Goosen asked me to post his Turftalk article..
How SANTA can get round trainer apathy
PAUL Lafferty’s article on the subject of the formation of our new South African National Trainers Association (SANTA) in Turf Talk (18 Feb) was hard hitting, with no punches pulled.
Frankly, it’s inconceivable that any trainer in his or her right mind has not, immediately, joined this Association. After all, are we not professionals? Employers? The marketing force of the industry, in terms of finding owners and dealing with owners on a regular basis? As racehorse trainers are we not the Group in Racing which is, by far, the most strictly bound and regulated by the rules and regulations of the NHA? Do these rules and regulations not require urgent revision?
It is this very apathy that Laff mentions which has caused trainers countrywide to lose the respect of
the industry over the last 10 or 15 years. The same respect that our fathers and their fathers commanded, after having earned it over time.
But, the key word remains apathy. The fact that trainers have been extremely slow to join up, though, might be for other reasons.
Firstly, however, we could look at the mindset and approach that trainers have, when it comes to joining an association and being members.
There are always 3 main groups:- (to page 2)
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TRAINER APATHY (fm p1)
Group 1- The active participants. The trainers who attend meetings, who want changes and who are passionate about racing operations, admin and regulations.
Group 2- The quiet participants. They are happy for the leaders and other trainers to make the decisions and they will support them. From time to time, they will mention a problem, idea or solution to one of the active members, to take further.
Group 3- The disinterested participants. These are trainers who are not bothered with meetings, politics etc. They will quietly do their own thing and just go with the flow, sometimes maybe muttering about things, but not getting involved with solutions.
And that’s how it goes in politics too. It would be far off the mark, if I were to use SA politics as an example, because over here in SA there are probably more “Parties” than there are in the whole of Europe.
In the US, Barack Obama became President, whilst 49% of the voters voted against him and Donald Trump became President with fewer votes than Hil- ary Clinton. Obama and Trump have one thing in common - They put in huge efforts on the campaign trail.
And it’s no different in SA racing, where trainers are concerned. There definitely will be some who will not join the Association. However, perhaps it’s time for Laff and our other leaders to make a bigger effort than just putting out a letter to trainers and expecting them to join.
It’s fine to mention the apathy of trainers, as long as our leaders are making an effort to get everyone on board.
Many trainers have not even read the whole info letter of the association. Many trainers feel that nothing will be accomplished by this Association, as the same leaders have been around for years and have not changed much, if anything.
Others, again, believe that it is going to be the same old, same old. Everyone will get all excited and after the meeting, our leaders will go off into the distance and we will never hear from them again, until the next Annual General Meeting.
Some trainers believe that this Association will actu-
ally exclude the mandate of the majority of trainers, whilst the leaders follow their own agendas, without prior communication with members.
The only way that this or any Association will work and will be successful, will be if the leaders make time for regular meetings and communication with their members and listen to their members, the majority.
And it should start with each region. Trainers should be encouraged to urgently attend a regional meeting where the leaders will outline, in detail, how the As- sociation will function and what the goals are. Trainers will then sign up, at that meeting. After the meeting, the “Group 3” trainers, who never attended, should be followed up with a one on one, so they can also sign up. Once our leaders put in those efforts, the apathy will decrease drastically.
Whilst our leaders appear to be self elected, it must be considered that if they did not get the ball rolling, properly register an associa- tion and stand up to be counted, we would still be going nowhere. The current leaders are interim leaders and once the numbers are obtained in terms of members, an election will be held. Any licensed trainer may stand for election and the interim leaders could be voted out.
The bottom line is that this Association is the only way in which real changes will be effected. The Group 2 and Group 3 members do make up the majority. The Group 1 members have already joined. It’s now up to the leaders, with the assistance of the Group 1 members to push hard. Sitting back and waiting for members to join just won’t work.
The honest truth is that the apathy of trainers with regard to joining this Association is mindboggling. Joining up is a no brainer. Many of us, probably because we are Group 1 type members, joined up immediately. A unified National Trainers Association will have the necessary clout to effect the much needed changes.
And let’s not kid ourselves... there are very few trainers out there, who are prepared to put in the hours and to take a stance on our behalf.
Every trainer in his or her right mind, should get on board, urgently, whilst we still have the likes of Laff and the rest of the regions’ leaders willing to go out and fight for us, to address the rules and bring forward a united, respected National Trainers Association. - tt.
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