WALDROP AND THE NTRA: AN ARMY OF ONE?
Alex Waldrop is a good soldier who reminds me of Hiroo Onoda, the World War II legend who in 1944 was sent to Lubang island in the Philippines and told by his Japanese superiors to wage guerrilla warfare against the allied forces and to never give up. Along with a few others who survived a 1945 invasion by American soldiers, Onoda conducted operations from a base in the mountains of the island, even after leaflets were dropped saying the war had ended. Letters from loved ones begged Onoda to come home, but even after his fellow holdouts left him or died, Onoda carried out the orders given him.
It wasn’t until his one-time commanding officer flew to Lubang in 1974 that Onoda gave up the fight.
Waldrop, in his capacity as CEO of the National Thoroughbred Racing Associations, hasn’t fought as long as Hiroo Onoda did, but someone needs to tell him the war is over. The NTRA has about the same relevance and power as the Japanese Imperial Army did after the end of World War II.
It’s not Waldrop’s fault. He came into an untenable situation in December 2006 when the unraveling of the NTRA and Breeders’ Cup relationship was complete and the NTRA was left with little money and even less authority to carry out a mission to be the “league office” for horse racing. An organization that began in 1998 with high hopes and lofty goals of organizing and marketing a dysfunctional business that lacked structure, coordination and a strong central authority — the hallmarks of success for other sports — was, by 2006, a pale shadow of its former self.
What survived of the NTRA after its divorce from the Breeders’ Cup in 2006 was an understaffed press office and an industry lobbying effort in Washington, D.C., and not much more. Illusions of marketing grandeur or meaningful changes in how the sport was structured were gone like the budget the NTRA once had.
Eighteen months into Waldrop’s tenure at the NTRA, the Thoroughbred industry had a serious implosion. The filly Eight Belles died after the finish of the Kentucky Derby with millions watching on television in horror. Compounding the problem, Rick Dutrow, the trainer of Derby winner Big Brown, revealed one of our sport’s dirty little secrets, that anabolic steroids were in rampant use and, shockingly to many people, were perfectly legal. The public outcry was enormous, and the NTRA was ill-equipped to deal with it, because it lacked the authority to speak for the industry over which it had little control.
When hints of a Congressional inquiry surfaced, there was a scramble to react. The industry did what it always does: form committees and make recommendations. Foremost among those was a decision by Waldrop and the NTRA board of directors to create a new entity, the Safety and Integrity Alliance, which drafted an ambitious code of standards on a variety of safety and welfare issues for horses and jockeys. It was and is an admirable document, however meaningless it mostly likely will turn out to be.
Tracks that comply with the code of standards will be accredited by the alliance, sort of a “good horsekeeping seal of approval” that a track owner can frame and hang on his wall. And what about tracks that don’t comply? Well, they’ll have a little extra wall space. That’s the carrot and stick that Waldrop is armed with.
It goes back to something said during the Congressional inquiry held last June, when members of the House of Representatives repeatedly pointed out to Thoroughbred industry leaders how important it was for them to get their act together and establish a meaningful central authority unless they wanted the federal government to do it for them. After Alan Marzelli, the president of the Jockey Club, testified about some of the safety recommendations his organization was making to the industry, he was asked how the Jockey Club intended to have its recommendations adopted.
Marzelli’s response: “We believe in the power of persuasion.”
The power of persuasion (aka, committee recommendations) is what has kept this industry from realizing its potential as a major league sport. The harmless carrot and stick that Waldrop now carries in his briefcase is about as powerful as the army that Hiroo Onoda commanded on Lubana island for all those years after World War II.
Onoda survived, which I’m afraid is about all Waldrop and the NTRA and the rest of the racing industry can do with our current structure (or lack thereof). Maybe, just maybe, if enough tracks comply with the Safety and Integrity Alliance’s code of standards, we can stop the bleeding that’s been going on for some time, long before Eight Belles took her last breath or Rick Dutrow uttered his last insult. But stopping the bleeding is not a cure for what ails us.
What we have isn’t working. What we need are fewer organizations and fewer committees, more followers and fewer (but stronger) leaders. Why, someone pointed out to me the other day, do we need separate organizations like the NTRA, the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association, the Jockey Club, the Breeders’ Cup, the National Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association, the Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association and so many others? He answered his own question: because none of those groups is willing to cede authority and lose whatever little fiefdom they control.
