Archive Decision

This decision has been migrated from the JCA website. Information is accurate but formatting may differ from contemporary decisions. Please contact us for any further enquiries.

Kumeu TC 15 November 2013 – R 5

ID: JCA15060

Applicant:
Mr J M Muirhead - Stipendiary Steward

Respondent(s):
Mr S Abernethy - Licensed Junior Horseman

Other Person:
Mr S Phelan - Senior Horseman assisting Mr S Abernethy

Information Number:
A3826

Hearing Type:
Hearing

New Charge:
Careless Driving

Rules:
Rule 869(3)(b)

Plea:
admitted

Meet Title:
Kumeu TC - 15 November 2013

Meet Chair:
BScott

Meet Committee Member 1:
GJones

Race Date:
2013/11/15

Race Number:
R5

Decision:

The Charge is admitted and accordingly is proved.

Penalty:

The Committee impose a fine of $250.00 on Mr Abernethy.

Facts:

Following the running of the Horselands Kumeu Grain Mobile Pace an Information was lodged by Stipendiary Steward Mr JM Muirhead against Licensed Junior Horseman Mr S Abernethy alleging that Mr Abernethy drove  THAIAKNOT carelessly by striking the wheel of INEEDANORVIC when attempting to ease down on that runner's back with 1700 metres to run.

Mr Abernethy was present and advised the Committee that he admitted the charge. Mr Abernethy was assisted by Senior Horseman Mr S Phelan.

Mr Muirhead demonstrated the incident by use of the video films and showed that approaching the 1700 metres mark Mr Abernethy moved up towards INEEDANORVIC (Driver Ms A Donnelly) and when that runner moved forwards he attempted to ease back in behind it but in doing so he struck its sulky wheel and his horse broke.

Mr Phelan said that at the time Ms Donnelly had chased her horse up and when Mr Abernethy attempted to ease down behind her she then took hold of her horse. He said that this contributed to the incident.

Submissions for Penalty:

Mr Muirhead referred to the JCA Guidelines which provide for a starting point penalty of a fine of $400.00 or suspension of Licence for 8 Drives. He said that this was not a major incident but he did point out that Mr Abernethy had a previous charge under this Rule (although a different section) on the 5th of March 2013.

He submitted that a fine of $200 to $300 was appropriate.

Mr Phelan asked the Committee to ignore the earlier charge referred to by Mr Muirhead but did agree that this was not a major incident and pointed out that no other horses were affected. He submitted that a fine of $200 was appropriate.

Reasons for Penalty:

The Committee listened to the evidence and submissions and we have viewed the Race Films several times. They clearly show Mr Abernethy trying to ease down behind INEEDANORVIC and striking the sulky wheel of that horse. Mr Abernethy was clearly careless.

He has however admitted the breach (although in the Committee's view he had no option) but in mitigation he has not affected any other horse. The Owner of his horse was affected however.  He is a Junior Horseman and we accept that this incident is at the lower end of the scale of seriousness. He did however have a careless driving charge in March and he needs to be aware of this.

Taking the aggravating and mitigating factors into account the Committee believes that a fine of $250.00 is appropriate.

JCA Decision Fields (raw)

Dmitry: This section contains all JCA fields migrated from the raw data.

Data from these fields should be mapped appropriately to display amongst the standard fields above; please make note of any values below that are missing in the above standard fields but should be there.

hearingid: a17e0057a0a00a29d48125f35ce0788c


informantnumber: A3826


horsename:


hearing_racingtype:


startdate: no date provided


newcharge: Careless Driving


plea: admitted


penaltyrequired: 1


decisiondate: 06/11/2013


hearing_title: Kumeu TC 15 November 2013 - R 5


charge:


facts:

Following the running of the Horselands Kumeu Grain Mobile Pace an Information was lodged by Stipendiary Steward Mr JM Muirhead against Licensed Junior Horseman Mr S Abernethy alleging that Mr Abernethy drove  THAIAKNOT carelessly by striking the wheel of INEEDANORVIC when attempting to ease down on that runner's back with 1700 metres to run.

Mr Abernethy was present and advised the Committee that he admitted the charge. Mr Abernethy was assisted by Senior Horseman Mr S Phelan.

Mr Muirhead demonstrated the incident by use of the video films and showed that approaching the 1700 metres mark Mr Abernethy moved up towards INEEDANORVIC (Driver Ms A Donnelly) and when that runner moved forwards he attempted to ease back in behind it but in doing so he struck its sulky wheel and his horse broke.

Mr Phelan said that at the time Ms Donnelly had chased her horse up and when Mr Abernethy attempted to ease down behind her she then took hold of her horse. He said that this contributed to the incident.


appealdecision:


isappeal:


submissionsfordecision:


reasonsfordecision:


Decision:

The Charge is admitted and accordingly is proved.


sumissionsforpenalty:

Mr Muirhead referred to the JCA Guidelines which provide for a starting point penalty of a fine of $400.00 or suspension of Licence for 8 Drives. He said that this was not a major incident but he did point out that Mr Abernethy had a previous charge under this Rule (although a different section) on the 5th of March 2013.

He submitted that a fine of $200 to $300 was appropriate.

Mr Phelan asked the Committee to ignore the earlier charge referred to by Mr Muirhead but did agree that this was not a major incident and pointed out that no other horses were affected. He submitted that a fine of $200 was appropriate.


reasonsforpenalty:

The Committee listened to the evidence and submissions and we have viewed the Race Films several times. They clearly show Mr Abernethy trying to ease down behind INEEDANORVIC and striking the sulky wheel of that horse. Mr Abernethy was clearly careless.

He has however admitted the breach (although in the Committee's view he had no option) but in mitigation he has not affected any other horse. The Owner of his horse was affected however.  He is a Junior Horseman and we accept that this incident is at the lower end of the scale of seriousness. He did however have a careless driving charge in March and he needs to be aware of this.

Taking the aggravating and mitigating factors into account the Committee believes that a fine of $250.00 is appropriate.


penalty:

The Committee impose a fine of $250.00 on Mr Abernethy.


hearing_type: Hearing


Rules: Rule 869(3)(b)


Informant: Mr J M Muirhead - Stipendiary Steward


JockeysandTrainer: Mr S Abernethy - Licensed Junior Horseman


Otherperson: Mr S Phelan - Senior Horseman assisting Mr S Abernethy


PersonPresent:


Respondent:


StipendSteward:


raceid: ed60ff43a643429b6fba60f132552a99


race_expapproval:


racecancelled: 0


race_noreport: 0


race_emailed1: 0


race_emailed2: 0


race_title: R5


submittochair:


race_expappcomment:


race_km:


race_otherexp:


race_chair:


race_pm1:


race_pm2:


meetid: 8b9a4cda059b9d71acd75020ae8ae20a


meet_expapproval:


meet_noreport: 0


waitingforpublication: 0


meet_emailed1: 0


meet_emailed2: 0


meetdate: 15/11/2013


meet_title: Kumeu TC - 15 November 2013


meet_expappcomment:


meet_km:


meet_otherexp:


tracklocation: kumeu-tc


meet_racingtype: harness-racing


meet_chair: BScott


meet_pm1: GJones


meet_pm2: none


name: Kumeu TC