DESPITE a 45-minute delay, along with the addition of extra weights, Dennis DeRoop’s gelding Score’s Even ruled the track in the feature event for horses classified A1 and Lower at the Kennard’s Memorial Turf Club’s Boxing Day horse race meeting, held at the Bush Lot, Corentyne track last Friday.

It was the fifth first-place finish from eight starts for Score’s Even, closing the curtain on another year of horseracing that was not short of confusion, as DeRoop bluntly put it without fear and favour in a post-race interview, “I am fed up of the nonsense prevailing in horseracing.”
He was referring to the back and forth rumblings that took place before the feature event was held, including his jockey Rad Drepaul being recalled to the scale room several times, for the adding on of weights to the horse which was registered to carry 130 pounds
“I expected the horse to win, but I am more happy with the win here on this track, as he is always beaten here. This is a tough track to win on and a very slow one too, but I think he (Score’s Even) was well prepared for the going and even though it was slow, he improved himself tremendously,” said DeRoop.
He added, “I am tired over the controversy surrounding this category of horses. This thing (is) supposed to be a fun thing. I joined the sport of horse racing as a hobby and to have fun, having my entire family and friends coming to support me, because they enjoy the excitement, but honestly it has become very stressful now.
“It is not supposed to be like this, it is supposed to be a fun-loving sport where everybody comes and enjoys on the day, but it is not so and I am hoping that they make races, as only this track alone accommodates us despite the hiccups we face,” said DeRoop.
He made reference to the Guyana Cup rematch horse race meeting, where Score’s Even was debarred from competing.
“Nowhere in the world will you see something like that. An open race or stakes race, anybody is allowed to race, only in age races there is a limit and when it comes to horse racing, Guyana is going backwards as a few people want to dominate the sport. They don’t wish for an outside horse to win and that is very sad for the sport,” said DeRoop.
As it relates to the legislation that is to be put in place by the Guyana Horse Racing Authority (GHRA), bringing horse owners, trainers and jockeys in line, the visibly angry DeRoop said it will never pass, since it will cater for the small horse owners.
“I said it before and I will say it again, the stakeholders don’t want the legislation to be passed, because if they had it in place, then Score’s Even would have been able to compete on all the tracks and run in all the races.
The big stakeholders don’t want legislation for horse racing in Guyana, as some of them are cheating by using electric shock and even doping amongst other illegal activities, to ensure their horses win, so they only bluffing when they say they are fighting for legislation. Only the few horse owners in the lower class are the ones fighting for the legislation, as they are the ones suffering.”
He referred to the absence of races for lower classified horse owners, who have been fighting feverishly for the implementation of the legislation, but being blocked by the higher class horse owners, even though it is evident that the lower class horses are the ones who have been sustaining the sport.
“When you look at the last race meeting held, there was no race for the lower category of horses and they are the ones who sustain the sport in Guyana.
“The very poor horse owners are the ones who have been suffering but they are being hampered by the big ones who clearly don’t wish to have legislation in this country. Mr Marcel Crawford had approved a document for the legislation and instead of passing it, they went and tampered with it and we don’t even have one which clearly states they don’t want legislation,” said DeRoop.
Meanwhile, in an invited comment on the matter with GHRA president Vic Oudit via telephone, Chronicle Sport learnt that several attempts were made to facilitate DeRoop and the horse in question Score’s Even by the governing body, but at the end of it all, the tracks are the ones responsible.
According to Oudit, DeRoop knows he has to deal with the track owners who have the sole authority to pronounce on the programme for the day and there is nothing the GHRA can do about that, as they do not interfere with the programmes set out by the tracks on the day of the meet.
As it relates to the proposed legislation, Oudit said a draft copy of the document was handed over to Minister of Sport Dr Frank Anthony, awaiting a passage in Parliament, so at the moment, that is out of the hands of the GHRA.

(By Calvin Roberts)