KAVANAGH TRAINER ISSUE 46_Jerkins feature.qxd 30/06/2014 21:28 Page 2
TENDON BRIAN AND LIGAMENT KAVANAGH RESEARCH
On paper it would be hard not to describe Kavanagh as a dynamo, his recent presentations at the Asian Racing Conference in Hong Kong in May and, back in October, at the IFHA International Conference in Paris, being a case in point. Horseracing is his passion, so keeping a finger on the pulse, no matter where in the world it may happen to be, presents no problem. Yet in person, Kavanagh couldn’t be any more relaxed, giving the impression that time is plentiful and always having enough to spare for a chat or a general enquiry. He’s a family man, and family men are by nature and necessity successful jugglers. At the Asian Racing Conference, Kavanagh was among those representing eight of the most significant and valuable race meetings in the world, sharing his strategies for success and approach in dealing with the many challenges faced in the inauguration of Ireland’s Champions Weekend. That he represented Ireland, at once one of the smallest nations represented and one of the world’s largest thoroughbred industries, says a great deal for
what he, and those who have gone before him, have achieved for Ireland. Any success for an individual racing industry is a knock-on success for the industry as a whole, so we have much to be grateful for. “How important was the Asian Conference to the European industry?” I ask. “The need for racing to be placed at the top of the sporting calendar and given its fair share of media space is very important,” he says. “We’re famous for our breeding here in Ireland, but we lacked a showpiece race meeting at the end of our season. We’ve pulled together the best from existing meetings for one special weekend of racing. “Promoting that showcase fully and ensuring its success is vital, but attending conferences is also a good opportunity to meet people and gain an insight into far away jurisdictions and listen to the problems they encounter. Often your own problems don’t seem so bad in comparison. Hong Kong in particular was perfect, it offered a good spread of speakers and an interesting programme.” “That seems to sum up the international flavour of modern racing,” I note, “but how important is the globalisation of racing to individual racing nations?”
Brian Kavanagh with Siobhan Bulfin, sculptor of this bronze at HRI headquarters
Kavanagh is clearly a supporter of breaking down barriers and opening up a small racing nation to the opportunities the global industry can provide. “Ten years ago there were no Global Rankings,” he reminds me with enthusiasm. “Now Hong Kong, Japan, and South Africa have the three best horses in the current Longines World’s Best Racehorse Rankings list. Racing in Hong Kong is unique, but still, it’s full of familiar names and faces, both horses and people. It’s amazing the people you run into there and the number of horses who previously raced in Ireland or Britain.” It’s a small world after all, but one of huge economic benefit when it comes to trading and competing. “As an industry we embrace the opportunities presented internationally, but the widespread travel of horses and jockeys must present its own challenges,” I suggest. While we merely complain, it’s Kavanagh’s role to resolve. “We can never fully unite the racing world and should never want to,” he warns at once. “Part of the appeal of racing is the unique characteristics of individual countries. The variety of tracks is what gives Ireland and Britain their appeal, just as other nations bring something else that is unique to the table. We can never make everything the same worldwide and still retain individual culture and history. “That said, certain aspects do need to be unified. There are aspects that are very suited to
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