Owners association up in arms
We have become aware of hostilities breaking out between Ken Spicer and the Harness Racing Owners Association.
We have taken the following excerpt from the harness racing owners site.
Our owners rep on HRNZ (Ken Spicer) has sold us out and we are calling for his resignation immediately (not later when it suits him).
Here is the letter that Richard received a couple of days ago.
We want someone who will represent owners interests not the Breeders Association takeover – they are funded by HRNZ and have quite a different agenda to us.
Here is the letter the Harness Racing Owners Associations received from Ken Spicer that has sparked world war three between the parties.
NZ Trotting Owners Association Attention: Mr Richard Brosnan
Dear Richard
I am writing to advise the New Zealand Trotting Owners Association that I will be resigning from my position as their representative on the HRNZ board at the New Zealand Harness Racing AGM in August 2015.
The board of HRNZ has signalled to the industry its wish to do some restructuring at governance level and the first step in this process may be the merging of the Owners’ appointee with that of the NZSBA appointee.
With this in mind, I have taken the opportunity of accepting a nomination from various clubs to stand as a club appointee, so that I may continue to have a part to play in the administration and governance of our industry.
I would like to thank the New Zealand Trotting Owners for the opportunity that I was given of being their appointed representative on the HRNZ board.
Contrary to what some people say, the concerns and interests of owners are at the heart of all the decisions made by the board and will continue to be so.
It is also worth noting that almost every board member is an owner, a large majority having substantial ownership interests.
Whilst the New Zealand Trotting Owners Association did have a role to play in the past, I feel in its present form it is unable to provide any real tangible benefit to those involved and I feel this is reflected in the membership numbers and its fragmented structure.
HRNZ itself has now taken on a more proactive role in initiating owners’ incentives and communications as have the NZSBA whose membership is largely made up of owners.
Falling industry participant numbers do not make it viable to still have two such kindred bodies in my opinion.
Once again thank you and the Association for the opportunity I was given, I have enjoyed my time working with you all.
Kind Regards Ken Spicer
Hard to know the rights and wrongs here without doing a lot more research and we need to talk to NRNZ to get their views on what has happened here but it is not a good look for an industry in turmoil to be at loggerheads with itself.
What this matter does do is raise serious ethical questions yet again about the governance of this industry.
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