given all of the other things that you have pointed out, and speaking of myself I would never tell anybody in racing to f... off. I make my living in this business after all.X(

Did not see the article, however I am sure next we will be complaining about the toilet paper at the big T <

In my opinion this colours objection is a storm in a tea cup.... I would like to see my horse (ok, the tail hairs I own) WIN, irrespective of the colours... .... I believe this smacks of nitpicking and a witch hunt and one loses credibility when it comes to the real issues if constantly argueing and bickering. The sort of 'Cry Wolf' syndrome.

ismikle Wrote:

---

> In my opinion this colours objection is a storm in
> a tea cup.... I would like to see my horse (ok,
> the tail hairs I own) WIN, irrespective of the
> colours... .... I believe this smacks of
> nitpicking and a witch hunt and one loses
> credibility when it comes to the real issues if
> constantly argueing and bickering. The sort of
> 'Cry Wolf' syndrome.

I couldn't agree more. "Cry wolf" is hitting the nail on the head, because if we are going to start a war over this minor issue then we are even less likely to be listened to when something truly important arises.