Waldrop keeps fighting, seemingly against all odds. When racing’s obvious problems were brought up twice recently in the New York Times, first by sports columnist William Rhoden and then by turf writer Joe Drape, Waldrop fired back in a blog at the NTRA’s web site, defending the Safety and Integrity Alliance and pointing out progress that had been made since the death of Eight Belles. He even tried to incite an angry mob to join his army and attack the messengers at the New York Times for the audacity of their observations.
It was rather pitiful. I’m not sure that Waldrop, like Hiroo Onoda, is much more than an army of one.
Copyright © 2009, The Paulick Report
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Tags: Alan Marzelli, alex waldrop, anabolic steroids, Breeders' Cup, congressional inquiry of horse racing, eight belles, hiroo onoda, Horse Racing, Jockey Club, Joe Drape, national horsemen's benevolent and protective associati, National Thoroughbred Racing Association, new york times, NTRA, ntra safety and integrity alliance, Paulick Report, Ray Paulick, rick dutrow, safety and integrity alliance, thoroughbred horsemen's association, Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association, william c. rhoden
March 26th, 2009 at 10:11 am
This all a bunch of melarky1 Racing florished in the old days WITHOUT controls. The media is what is being pacified. There is nothing wrong with steroids in horses. If there was, it would have been outlawed a long, long, long, time ago. What is lacking is an informed public. This was an excuse for the big breeders to implement their agenda. What is being done will HURT racing — ON A WHOLE.
March 26th, 2009 at 10:44 am
Horseracing — not only do our leaders send Waldrop into battle with very little ammo; then they talk among themselves about what a rotten job he’s doing fighting for them.
Whether they know it or not, we’re under attack from well organized animal rights interests. If we’re not supporting Waldrop and his small army, someone tell me what we are supporting because I don’t see any better options out there right now.
March 26th, 2009 at 10:48 am
Frank - you mean like how just about every other international racing authority banned steroids (and they have more effective central controls) and how they have much lower breakdown rates, with horses that run more frequently? Racing flourished in the ‘old days’ because a few families with deep pockets enjoyed it (and the public didn’t have much else to legally bet on or watch) - all sports have moved on, and racing needs to get itself sorted out if it wants to catch up. There are indeed far too many cooks in this kitchen with little to show for it.
March 26th, 2009 at 11:39 am
Frank L., that smoke is coming from a real fire. Racing can no longer operate in the dark and control its PR with our “information superhighway”.
Racing needs a moral compass. It needs no drugs on race day and for one month prior to racing, and to reform the “claiming game”, pre-race exams, etc. It needs to prevent debauchery, abuse, doping and catastrophic injuries at all costs.
Racing needs to embrace moral, integrity, transparency, quality, fair competition and being governed by a central authority. Animal welfare matters in our society and activism always follows abuse. Racing dug its own grave by ignoring its problems for far too long.
March 26th, 2009 at 11:54 am
Great article Ray, Great observation. I was around when McGrath was hired with a big budget. It was controlled by Marketing people with only one thing on their mind. They brought us “Go Baby Go” and not much else.
The original intent was never accomplished then and will not be accomplished now with out being compelled by Congress.
Yes, We needed a Central authority to deal with a broad menu of issues then, and we need it now.
Don’t hold your breath.
March 26th, 2009 at 12:12 pm
Frank, maybe you personally have taken too many drugs. You statement is outrageous and you speak through ignorance. Just one time you need to climb atop of a race horse, and then experience the trauma of hitting the ground when a horse breaks a leg. If you survive, you will hear every excuse but the truth on what caused the breakdown. Pre-existing conditions and DRUGS. Go educated yourself about this issue. You won’t have to go far. Stand by the rail for morning exercise at any racetrack and watch horses limp by. They can’t walk in the morning, but run in the afternoon. Try the Jockey Club Book of Facts and look at the average annual starts per horse. For decades there was very little change until the wide adoption of “therapeutic” medication in the mid 70s. Then the average plummeted. So much for modern medicine. Hall of Famer Jack Van Berg stated the truth at a Congressional hearing, “It’s not horse racing, it’s chemical warfare out there?â€
March 26th, 2009 at 12:22 pm
Well done Mr Paulick! Alex is indeed a one man public relations warrior. This battle to cure our ills is a ground war and it won’t be won with articulate writing and crafty defenses. Steroids are still in the game. EPO and blood doping agents are as prominent as ever. Corticosteroids and clenbute are being abused. Lame horses are knowingly being raced everday. A movement to create a federally chartered entity with national recognition and enforcement powers is closer than people might think.
