Team Valor Quits South African Racing

It is with sadness and regret that today I have taken a decision to leave South African racing and breeding.

I will come up with a plan to liquidate my racing and breeding stock.

Some of the stock will be moved to different countries.

It will be an orderly process so as to disrupt as few people's lives as possible.

As some of you may or may not know, I have over the past few months put in an effort to make heads or tails (and even tales!) out of the export protocol strategies.

No matter what you hear or read, progress is considerably less rosy than it has been portrayed.

I sent one of the world's leading equine immunologist to South Africa on a fact-finding mission. He reported that the scientific progress as being directed by Dr. Guthrie and his associates in the Western Cape has been impressive.

From what I have been told by my contacts, however, the business end of affairs is not up to the same standard of the scientists involved. I have learned that as long as Chris van Niekerk continues to be involved in the effort that the initiative is likely to continue to be slow-track because the international community wants nothing to do with Markus Jooste or anybody tainted by him.

I don't know Mr. van Niekerk. For all I know he is a wonderful fellow. But the cooties he collected from being involved with Markus Jooste is something he cannot easily shed.

For the greater good of the industry, he should agree to step aside so that the effort can present a better front.

Furthermore the initiative in South Africa has as presented by the export group led by Adrian Todd leads outsiders to believe that the commercial and self-serving aspects of the effort far outweigh the beneficial nature of the progress a viable export protocol can have on the entire South African racing and breeding community.

I personally tried to cause a change, but I must sadly report that not enough support was received, so it's business as usual--except it will toddle on without my involvement.

I love my South African horses, friends and horsemen and women, but I can no longer stand by and be involved with people that simply are unable to help themselves.


Barry Irwin
CEO
Team Valor International

Another MJ poisoned needle into the yearling sales for today.

Another nail in the racing coffin

Very sad indeed and a further blow to SA racing

This is absolute bollocks in my opinion. Barry Irwin's constant complaining and griping have now reached a level , imho, that it is best for him and for SA Racing, that he moves on.

If the " International" people are that fickle and that stupid, what can we do about it ? What more could Chris van Niekerk do than to walk away from horse partnerships and carry on doing what he loves. Must he also exit racing, to please these holiest of holies? Must every Trainer who ever trained for MJ now hand in their license ? And every groom who groomed those horses - must they leave racing and become unemployed ? Lord help us !

So, the Scientific proof is no longer good enough ? Now its about who knew who. What an absolute lot of bullshit !

......so that's the silver lining f@cked then......well done Barry.....cut to the chase.....Todd and CvN also known as the CTS crowd..... have been blowing smoke up breeders, international buyers and our racing industry at large big ignorant Arses....well that says it all.....was going to the sales today to perhaps run into some people that could shed light on racing's future and will not be as they have in the past.....to move out of the Jooste inspired grasp.....but alas they cannot stand up and move forward....so they must then live with this poison and let beloved racing die.....

....for me Barry has been our best barometer and thermometer to warn us of how sick our industry actually is....it is now terminal.... only because the patient refuses to acknowledge that they need help.... :whistle:

We got similar letter about 2 years ago, and not prepared to post on a site with nameless posters.

However it all adds to another blow to racing.

Dave Scott wrote: We got similar letter about 2 years ago, and not prepared to post on a site with nameless posters.

However it all adds to another blow to racing.

Geez .... I'm sure 'they' thank the 'nameless posters' every day .... such a handy excuse

Unfortunately SA racing does need Barry Irwin and many more Barries, we cant afford to turn away honest foreign investors that help put SA horses on the international stage as well as those investing time and money into our industry, and who can blame him for wanting to exit this monopolistic situation that SA racing has found itself in, the outside world does not have a controlled press as we have here,, we have to realise that MJ and cronies are seen as villains in the outside world like it or not so Barry is correct, its not about expelling everyone who mixed with him but more so about those who were part of his racing controll dream,, visitors and foriegn investors will not accept the bulling and contemptuous treatment as we do,

Frodo wrote:

Dave Scott wrote: We got similar letter about 2 years ago, and not prepared to post on a site with nameless posters.

However it all adds to another blow to racing.

Geez .... I'm sure 'they' thank the 'nameless posters' every day .... such a handy excuse

maybe its time to start calling the nameless posters by their real names- PUNTERS - those people that pay for all the politics and TV shows and Draws for big races and help to keep families and friends employed by the operators -

mister a wrote: Unfortunately SA racing does need Barry Irwin and many more Barries, we cant afford to turn away honest foreign investors that help put SA horses on the international stage as well as those investing time and money into our industry, and who can blame him for wanting to exit this monopolistic situation that SA racing has found itself in, the outside world does not have a controlled press as we have here,, we have to realise that MJ and cronies are seen as villains in the outside world like it or not so Barry is correct, its not about expelling everyone who mixed with him but more so about those who were part of his racing controll dream,, visitors and foriegn investors will not accept the bulling and contemptuous treatment as we do,

.....the industry besides being terminally ill....is suffering from typical Stockholm syndrome....it was held captive by a tyrant and now that they have been freed they still hold him in high esteem.....after the years of been controlled..... they are unable to fend for themselves and find a way forward free from this tyranny..... :S

louisg wrote: This is absolute bollocks in my opinion. Barry Irwin's constant complaining and griping have now reached a level , imho, that it is best for him and for SA Racing, that he moves on.

If the " International" people are that fickle and that stupid, what can we do about it ? What more could Chris van Niekerk do than to walk away from horse partnerships and carry on doing what he loves. Must he also exit racing, to please these holiest of holies? Must every Trainer who ever trained for MJ now hand in their license ? And every groom who groomed those horses - must they leave racing and become unemployed ? Lord help us !

So, the Scientific proof is no longer good enough ? Now its about who knew who. What an absolute lot of bullshit !

Barry Irwin came here and found his own gold mine. While he was here it was great and it's a pity he can't stay. But the tail shouldn't wag the dog. Politics changes with the inevitability of a clock ticking and it's sad Mr Irwin coundn't or won't stay the course to see how it all turns out. I don't know any of these players personally, but C.v.Niekerk's public profile seems to be decent and fair and i don't see how he is responsible for all possible progress as Mr irwin does.