In a twist of events that underscores the challenges of determining winners in high-stakes races, the Namibia Horse Racing Association (NHRA) has chosen an unconventional path by awarding prize money to all three horses involved in a closely-contested finish.
This was revealed by NHRA vice-president Nikko Angermund, and comes after the association failed to decide the winner of the final and biggest race of the day, where three horses had a tight finish during the MTC Summer Cup held at Okahandja on 2 March this year.
However, the association told horse owners they would look at all the videos from different angles over the week, and decide on the potential winning horse within five working days.
Speaking to this publication yesterday, Angermund gave an update on the latest development. He said after thoroughly going through all the videos they had collected to analyse the real winner, the board decided to award all three horses the first place.
“It was quite a tough decision that we made, but after looking at the videos and the challenges of determining winners in high-stakes races, we decided to award or give all three horses the first place. We couldn’t separate the horses, and we thought it was a dead heat. But moving forward, we will ensure that we have the necessary equipment,” he promised.
The decision would also mean that the three horse owners will divide the winning amount among themselves. The horses are seasoned engines Unbroken Promises, Starlile from Okahandja Turf and Earl of Cardigad. The grand prize for the main race is N$ 30 000, and the three horses’ owners will have to divide it amongst themselves. Usually, NHRA rents out Athletics Namibia (AN)’s technology equipment when hosting their events. But unfortunately, AN had an event on that day as well in Oshakati. Asked about the moves made so far by the NHRA in procuring the latest international technology since the incident, the vice president said no progress had been made, but they are exploring alternatives.
“We have not procured any funds for the equipment since it’s very expensive. I don’t think we are going to secure funds, and we have tried, but I don’t think we will secure money. So, we decided that we are going to use cameras in the future; we will install cameras at the finishing line,” he added. The next horse racing event will be hosted on the 23rd of this month at Gobabis.