March 26th, 2009 at 12:51 pm
To quote Barry Irwin regarding an article in the “Thoroughbred Daily News written by Fred Pope, the brilliant innovator who started the forerunner of the NTRA and sold it to The Establishment, which has made the least of itâ€.
I wrote an article on my blog oddsonfavorite.blogspot.com last year entitled, Big Brother is Coming, where I state that if the powers that be don’t create a governing body then “Congress will using the Interstate Horseracing Act of 1978 take control and oversee Thoroughbred horseracing.â€
So far these same powers seem to be doing everything they can to ensure governmental control.
March 26th, 2009 at 8:03 pm
Following is a response to the NTRA regarding Joe Drape’s column as it was posted on Alex Brown Racing forum:
Dear Alex,
While I agree that the NTRA Safety and Intergrity Alliance has made a bit of progress and Im hopeful that greater steps to protect our Thoroughbred athletes will one day be forthcoming, for now I will have to side with Joe Drape on this one.
The fact is that while a few minor things have changed, these changes will have little to no effect on protecting racehorses or reducing the number of catastrophic injuries that occur during races and in morning workouts.
First of all, banning anabolic steriods was a good thing to do, but you cant really believe that this has anything to do with the number of catastrophic injuries? If the racing industry TRULY wants to see a decrease in the number of crippled and dead racehorses, they need to immediately ban the practice of intra-articular injection of corti-steriods. Good grief…you can walk down any shedrow in the US following training hours and witness scores of vets injecting the already crippled joints of racehorses with this garbage. Take the blinders off Alex. This is reason numero uno that horses snap their legs off. When a horse is so sore that one must inject its joints in order for it to continue training and/or racing, that horse is screaming for rest and rehabilitation. That horse is NOT sceaming for some greedy trainer and vet to inject its joint so that it can limp over for one more race! Unless and until the industry bans this dispicable practice, you will never see a decrease in catastrophic injuries. As a trainer/owner for more than 30 years, I can honestly tell you that I NEVER injected a horse’s joint with this garbage. I can also proudly tell you that I NEVER had to scrape one of my horses off the racetrack. Banning anabolics was a PR move. The trainers know it, the vets know it, and the public knows it. Ban the real culprit and you will see the number of horrific breakdowns decrease.
Secondly, as you well know, the proper retirment of these horses is my pet peeve. Ive seen a lot of PR in recent months from the NTRA and several racetracks about how they are implementing zero slaughter tolerance policies and how they are working to provide funding for TB retirement. Thus far, these so-called efforts have been little more than more PR lip-service. Magna and CDI both have zero tolerance policies in place, but neither entity is doing anything significant to address the costs associated with transitioning the enormous numbers of broken-down racehorses to adoption groups where they can be properly rehabilitated, retrained, and rehomed. Why doesnt the NTRA demand that its member tracks implement permanent funding mechanisms to address this important issue? What are you waiting for? The equine welfare community does not own the responsibility to pick up the tab for the horses that the racing industry has cast aside. This responsibility lies at the feet of every single person who works within the racing industry. You cant just say “we’re for proper TB retirement,” and not do anything to facilitate it happening. Every racing jurisdiction and every US racetrack need to immediately implement policies to provide owners with #1 - a place for retiring horses to go. Each track should make arrangements with local and national TB adoption groups to help them safely transition their retiring racehorses, and #2 - each track needs to implement a funding mechanism to provide financial support to the adoption groups they are working with. I suggest that a $5 per start fee should be imposed upon every owner who starts a racehorse, and that the $5 fee should be matched by the racetrack. This would at least provide us with a place to start, and it is a very small price for each of us to pay in order to ensure the safe transitioning of these wonderful animals.
