New Zealand’s leading trainer Mark Walker is a strong advocate for jumps racing and hopes to see the sport continue and flourish.
New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing released a consultation document last week, proposing two options – the continuation of the jumps racing with a dedicated strategy and additional investment, or a managed wind-down and eventual closure of jumps racing.
Walker, who trains in partnership with Sam Bergerson, won 169 races in New Zealand last season after a record-breaking 203 wins the season prior.
The Te Akau conditioner, who also operates a stable from Cranbourne in Victoria, enjoys preparing jumpers and sees the broader benefit jumps racing provides to the whole industry.
“I’m a massive fan of retaining jumps racing,” Walker told RSN.
“Obviously, I came from a show jumping and eventing background, and I enjoy having a few jumpers.
“When I think of all of our apprentices over the years, and we’ve had some champion apprentices, they’ve all schooled horses, they’ve all jumped horses, and I think that makes them into better horsemen and horsewomen.
“It’s good watching jumps racing, in my opinion. It’s just a different novelty, and a lot of people really enjoy watching it. And sometimes you can’t make money out of every race, but I think you’ve got to look at the bigger part of the industry, a lot of jumps jockeys, they help break in horses, they help track ride, so many different things.
“Some of them work on the barriers in the summer, when the winter jumps racing finishes. And I think it provides a lot of other avenues that you’ve got to take into account as well.”
Walker is confident New Zealand jumps racing will get a shot in the arm to continue.
“I think initially they’ll throw it a bit of a lifeline, and then it’s up to all of our participants to get behind it, and try and get the field numbers up, and source other jumps riders, mainly, I’d suggest, from Europe.
“Then it’s really up to us as participants, to get behind it and get it going again.”
