New Carabinieri horse racing unit for agri-food protection presented
“Today, what has been a specific competence of the force for over 40 years is resumed and strengthened. Let's give back to the world of horse racing a nucleus to protect it, in just 16 months." This was said by the Minister of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forestry, as reported by Ansa. Francesco Lollobrigida (in the photo), speaking yesterday at the presentation at Masaf of the new Horse Racing Unit of the Forestry, Environmental and Agri-food Unit Command of the Army, which was attended by the undersecretary Patrizio La Pietra, the Army Corps general Andrea Rispoli, the general of Daniel Melis Brigade of the Carabinieri Command for Agri-food Protection and the general director for Horse Racing of the ministry Remo Chiodi.
“The Carabinieri Command for Agri-food Protection, linked to this department, had as its priority task dealing with horse racing since 1992 and it will once again be like this – said the minister – transparency and legality constitute the natural prerequisite for implementing a radical process of reform and to guarantee greater incisiveness of ministerial action".
The initiative is based on the objective of relaunching the sector, considered strategic for the national economy, ensuring the maintenance of horse breeding and making it economically productive, and allowing functional management of the racecourses. “The force, in its function, is a pivot for agri-food protection – added Lollobrigida – the image of the Carabinieri is linked to that of the State, the issues of legality and safety are important for every activity and enterprise, where not there are these that cannot be worked on. I conceive the State as a regulatory reference framework that must give anyone the opportunity to develop their business".
The new unit dedicated to horse racing is made up of 16 Carabinieri: 8 from the central operational department of Rome and 8 from the interregional departments (2 from Turin, 2 from Parma, 2 from Salerno and 2 from Messina). Their activities, in synergy with the territorial units, will concern all 36 racecourses in Italy and will ensure the protection of everything that revolves around the sector: from the fight against clandestine betting to the illicit use of public money, up to doping. At the basis of the initiative is the relaunch of the sector, considered strategic for the national economy, ensuring the maintenance of horse breeding and making it economically productive, allowing functional management of the racetracks.
“We have set up this operational unit with the mission of protecting the horse racing sector – said General Melis – protecting it from those dystonias which, as in all sectors characterized by the presence of financial resources, can be affected by pathologies that have nothing to do with with the world of equine breed improvement, entertainment and legitimate betting. The control procedures are of an inspection nature and, after contacting the racecourses, a reconnaissance of the locations will be carried out, including photographic ones, and the people in the boxes and stables will be identified; the access register will be examined and agreements will be made with the management for the receipt of all the necessary accounting, administrative and sporting documentation. The objective is to verify the correct use of funds by the ministry, but also that all activities are carried out in compliance with current laws and regulations; this is to protect and ensure that the trot and gallop races take place in complete regularity. All in close coordination with the General Management of Horse Racing headed by Remo Chiodi".
