The word unprecedented gets thrown around a lot these days.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
COVID has wrought havoc on a lot of industries in our country, but some - whether fortuitously or through sheer hard work - have been not just able to survive, but thrive.
Harness racing is one of those industries, and a former Parkes man, and Champion Post employee, is leading the charge as CEO of Harness Racing NSW (HRNSW).
John Dumesny, a surname synonymous with racing in the Western Districts, is that man - and he has led the industry remarkably well during such a tough period, with the tentacles of COVID eventually reaching every part of the industry in NSW.
Dumesny said a big part of that successful was the valuable support of the government.
"The government have been so good for the racing industry and I can't thank them enough," he said earlier this week.
"On March 22 in 2020 they gave us a licence to continue on, and we have dealt with the COVID issues as they have come up and been very successful.
"When it got into the country, we had a call to action and for the vast amount of participants they were just keen to do what they could to help the industry.
"We've got through it, though, and there's plenty of exciting racing to look forward to towards the end of the year," said Dumesny.
Pleasingly for the industry though, it wasn't so much a case of hanging on by digging the fingernails in, but thriving.
In July 2020, NSW was the first state to restore base prizemoney, after being the last to reluctantly reduce prizemoney when the pandemic first struck in March.
Then in September last year, HRNSW added 12 additional race meetings to the schedule to ensure a minimum of two race meetings in each region every week, and $625,000 in additional prizemoney.
It's easy for someone not particularly familiar with the harness racing industry to flippantly question why it should have been allowed to continue, but there is a lot at stake.
Dumensy indicated in NSW there are 1700 licenced persons (trainers, drivers and participants) and roughly 3500 owners, with a ballpark figure of 5000 people involved in looking after the care of horses.
That's a lot of livelihoods at stake.
Not just human, but equine too, according to Dumesny.
"If racing stopped, their earning power would be gone, so then where do would they get the resources to care for the horse," he said.
"In particular, part-time and hobby trainers who work as well, and are in their paddocks at 6am before work and 6pm after work, if they'd run out of money they wouldn't be able to care for the course.
"During the drought, it was so bad you couldn't send your horse to a paddock to spell because conditions are so bad, so I'm just grateful it didn't get to a similar point," said Dumesny.
READ MORE HARNESS RACING STORIES:
To get even one horse ready to race requires a lot of hard-working and exceptionally skilled participants - let alone a whole stable.
You know the saying: it takes a village.
It's clear when talking to Dumesny, and when reading HRNSW's Strategic Plan' that the welfare of the participants and horses are at the forefront of everything the organisation is trying to do now, but also for the future.
Earlier this year HRNSW increased prizemoney yet again, despite all the difficulties COVID had already thrown at them.
In January, base prizemoney was increased (by 10 per cent) to $8000 for 'A' category meetings, and then in February more money was injected into the Miracle Mile (raced at Menangle annually) to ensure it remaining harness racing's only national $1 million event.
It got even better in July when the organisation announced another 7 per cent increase to A category meetings (taking the base to $8568) and very valuable 9 per cent increase to B category meetings (taking the base to $6528) - something that is particularly important for a club such as Parkes.
One of the bright spot was the way regional racing flourished during COVID, with the Parkes, Dubbo and Bathurst Harness Racing Clubs all thriving, both with and without spectators.
Not only that, but the facilities for regional racing were given a massive boost, highlighted by the NSW Government's $2.9 million in funding given to the Bathurst Harness Racing Club for a training centre - something Dumesny said was a reward for HRNSW's success.
"The government doesn't just give away money, there is a lot of commitment and hard work that goes into securing funding and proving a business case," he said.
"The business case at Bathurst is solid, but it's off the back of the success we've had here at the training centre in Menangle, and the work we've done without government assistance in Tamworth, Wagga Wagga and the Hunter.
"Essentially, it is about future proofing," said Dumesny.
Future proofing you ask?
A generational gap is certainly starting to develop in trotting.
It's vital to ensure harness racing remains an appealing industry for younger spectators and participants, and both engagement and up-to-date facilities and conditions are a huge part of that.
In HRNSW's latest Strategic Plan, this is flagged as a key issue for the organisation.
'It is essential that younger generations are encouraged to engage with and participate in harness racing and this is a key strategic issue for HRNSW. These strategies will involve new ways of disseminating information and engagement that is better suited to a digitally focused future customer.'
Over the duration of the strategic plan period (2021-2023), HRNSW will also inject an additional $8.5 million into base prizemoney, which really comes back to the excellent term of 'future proofing'.
So what's next for harness racing in the Central West, and the state in general?
The NSW Breeders Challenge has been brilliant for participants and punters alike, and a Facebook Live barrier draw is planned for this Saturday, and boy will that have a huge say in the chances of those challengers vying for the $150,000 prizemoney in following Saturday's finals at Menangle.
Regional Breeders Challenge participants can also look to $30,000 finals on December 1 in Bathurst, with Dubbo, Parkes, Grenfell and home trainers sure to be prominent.
Is that not enough?
Dumesny is particularly keen for the time-honoured Inter Dominion series which will have heats in Bathurst on Wednesday, December 1 before the glittering $500,000 final in Menangle on December 11.
Oh, and hooray for crowds finally being able to return to the course.
"This year's Inter Dominion we have taken it to the regional tracks at Newcastle and Bathurst, and that was a pre-COVID strategy but we are staying with it - it is massive for country areas," Dumesny said.
"Crowds are back, though a segregation policy (between spectators and trainers) will still be in place to protect the industry and its participants.
"We still have to be alert and observant, and we need to be flexible to change, I must say though that the willingness of every participant to respect each other and the industry has been amazing," said Dumesny.
At the end of the day, though, this all boils down to the amazing people involved in the harness racing industry, and the brilliant horses that give it life.
The best part about observing, and indeed writing about, the industry is the people from all walks of life that give their heart and soul to make harness racing the best it can be.
Dumesny and his team at HRNSW rightly deserve plaudits for keeping the industry, and livelihoods, intact in these unprecedented times.
And of course the team at the Parkes Harness Racing Club that have produced meetings all through the pandemic. So when crowds can finally return to the track on October 29 in Parkes, let's vote with our feet.
Let's give back to the industry that has given so much.
Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can access our trusted content:
Bookmark www.parkeschampionpost.com.au
Follow us on Facebook
Follow us on Instagram