Finally, I do want to thank you for your efforts, but I also want you to know that in this day and age racing fans are a very well-informed bunch. They are not likely to be fooled by the PR tactics the racing industry has seemingly grown so fond of. Many racetracks have implemented zero slaughter tolerance policies, and yet neither the NTRA, Jockey Club, or any other major racing authority has lifted a finger to lend their support to any of the legislative efforts designed to end this dispicable practice. TB’s will continue to be slaughtered so long as the trade of American horses to slaughter exists. Horse lovers are still pulling TB’s out of auction kill-pens everyday out here in the real world. Racing fans read these accounts via the internet, they watch the horrors on YouTube or HBO, and they learn firsthand just how little regard we have for our animals. Until the industry steps up to do everything in its power to put an end to this, horseracing fans will continue to turn away.
Best,
Gail Vacca
March 26th, 2009 at 8:17 pm
I think racing should hire Gail Vacca as their lobbyist in D.C. or at the very least, put her on one of the so called integrity panels. gail has been fighting her own “one woman ” war against horse slaughter as it relates to racing thoroughbreds. She has flown to D.C . many times on her own dime, and was instrumental, and still is, in closing down the Cavel slaughterhouse in Illinois and is now fighting that battle again as they attempt to re-open.
Putting people like gail, and others, who have known racing from the bottom up, have trained and owned horses themselves and owe allegiance to no one , and have stayed with the industry out of passion, might be the solution that has been under our noses the whole time.
March 27th, 2009 at 5:39 am
Nice going Gail Vacca. I agree with all except the premise about steroids. Ban ALL steroids with no therapeutic uses. It’s that simple. Athletes should not be enhanced with steroids, it makes them bigger and stronger that they would normally be and surely more aggressive. Everybody knows this too. Cortico’s have got to go!
March 27th, 2009 at 8:11 am
Racing needs a Roger Goodell, not a bunch of spin-offs of the same committee meeting, cocktail party clowns that have run racing into the ground over the last 20 years. Major change needs to happen now. There is no tomorrow for racing. And a certificate on the wall isn’t going to do it.
March 27th, 2009 at 10:13 am
Bravo to Gail Vaca for nailing the real issue. How can Elliot Waldrop be a spokesperson or presume a leadership role in racing when he could not distinguish between a racehorse and a meat animal when asked to support anti-horseslaughter legislation in 2008?
March 27th, 2009 at 10:46 am
“Until the industry steps up to do everything in its power to put an end to this, horseracing fans will continue to turn away.” A good point but one that is way short of the mark! The alphabet groups in horseracing skim approx a quarter to a half billion dollars right off of the top of handle per year. We pay small fortunes to people who have never walked a hot and could not possibly identify “what is wrong”. “when did it go wrong”, “how did it go wrong” let alone how to fix it. The collection of thoughts and recommendations offered in this piece are good but do not leadership give! They are isolated opinions offered on pet complaints that do not singly create the main symptom of our demise. They are reactionary! The problems plaguing the industry are deep rooted because they have been allowed to permeate for years and have been accepted as “normal” There is NO science applied to areas where science is necessary and policies that involved changes of direction where needed to bring us and keep us competitive and acceptable. We have created a tower of babble consisting of a collection of misunderstood causes and an assortment of misguided antidotes. Horseracing is as professional as other sports and industries, or at least it used to be. Currently it is considered ,somewhere between a toy, hobby, a gambling fetish or means to acquire gaming. But it requires experienced and professional solutions. The thought of placing a slots manager to run a racetrack is problematic and is emblematic of “why we are failing”. It follows the epidemic of placing lawyers in charge of our groups and institutions. It is embarrassing but is indicative of what our “leaders” think of the sport. Why don’t lawyers and slot managers fly lear jets and solve the aircraft industry….because they would crash because of lack of experience. We have crashed because we didn’t require pilots licenses er sorry, racing licenses.
March 27th, 2009 at 11:52 am
Way to go Gail!
I think the steroids ban is a start but I also think human athlete abuse made it an easy target to identify for the mainstream and Congress. Totally agree about joints. One of the main economic issues with getting rid of drugs is that many horse owners will drift away when you tell them that they need to turn a horse out, not tap his knee. Although some of those vet bills have to be more than a few months at a lay up farm…
But I think the piling on Alex was unfair - not by Gail, but by Ray. I think Ray’s point is Alex has been left in a vacuum. OK, but Alex’s points are valid, and not to be made fun of. He is stepping up, he is not an insane foot soldier, but a brave one given the civil war this sport is in with itself - and change is not instant. Hello, economy. Racing did not arrive to this point in a short amount of time as has been noted - and to borrow from the Commander-in-Chief, turning this (sinking) overweighted ocean liner around is not easy an easy task, but just starting somewhere is to be commended, not attacked. Alex is one of the more sincere campaigners in our sport. And I do not condone the NTRA lack of a stance (which is a stance) on anti slaughter legislation - very disappointing and a bad PR move. I hope that is not Alex’s personal viewpoint on the subject.
