At the bottom of this page you’ll find an e-mail I sent to a small group of racing participants on Monday 27/08/2012 8:19 PM
The 2012 date is not a typo but will probably give you an insight into a problem I could see 6 years ago and how I thought we might be able to solve it. I don’t really know what had me sitting down typing this at 8.20pm on a Monday but it’s probably the same thing that has me sitting here on a Sunday typing this one too. For some reason I care.
When The Informant announced they will have to cease publication this week I was really hurt for them and also surprised at the amount of people who suddenly want to support something they could have been supporting during it’s publication. Hopefully they get the support they need.
I find it interesting when I hear some people throw around chat that young people need to put their hand up and start helping out more. Not just in racing but other areas of the community too. That’s a great idea but will they be listened to or taken seriously? What happens when they do put their hand up? Should they care enough to keep chipping away like the 24 year old firing off e-mails at 8.20pm on a Monday evening?
Back to this 2012 e-mail. My favourite part of this story is to let you know that I didn’t get a response nor have anyone enquire about my genius plan. What an idiot. Me, not them. Thinking that it would be that easy.
When I sat with Te Akau’s David Ellis at Te Rapa on the 18th of August 2018 and he offered Boys Get Paid, two paid up 5% shares in their 2yo fillies, he wasn’t talking to me. He was talking to the 24 year old lad sitting as his laptop typing, trying to make a difference in an industry that’s probably made minimal progress in that same 6 years. David suggested I take 24 hours to think about it and whether we keep 5% for the group and 5% for BGP admin. I only needed 24 seconds to explain the 10% would be raced by anyone in the community that wanted to be involved and that any prize money would be reinvested into the group in the form of content and events.
Like everything racing, it’s a long game and unfortunately neither have hit the track yet. 1,000 people have however loved getting the updates and an insight into what a horse is doing in the background. For most of this 1,000, it is their first exposure to racing a horse.
On the 4th of May 2019, we are heading back to Te Rapa for a party and a celebration. A celebration of an idea that took 6 years to pull off. A party because why farking not. It’s been a huge last 6 months for both Te Akau and BGP. As racing starts to slow down for Winter, we’ll be busy behind the scenes working on our latest ideas, events and the ultimate goal of seeing those BGP silks pick up a Group 1 race.
Let’s make it a good one.
See you there,
Kemeys
SUBJECT: Young People In Racing
To whom it may concern,