Industry participants are reminded that offset sulkies will be banned for use in harness racing in Australia from 1 September 2020.
This decision of the HRA Gear & Equipment Committee was first announced in a published statement on 1 September 2015, with the 5-year notice period believed appropriate given at that time there were no offset sulkies being manufactured or distributed in the Australian market at that time, while providing ample opportunity for the industry to utilise existing sulkies and make alternate arrangements for the future.
The HRA Sulky Standard was also amended at that time to reflect the change.
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 website and that Stewards will continue to conduct checks to ensure that this is the case. All gear must also 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 condition, that will withstand the rigors of training, trials and racing.
The HRA gear and equipment lists can be found at: http://www.harness.org.au/hra/GEAR.HTM
For any additional details, please contact Harness Racing Australia on (03) 9227 3000.