What needs to be done to retain our riders?

Any dangling carrot 🥕seems to see them leaving for "A better life"

Winning championships, and grade 1 races in South Africa doesn't seem to be enough.

Is the jockey situation getting serious?

Sadly I don't see any change in our political and policy landscape and as such if the opportunity presents itself to leave the shores of this beautiful country then it must be grasped with both hands.We all aspire to give ourselves and our children a better life filled with opportunities in relatively safe environments so all the best to those leaving....

Muzi, Bling definitely not leaving these shores.
Offspring the main reason for moving to greener pastures.
No walk in the park in Uk, Oz and NZ.
Will be interesting to see how Kennedy does in NZ. Not long before he will be hopping over to Oz where there is plenty of opportunity but not without an offer, perhaps.

It is time for the new generation of riders to start coming through Bob. We don't want to see Striker riding til he's 80 (still not sure what was the reason for the "comeback"). The old timers can leave if they have better offers - I am certain it is not an issue specific to jockeys, but more the brain drain the country is seeing.

If u look at the concentration of riders thru the season that just past, i would argue we don't have a problem with sufficient riders.

29500 mounts for 103 jockeys
37% of all mounts went to top 10 riders
86% of all mounts went top top 50 riders
we may have lost Hewitson dillon cheyne abroad

some travel seasonally. bernard orffer
some injured Brown marcus

so lotsa potential for bottom half jocks to try crack top 50

JP to have a cracking 2022/2023 season

Hopefully the outlook for SA will change after the 2024 elections.

The removal of the ANC would have a positive effect on retaining skilled people of all professions.

Its all economics. Our stakes cant compete anywhere if the exchange rates are taken into account. Good luck to them all it will open opportunities for Vees lassies

🤞🏼Let’s hope it’s a change for the better - SA needs competent and committed politicians who can serve and deliver like GIFT OF THE GIVERS. We don’t need the likes of Lindiwe Sisulu who addresses the media at the ANC Policy Conference and is unsure whether the Basic Income Grant is R135 or R350. UNBELIEVABLE!!! Yet another Politician, like Bheki Cele, that’s not in touch with reality or the job at hand - but would not fail to speak about “Our People...”

Squirrel & Co are as useful as the 4Q bunch. Lots of talk and announcements while they butcher a working product and platform that they inherited.

Lionel wrote:

Hopefully the outlook for SA will change after the 2024 elections.

Surely there is a half a dozen potential champion jocks in the 20 million unemployed?


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Mac wrote:

Surely there is a half a dozen potential champion jocks in the 20 million unemployed?


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Of course there is 🤔...south Africans are an extremely talented Nation.(sitting in 4th place Commonwealth games rankings this morning)

It's always good getting new involvement in any aspect of life, because a new individual brings new ideas and a broader mindset.But in the jockey Industry 🤔 really difficult to take a person of the street,who probably has never seen a horse more than ten times in their lives and make them champion jockeys or even a jockey (could take a tremendous amount of time,as this is not a normal day to day industry like for Eg.Sales) you can teach a person of the street to talk sharp and Promote an item within Hours.But to Ride an animal 10times they size and understand judgement and decisions.Long ass time,so it won't suit our struggling economy where many people wake up in the morning and try to fend for a meal by the afternoon (daily).

The best out come will be for high achievement jockeys to broaden they horizon like many of them are doing now.This will be like skimming the Heavy double thick cream of the top.Which will leave room for the 2%milk to be filtered.(middle achievement jockeys).And the train will continue in this instant the 2% at the top with better opportunities and support will end up becoming Double thick cream(best of the best)😂and move on and so on....

We have many talented riders to fill the void. Good luck, i hope the grass is greener on the other side. We have good underrated riders here that just needs better opportunities and will surely step up.