Industry participants are reminded that as advised previously, offset sulkies will be banned for use in harness racing in Australia from 1 September 2020.
This decision of the Gear & Equipment Committee was first announced in a published statement on 1 September 2015, with the 5-year notice period believed to be:
- appropriate given at the time there were no offset sullies being manufactured or distributed in the Australian market; and,
- providing ample opportunity for the industry to utilise existing sulkies and make alternative arrangements for the future.
The HRA Sulky Standard was also amended at that time.
Participants are reminded that all gear and equipment that is used in official racing and trials must conform to the standards that are published on the HRA section of the harness.org.au website, and that Stewards will continue to conduct checks to ensure that this is the case. All gear must be used for the correct purpose and in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions or recommendations. Gear and equipment must also be of a standard, and be maintained in a good condition, that will withstand the rigors of training, trialling and racing.
The HRA Gear and Equipment lists can be found at: http://www.harness.org.au/hra/GEAR.HTM.
For any additional details or information, please contact the Harness Racing Australia office on 03 9227 3000