<html><body style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"><br /><p> </p><div class="contentByline font15">LACHLAN LEEMING</div>
<br />
MELBOURNE Cup winning jockey Darren Beadman fears the
axing of horse-related courses at a Western Sydney TAFE could have a
“devastating” impact on the racing industry.<br /><br />TAFE’s Richmond
facility will cut four equine-related courses, including for stablehands
and trackwork riders, in a move critics say will gut the racing
industry of hundreds of newcomers.<br /><br />“It’s the entry point for
training staff. I was fortunate when I started in the racing game I came
from a horsey b a c k g r o u n d , but some people don’t – and this is
the grassroots of what the industry requires to have the horse skills
to handle horses,” said Beadman (inset), now the race day operations
manager at the top-class Godolphin stables.<br /><br />“Stables are wanting staff, there’s such a shortage of skilled horsemen and horsewomen.<br /><br />It’s something the industry desperately needs.”<br /><br />But
Skills and Training Minister Alister Henskens said enrolments in equine
courses at Richmond TAFE decreased by 92 per cent in the past six
years.<br /><br />“During that time, other registered training organisations have seen strong interest in equine courses,” Mr Henskens said.<br /><br />“Prospective Western Sydney students can study equine courses through other registered training providers.”<br /></body></html>