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Thread: BHA New Chairman

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    BHA New Chairman

    https://www.racingpost.com/news/late...a-chair/373769

    I don't know this lady at all but I can't help thinking WTF!! She has zero experience of horse racing. And now she is Chairman of the BHA - well I suppose at least she's not Australian but all the same......

    I have had more to do with the BHA recently through my role within point to pointing and currently I despair of their incompetence. I just get the feeling that so few of them actually have a real grasp on horse racing as very few have actually ever worked in the industry. Whilst that should not be a complete barrier to a job there, some hands-on grass roots experience surely has to be valuable? We are currently desperate for new Stewards within pointing. I have a friend who is a solicitor, has owned racehorses for several years, ridden since childhood and served on a point to point committee - an ideal candidate. I put his name forward to the BHA as requested. I emailed them several times as has the Point to Point Authority. I have spoken to the person who deals with this face to face - twice. Has she bothered to do ANYTHING? Nope.
    tu ne cede malis, sed contra audentior ito

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    Senior Member Desert Orchid's Avatar
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    You know what will emerge, though...

    It's not what she knows but who she knows.
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    Quote Originally Posted by jinnyj View Post
    https://www.racingpost.com/news/late...a-chair/373769

    I don't know this lady at all but I can't help thinking WTF!! She has zero experience of horse racing. And now she is Chairman of the BHA - well I suppose at least she's not Australian but all the same......

    I have had more to do with the BHA recently through my role within point to pointing and currently I despair of their incompetence. I just get the feeling that so few of them actually have a real grasp on horse racing as very few have actually ever worked in the industry. Whilst that should not be a complete barrier to a job there, some hands-on grass roots experience surely has to be valuable? We are currently desperate for new Stewards within pointing. I have a friend who is a solicitor, has owned racehorses for several years, ridden since childhood and served on a point to point committee - an ideal candidate. I put his name forward to the BHA as requested. I emailed them several times as has the Point to Point Authority. I have spoken to the person who deals with this face to face - twice. Has she bothered to do ANYTHING? Nope.
    I couldn't agree more. The press release doesn't even try to pretend she knows anything about horse racing and leaves it open to question if she's ever even been to a racecourse. She says "I relish the opportunity to work in British racing. Everything I’ve seen and heard tells me that racing people are passionate about their sport, proud of its magnificent heritage and unified by a love of horses."

    Honestly, this is embarrassing. The Chair of the Nominating Committee said she brings "
    an astute grasp of the issues facing major sports, including their engagement with government" She, herself, says she hopes to bring her deep knowledge of sports to the role; what does that even mean? This is purely a political move and can only mean that racing is more concerned about the Government's perspective than bringing any authentic leadership to the sport itself. The BHA talks about her bringing 'objectivity' to the role; presumably this means that they are concerned that any qualified people who are passionate about racing and want to serve this great sport will have their views dismissed because of a supposed lack of objectivity. Maybe they wanted to avoid charges of 'the old boys club' but they need to remember there are plenty of people interested and involved in racing who are not, and never will be, part of that club.
    I am not surprised that your friend can't even get the courtesy of a response; they are closed shop and when they make the token effort to open up that shop, they open the wrong door to the wrong people.


    Last edited by pdleech; 3rd April 2019 at 4:30 AM.

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    Senior Member Desert Orchid's Avatar
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    It's happening everywhere.

    It's all about "skill sets" when recruiting.

    In education (in Scotland anyway) there are PE teachers running maths departments and linguists running HE departments. As a linguist myself I was once encouraged to apply for a job that involved running subjects well outwith my knowledge of them. I politely declined.

    In our local authority, they've handed the running of schools over to the Social Work department. Seriously.
    Illegitimi non carborundum


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    Senior Member an capall's Avatar
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    I studied Old English and Medieval History at Uni and now run a fairly large function for a Semi-Conductor company. Just sayin, like.....
    "And still they gazed and still the wonder grew. That one small head could carry all he knew.

    And that small head knew that Impaire Et Passe would win the Champion Hurdle."

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    Senior Member Desert Orchid's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by an capall View Post
    I studied Old English and Medieval History at Uni and now run a fairly large function for a Semi-Conductor company. Just sayin, like.....
    That's a different situation altogether, surely.

    I was pretty hot at maths at school and - believe it or not - was selected for an advanced computer programming course when I was out of work in 1980. Can you imagine the look on the faces of some people on here if I suggested I could run a programming department?

    scream.jpg
    Illegitimi non carborundum


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    Senior Member an capall's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Desert Orchid View Post
    That's a different situation altogether, surely.

    I was pretty hot at maths at school and - believe it or not - was selected for an advanced computer programming course when I was out of work in 1980. Can you imagine the look on the faces of some people on here if I suggested I could run a programming department?


    B

    scream.jpg
    But you could - in your sleep.

    I understand the niche BHA point, well made, but cross sectoral training and flexibility is of immense value, certainly in my industry. For example - IBM was on the verge of Chapter 11 in the early 90's and no established executive from the ICT companies would touch it with a barge pole. So they hired Lou Gerstner as CEO and Lou was instrumental in regrowing a technology powerhouse. They found him at Nabisco - a biscuit making company.
    Last edited by an capall; 3rd April 2019 at 11:54 AM.
    "And still they gazed and still the wonder grew. That one small head could carry all he knew.

    And that small head knew that Impaire Et Passe would win the Champion Hurdle."

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    Senior Member Desert Orchid's Avatar
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    Fair enough...

    But I can tell you that from what I'm hearing (given that my family and I still have many contacts within education) that there are a lot of unhappy people in the schools and offices who are struggling to get line managers to understand specific difficulties within specialist subject areas. In fact, after I retired, my ex-line manager (an English teacher who knew little about French, Spanish or German) told me personally he felt he was short-changing my department because he didn't know enough about the teaching of languages to care about looking after us properly!!

    I understand he has since left the building...
    Illegitimi non carborundum


  11. #9
    Senior Member G-G's Avatar
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    In her defence ( don't know her from Eve but ) she may not have experience in the industry but that doesn't mean she will be useless at it. I was offered and took a job years ago with no experience, all the other candidates had worked at studs/racing yards etc and were far more 'qualified' through experience ignoring equine degrees than I was, but I got the job. I was told it was because I was enthusiastic and passionate ( not sure how they saw the latter in an interview but anyway) . Obviously not on her level but I'm just saying....

    My own personal opinion of the BHA is unprintable. I won't bore you with the story but they gave me such incorrect information about a situation, refused to confirm what they had told me in writing, then denied it, then refused to talk about it as solicitors were involved - the very least of the whole episode was the cost to me of nearly £5k in solicitor fees and achieved absolutely nothing with regard to resolving the situation with a trainer.
    Vote Alfie!!!!

  12. #10
    Senior Member an capall's Avatar
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    See GG - you are passionate....
    "And still they gazed and still the wonder grew. That one small head could carry all he knew.

    And that small head knew that Impaire Et Passe would win the Champion Hurdle."

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    I wonder will she be passionate enough about the sport to give the BHA a temporary loan to get over a cash flow issue.
    i reckon it should be part of every interview process , if only to rate enthusiasm.
    I wish her well , but maybe they should have held out for Teresa May
    Last edited by edgt; 3rd April 2019 at 8:58 PM.

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    Senior Member G-G's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by an capall View Post
    See GG - you are passionate....
    Bless you
    Vote Alfie!!!!

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