LAHORE, Oct 22: Veteran jockey Syed Baboo, who has the distinction of riding horses in India and Pakistan, has urged upon the management of Lahore Race Club (LRC) to take steps to uplift the declining standard of riding and training horses, which may ultimately, adversely affect the standard of horse-racing.

Talking to Dawn, he said that there was an acute shortage of professionally skilled riders and trainers as a result of which horseracing has been limited..

He said the quality of animals has been refined after the induction of imported thoroughbreds from the world’s finest bloodlines, but if one sees the timings of events, they have not so much improved because of the poor quality of riding and training.

He explained that there were only a few jockeys and as much trainers, who are equipped with professional acumen and skill.

When Pakistani riders go to foreign countries and participate in races, they figure nowhere. Recently over a dozen riders went to England and some other foreign countries, to get employment as stable lads or at best in few cases, work riders. Undoubtedly they earned money but were denied experience to ride with the locals. A couple of trainers also went abroad but were given menial jobs with trainers there.

He said in Lahore only five or six riders are of good caliber and posses professional ability and the same is the case of trainers. He said for good racing there should at least over a dozen good riders and as many trainers. Only then there would be a good competition leading to good standard of racing, matching that of foreign countries.

For riders training Syed Baboo suggested setting up a riding school on the pattern of Bombay School Of Riding, which has produced top jockeys in India. Before independence, Bombay School trained riders won acclaim in Pakistan too. To mention few, were: Fazal Khan, a former secretary of the Karachi Race Club (KRC), U. G. Sheikh, Aslam Poshni, S. Laloo, Ismail, Tymon, Dasrat Singh and Bhoop Singh.

The octogenarian, Syed Baboo is also a trained jockey of Bombay School Of Riding. He migrated to Pakistan in 1946. He had been riding in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi.—AG