But Alex’s offer to expand the health and safety debate, invite solutions and defend the efforts made to date is not “pitiful.”
While I think a positive encouragement of change and offering solutions is better than excoriating the same folks for the sport’s ills one more time, Joe opened a good can of worms to discuss. Rhoden as usual is off base in his own universe (and not just about our sport.) Eight Belles did not have any illegal meds or indication of a joint injection per the necropsy. Mafaaz will most likely run on Lasix in the Derby or even the Blue Grass, and Big Brown won without steroids in his last two races and possibly his first race, and is hardly the only classic winner to race with them - he just didn’t have the eloquent D. Wayne Lukas to speak for him, he only had Rick - last May - at the height of the steroid conversation.
March 27th, 2009 at 12:05 pm
“We pay small fortunes to people who have never walked a hot and could not possibly identify “what is wrongâ€. “when did it go wrongâ€, “how did it go wrong†let alone how to fix it. ”
Well stated. It continues to amaze me that the racetracks and “alphabet groups” you refer to, formed a safety and “welfare” alliance, and didnt bother to invite people to the table who are legitimate (and who are also NON-stakeholders) experts/advocates in the Thoroughbred welfare arena. I dont know how we can expect fans to take any of this seriously if those of us within the industry are not inclined to do so.
We need a national commissioner and break-out committees staffed by legitimate, qualified, EXPERIENCED individuals who have a deep working knowledge of Thoroughbred horses and horse racing.
March 27th, 2009 at 2:49 pm
Is “Joe” the pseudonym of Gail Vacca ? If so, why begin with a pen-name? Anonymous messages are typically ignored by fairminded people.. That is not to say our “rulers” do not also ignore signed criticism. Clearly, they do. One recent exception was Breeders’ Cup reaction to Rob Whiteley’s proposal to withhold nominations.
As I read it, the essence of Ray’s criticism was not an attack on Waldrop. He drew attention to the fact nobody would publicly stand with Waldrop and be backup. That is the real problem for our business. None or too few of those who have walked hots, etc., etc., will step forward and protest or demand representation or the right to be heard.
That is why the Alphabet-soups, Racing Commissions and so on, are populated and controlled by CPAs and Lawyers. Moreover, they can insulate themselves by not reading any critical or bad press.
Therefore, if you want to be a force for reform: Stand up, state your name and be counted.
Not alone in Paulick Report , but at the meetings of all the groups that now, safely, ignore us.
A revolution has never succeeded with revolutionaries who stayed home, hiding under the bed.
If the well-earned retirement of racehorses and provision therefor is the priority of the moment, do something about it. Start a fund. How to finance it ? Easy. Refuse to register any 2009 foals until The Jockey Club publicly commits to putting into a Fund, $50 out of every $200 fee. Control of the Fund and other details can be worked out later.
Such action will immediately serve two worthy purposes:
Collect money for a great cause;
Deprive The Jockey Club of the use of some of our money , which it now uses to seed and capitalize it’s numerous profitable operations, from which we profit not a cent.
As it is not required to register a foal until it’s first birthday, withholding now will give TJC plenty of time to consider the consequences.
March 27th, 2009 at 3:33 pm
I completely agree with Frank Rizzo’s comment. Alex Waldrop and the NTRA deserve the support of everyone in the Thoroughbred industry. I completely disagree with some of the others who refer to the “leadership” in the Thoroughbred industry. There is NO LEADERSHIP in the thoroughbred industry!!! That’s why we find ourselves mired in such a futile situation.
March 28th, 2009 at 8:11 am
Garrett’s call to arms is a courageous one! He or his business obviously has never been subjected to the stealthy, vindictive, repercussions of the alphabet groups. They don’t take prisoners !
