If you believed that everything has fallen in place and the stage is set for an exciting Bangalore Summer season to start on Saturday, May 19, you are mistaken. Long ago, the Jockeys Association of India was the principal cause for the delayed start of the season and their role had been usurped by others in the last decade. The JAI seems to be keen on asserting its presence. The association has demanded withdrawal of the norm for jockeys which mandates that all jockeys must compulsorily have ridden 20 races and placed in three of them for their license to be renewed. The Bangalore Turf Club has not agreed to this condition and has not licensed several jockeys in the last few years.

The Jockeys Association of India President Pradeep Chouhan stated that they had run out of patience. ``We have been to the negotiating table several times but to our chagrin, the norm has been passed and we got the intimation only on Monday. All along we were under the impression that our letter is under consideration by the turf club. We are shocked that our point of view has been ignored totally. The reality of the situation demands that the club handle this issue with a humane approach,`` Chouhan said.

``It is not that the jockeys don`t want to fulfil the norm that they should have placed in three races. Unfortunately, several jockeys get to ride only horses which are not ready to come anywhere near the board and it is only accident of circumstance that they manage to finish among the first three. The owners are not ready to be sympathetic to the plight of under-performing jockeys and trainers also use them exclusively to prepare their horses. These jockeys eke out a living by being in the profession and getting riding fee. Though their income may be meagre, they have to somehow survive in the profession. Having no other skills, they can earn some kind of a livelihood only being licensed jockeys, hoping for a windfall though more opportunities to earn at least riding fee. Under such circumstances, the turf club authorities should understand the plight of the hapless jockeys and not hit hard on their only source of income,`` Chouhan added.

What Chouhan says makes sense because that is the reality whatever norm one tries to force on lesser known jockeys who cannot get rides which have a chance however best they are prepared to do under the circumstances. Quite often the instructions from trainers for these type of jockeys would be to ask them not to figure anywhere near the board. With such clear cut instructions, if the jockey still manages to come on board, he is in danger of losing his job as a work jockey. These types of jockeys get only unfit horses which are being given runs to bring them down in handicap scale. It is a Catch 22 situation.

The turf club needs to reconsider their stand as they are not spending any money on them. The club has also been guilty of licensing a record number of apprentices under pressure from various quarters. Some of these jockeys are still to get a ride. When there is congestion of jockeys, with over 100 apprentices, how can you expect norms which mandate a minimum performance? When there are no such restrictions for non performing trainers, why are the jockeys targeted?