Sulky racing: Travellers should have been consulted

An organisation representing the Travelling community has said Travellers should have been consulted before recommendations for new laws on sulky racing were made to the Government, and that funding should be made available to promote the sport.

Pavee Point has also raised concern that some of the recommendations made by the Cork County Joint Policing Committee (JPC) might be too stringent.

The JPC made its recommendations for changes in the law following an infamous sulky race on the main Cork-Mallow road last year.

During the race, Travellers were seen driving four abreast and heading northbound as they followed two young sulky racers. Oncoming traffic was forced to take evasive action and the Travellers also ignored garda patrol cars which tried to stop the race.

The JPC has recommended that in future such races only be allowed if the sulky drivers wear reflective jackets, helmets and have anti-roll bars fitted to their carriages.

They also want people engaged in such races to give prior warning to the authorities and furnish them with an event safety statement for road races. They also propose that all horses are fitted with nappies.

Pavee Point co-director Martin Collins said his organisation welcomed any initiative that would make sulky racing safer and more enjoyable for all.

He said there is a need to introduce some structure and regulation in this area, “but in doing so it’s important that we don’t regulate and legislate sulky racing out of existence.”

Mr Collins said a happy medium needs to be struck between health and safety issues “and not setting the bar so high, as it may make it impossible for people to comply with.”

He said any measures being introduced must be done in consultation with the sulky racers, particularly if the authorities are “trying to buy in their support”.

“I would also suggest that funding needs to be made available to support sulky racing, as potentially this could become a huge tourist attraction. It is the case that successive Irish governments have pumped millions in to the equine industry such as tax breaks, etc, so the same needs to happen for sulky racing, which is predominantly practiced by Travellers and working class people,” Mr Collins said.

“Horse owners should be made responsible for cleaning up after their horses, just like dog owners. I am also led to believe that nappies can actually agitate horses and make them more unpredictable,” he said.

Cllr John Collins, chairman of the JPC, said it had always been intended to engage with Travellers prior to the legislation being enacted. He said it was imperative that the danger to horses, their drivers and other road users be addressed by this legislation.