March 28th, 2009 at 9:53 am
I’m glad to learn, finally, what’s happening with the NTRA. But, are we making this way too hard? Mostly what “isn’t working” (per Paulick) involves $$$ in a sport were the potential for increasing revenue has few limits. We have a gambling monopoly, a sport made for the internet, and a democratic (at present) widespread presence were almost everyone can participate. What’s lacking is some imagination. And, would add, probably most of us need to protect the democracy against those few of the wealthy that are plotting by a national organization to take it away.
Additionally, I’d suggest that (possibly )national organization, except in limited ways, fits a square peg to a round hole. TB racing basically involves regional but competiting economic entities who happen to deal with the same product. Getting these under the same umbrella equates to the car manufacturers creating a national org. because they all sell cars. The idea is almost absurd.
The NTRA e.g. is unable to market internet gambling for all tracks because that would compete with Twin Spires etc. that are trying to corner the market for themselves. Perhaps the focus would be to concentrate on our strengths and buttress up the regional markets with Oaklawn as a e.g. There’s such a large opportunity in St. Louis were Fairmount Park is in process of going down the tubes in a market were they might get us old folks betting on pick sixes every weekend, but for some marketing.
March 28th, 2009 at 12:59 pm
Reply, specifically to Bob Hope - Comment 19.
For a moment I thought it might be the ghost of THE Bob Hope, making another of his famous jokes. But, in case I’m wrong …………………………………………………………..
“………obviously has never been subjected to the stealthy, vindictive, repercussions of the alphabet groups.”
Well, that makes me feel small and humble. Here I am thinking, at very least , of notoriety for my actions against The Jockey Club and …………….POP! goes my balloon.
As everyone with whom I’m acquainted knows, I’ve suffered plenty and continue to suffer for my audacity in sueing TJC for infringing on my Constitutional right of free speech. I’ve paid for my effrontery in offering Keeneland suggestions on how they might improve the Sales.
A few examples of my penance.
Virtually impossible to have a name for a horse approved as submitted. At this moment I have new examples on my desk .
Had my horse scratched as a “ringer” at Turfway, although the horse ran at Ellis two weeks earlier. Then, it was conceded by TJC it had made an unfortunate error in the description of markings. Not admitted: that a year earlier I had asked TJC to change the Certificate and they refused!
My Sales entries are always as far back in the catalogue as Keeneland can put them. More than two years ago I complained to Mr. Nicholson. He promised to investigate and get back to me. I am still waiting. Now, I don’t send horses to Keeneland unless it is a foal share with someone like Sheikh Mohammed.
I appealed to the Kentucky Authority in a matter where Stewards refused to act. The KHRA then held a hearing, in violation of Kentucky Open Meeting Law, and denied my appeal. I submitted that one to the Attorney General who ruled the KHRA had indeed conducted an illegal meeting. However, by then it was too late to bother going on with the case.
Hope I’ve given enough examples, though I have more.
I would not ask anyone to take actions I am not prepared to take. True, they are vindictive etc. They don’t take prisoners, but they have not murdered me - YET! Perhaps I am not worth their most aggressive attention, I am small fry. A mere gadfly. That is exactly why I ask that others stand up and be counted. One thousand gadflys cannot be ignored.
One caution. They can buy the best politicians, lawyers and judges that money can buy. Revolutionaries will need a substantial treasury. But, most of all, revolutionaries need a leader. Where is our George Washington?
March 28th, 2009 at 2:04 pm
Scars indeed ! Well done ! Gadflys must be aware of the RAID !! George Washington can’t help us but supporting this forum for free speech can ! Keep your powder dry, the big battle is on the horizon and the truth is on our side !
March 30th, 2009 at 6:16 am
Great article indeed.
The NTRA would deserve more help, but Mr. Waldrop isn’t helping himself. The “shoot the messenger” - approach has been employed by this industry for too long, and it’s increasingly obvious that it fails, which I consider a good thing.
I also want to thank Joe for copying the great letter by Gail Vacca into this comment section. Seldom enough that someone so clearly points to the obvious.
The only question left is: What’s taking congress so long?
April 1st, 2009 at 12:22 am
[...] to little effect, other than to make the NTRA and the Safety Alliance appear as irrelevant as critics charge and to expose the limits of industry self-regulation. That’s unfortunate, especially [...]