Comments on: FORMER GOV TO MONITOR NEW NTRA SAFETY ALLIANCE

By: Paulick Report » Blog Archive » MONDAY MORNING QUARTERBACK: DOWN THE STRETCH!

Mon, 20 Oct 2008 15:56:20 +0000

[...] all the enforcement strength the National Thoroughbred Racing Association can muster with its Safety and Integrity Alliance? If so, last week’s announcement of proposed wide-ranging reforms by the NTRA only reinforces [...]

By: Garrett Redmond

Garrett Redmond — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 04:29:25 +0000

So, an “alliance” has been formed. Probably their synonym for “committee” and it sounds more active.
Ho hum. Wake me when they actually do something - ZZZZzzzzzzzzzz. ………….

By: Snowbum

Snowbum — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 23:21:45 +0000

It doesn’t matter who eats the highly toxic race-horse meat, Linda! What matters is that these reforms do not include stopping race horses from entering the slaughter pipeline from tracks, farms and nearby kill auctions. It is not surprising since the finger prints of the pro-slaughter AAEP are all over these reforms.

The NTRA is pro-slaughter since it is not against it. It donates to the AHC which keeps horses classified as livestock to preserve the right of horse owners to over-breed and slaughter at will.

The AQHA, a shameless promoter of mass-breeding and slaughter itself must be behind these reforms which are about controlling public outcry and doing the minimum to keep insiders in control and Congress out. They are also about serving the special interests behind these reforms, including the veterinary industry and perhaps the synthetic track business.

The more things change the more they stay the same.

By: Faith

Faith — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 21:00:56 +0000

Fool me once, shame on me. Fool me twice, three, four, five times, shame on the industry.

We have seen big names and many alliances. Time will tell but I still have faith.

By: LindaVA

LindaVA — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 19:53:00 +0000

This is a good place to being. But like others, I am disappointed that the NTRA still doesn;t address the slaughter issue. How can the care of the equine athlete be of foremost concern when they are still at risk of being slaughter for foreign dinner plates. Step up and speak out on behalf of the athletes that make the NTRA run.

By: Sally

Sally — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 19:12:05 +0000

This is a start, and a good one. But the NTRA must - MUST - speak up in behalf of its equine athletes and say NO! to slaughter. It must be at the forefront of the effort when Congress resumes in January to push anti-slaughter legislation through both houses, and get the bills passed.

By: Wendy

Wendy — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 16:47:16 +0000

I’m happy to see the NTRA take some kind of action however, I get the distinct feeling that there is a lot of tip toeing around hot topics such as horse slaughter.

The way I see this, tracks can be incompliance to the NTRA’s initiatives while continuing to ship their horses to slaughter. The best example is Pinnacle Racecourse. Here is a track that has limited a rescue organization on the backside while having two (yes two) licensed trainers who are also kill buyers and regularly ship horses to canada. Is this putting the athletes care to the forefront? Not in my book. But they can say they have a rescue/rehome program for their horses! Gee, good for them…

So far this seems to be an announcement so everyone can pat themselves on the backs and say, “look what we did! good for us”.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy to see the NTRA come out with an initiative but I’ll be keeping a close eye on them to see what it really does at the track.

By: Richard Coreno

Richard Coreno — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 15:25:27 +0000

For as much ridicule the organization has taken over the years, the work by Mr. Waldrop has put the NTRA on the fast track of being out front with positive reforms in an industry that must show the foresight to enter new trails in the forest of do-nothing, old-boy networks of winks and nods of the past. We need leaders, not suit-wearing Bud Selig wannabes…..Mr. Waldrop is a reformer who has seized the opportunity to push the pack forward.

By: Rob Whiteley

Rob Whiteley — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 15:07:34 +0000

Bravo. Let’s get it on.