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The International Racing Club has instructed the trainers of its SA horses to run in club black colors as a passive protest and a call to action from the National Horse Racing Authority and Phumelela. This is a sequel to SA Racing’s Tragic Thursday events at Fairview in the Eastern Cape that made headlines around the world.
In a statement released Saturday, the IRC says the NHRA and Phumelela’s silence on the PE disaster is “concerning.
“It is not a phone call or a message of empathy. So many lives affected and no press release, ”writes Joao Da Mata.
The statement goes on to say that IRC has lost owners after this tragic event.
“They are people who live in the UK and they can’t even understand what has happened. We have instructed all of our trainers to compete with our horses in club black colors until we consider that the NHRA and Phumelela have done enough to deal with this matter rather than ‘hope it goes away.’
He adds that he is sure there is a fine for wearing the club’s black colors.
“Frankly, I don’t care how much it is. You have the option to start doing the right thing. Until further notice, our horses are running in black. “
NHRA Race Control Executive Arnold Hyde was interviewed on the Clocking The Gallop Show.
Watch the interview here
Phumelela posted the press release shown below on the day of the protest:
The race meeting at Fairview on Friday is scheduled to continue.
Most of the grooms at the training center at the racetrack had returned to work today at noon after a protest this morning that turned violent.
The protest was started by grooms formerly employed by Port Elizabeth head coach Yvette Bremner, and other grooms from the center later joined the protest.
Several horses under Bremner’s care were taken from their stables and expelled from the compound before the Public Order Police managed to remove the protesters from the training center and restore order.
Unfortunately, one of Bremner’s defendants, Mark The Doorman, died after falling and breaking his neck as a result of the bride and groom’s actions.
All other released horses were then captured and returned to their stables. Several suffered various injuries, but one vet said initial examinations indicated that all are likely to recover.
Phumelela is communicating with the Labor Department in an attempt to resolve the dispute between Bremner and his former employees, which dates back to an incident several months ago when a boyfriend stabbed Bremner.
Phumelela has hired additional private security personnel to help protect people and horses at the complex overnight and will be on duty on race day. There will also be a heavy police presence from the morning of race day.
Phumelela continues to monitor the situation and will issue an update when appropriate. He intends to do everything possible to ensure that all those responsible for the disturbances are brought to justice.
