Horse Float & Barrier Loader

Olympic showjumper Bert Romp has died following an accident at Middelbeers in the Netherlands where he was teaching.

The accident happened on 3 October while he was loading a horse into the lorry and was kicked. He was rushed to  hospital for emergency surgery but died the following afternoon.

Bert was a member of the  Dutch gold medal-winning team at the Barcelona Olympic Games in 1992 and he was due to celebrate his 60th birthday in a few weeks.

Jennifer Donald, 11 October 2018

A Moonta family’s love for horses has brought it tragedy a second time, with motherof-three Stephanie Bowman killed by a falling horse just three years after a riding accident left her daughter a paraplegic.

The 46-year-old was loading a horse into a float near her property about 6am on Sunday, when it is believed the reluctant animal fell backwards and crushed her.

Sophie Elsworth, 7 February 2006

Terry Hearps, 48, a racing veteran of 35 years, copped it from a two-year-old, who kicked him the length of six barrier stalls. The kick broke his nose, nearly cut his tongue in half, and left him with 45 stitches in his chin. Spends much of his working life at the wrong end of a horse.

Hearps and his team of eight barrier attendants – are responsible for leading, coaxing and sometimes pushing reluctant 550-kilogram horses into the barrier gates at the start of each race.

Peter Barrett, 9 March 2007

Gai Waterhouse may well be on a crusade. It’s about educating Thoroughbreds to be loaded quickly and easily into the barrier stalls. Waterhouse believes it’s an issue of major importance with regard to revenue and also to safety, for horse and human.

Waterhouse said. “How long does it take to load horses [in Australia]? Sometimes 10 minutes. Then we are running behind race time … it means a loss of revenue.

A horse was killed at Kembla Grange recently. It went off in the barriers. It shouldn’t  happen. No horse should be injured or die in a barrier accident.

We don’t want jockeys hurt, either.” Waterhouse then talks about stablehands and barrier attendants being in the line of fire of a horse which goes berserk in the starting stalls.

21 November 2008

Veteran jockey Leanne Painter, 32, was tossed from her horse as it was being steered into the gate at Northlands Park yesterday. She was in stable condition when paramedics took her to hospital.

20 September 2006

The longer horses are held up in the barriers, the more fractious they can become, and one bad experience can result in a promising horse becoming a `barrier rogue’ in the space of five minutes. There have been many promising horses set back and sometimes ruined by a bad barrier experience.

Veteran Mornington trainer Jim Marconi at Moonee Valley recently spoke about his former speedster Lago Delight who had only a handful of starts because of bad barrier manners, he’d have won millions if that had never happened.” We are very aware that a bad time in the barriers can affect a horse for good. “The main aspect is safety of horse, rider and barrier staff.”

Former long-time barrier attendant Barry Scully recalled he had been kicked by a horse in the `nether regions’. Working behind the barriers remains one of the toughest jobs on the racecourse. Many evenings after the races are spent soaking in a bath of lectric soda, and tending to the wounds.

22 November 2006

Barrier delays are proving a blight on Sydney racing but what to do about them? Kenny’s World eased from $2.80 to $6. Also, punters, owners and trainers continue to suffer from wayward barrier horses.

Two weeks ago, also at Canterbury, trainer Anthony Cummings was critical of the delay involving his youngster Mansell. Lining up again proved a mess before the Stargazer Handicap yesterday.

Regimental Hero, from the powerful Gai Waterhouse stable and a $6.50 chance, lost three lengths at the start. Jockey Nash Rawiller told  stewards later his mount had been required to stand in the barrier due to the “delay in loading”.

27 July 2008