Press release - Parade ring access

Respectability is in the eye of the beholder Mac. Respectable shorts, Golf shirt what is wrong with that? Grr

Mac the "rule" as you put it at the beginning of this thread is a press release and not a rule. It seems in essence, a request to dress in a certain way. It does not appear to be a rule. Please can you clarify. You also miss my point. Racing is losing participants including owners. The small guys who do not have the vast fortunes of the gentlemen I name, do not need to feel further marginalised.

OTA

The first line of the press release States

NEW RULES

Over the Air wrote: Mac the "rule" as you put it at the beginning of this thread is a press release and not a rule. It seems in essence, a request to dress in a certain way. It does not appear to be a rule. Please can you clarify. You also miss my point. Racing is losing participants including owners. The small guys who do not have the vast fortunes of the gentlemen I name, do not need to feel further marginalised.

I have never enjoyed dress codes in any sphere of life but that is my personal view. If, however, I choose to take up a hobby where there is a dress code then I knowingly accede to that. A perfect example of this is the "white dinner" - "Diner en Blanc" where the code is " Strictly Elegant White Everyone dresses elegantly in white".
I personally do not care how anybody dresses but I do think that if you want to own a horse and know a certain dress code is common practice then you should abide by it. I don't think a dress code will ever chase away new owners because if you can afford between 1k and 9k a month to own a horse then you can afford to buy appropriate apparel. I'm no longer young enough to go clubbing but I remember most clubs in the 80's and 90's had dress codes of some sort - If you wanted to mix with the crowd you had to dress the part. Personally I could not care how an owner is dressed but the convention of ownership has always been smart(now smart/casual also)

When one becomes an owner doesnt one accept all the rules, other terms of reference, written or unwritten? If one chooses not to accept then one should not become an owner, surely. Just like the customs in any other sphere of life. A slob would never dress like one at his daughter's wedding...

Bob I see this. However..... There is no new rule on the Phumelela website, RA website or the NHA website under rules. The only mention about dress code comes on the RA website and this is related to their private facility the Elevation Room. So my question is - WHOSE RULES ARE THESE AND WHERE ARE THEY DOCUMENTED? Who made these "rules" and were members consulted?

Mac wrote: When one becomes an owner doesnt one accept all the rules, other terms of reference, written or unwritten? If one chooses not to accept then one should not become an owner, surely. Just like the customs in any other sphere of life. A slob would never dress like one at his daughter's wedding...

Mac this is the biggest lot of tripe I have read on this forum and that is saying a lot. Comparing a wedding to a day at the races? Really? Calling an owner who has invested plenty getting his horse to the track a slob because he has short pants on? Really?

Lets see the rules you refer to missy Grrrrrr

i have a problem when i have twice been stopped for wearing a tshirt or sneakers
but others can do as they please.

Either there are rules (and I gather there are) and these should be enforced whether the owner is a Sheik or Frodo, OR there are no rules. I should not matter who is responsible for determining the rules, and I agree with Mr H that I can't see owners giving up the game because of these rules - there are many more 'rules' that have a much bigger effect on owner numbers.

And to Mav, when we had a winner (such a long time ago that my memory is not really clear ), they let the kids for the photos after all the other horses have left - which makes sense imo

Not being petty but the first winner at Scottsville was led in by a guy carrying a toddler...

Suppose it`s good to feel important and issue rules,but when your not able to enforce them?

What would be the implications if the toddler was kicked by the horse?

Sure i seen a kid about 7 lead in a horses race 2 today at Durbanville, have they changed their minds? I know its quite petty but if my mate cant take his kids?