Dear Supporter,
On behalf of the team at the Coalition for the Protection of Racehorses, we send our deepest gratitude for your support and engagement over 2022. With your help we’ve maintained a huge amount of pressure on the racing industry and seen at least some positive changes for the horses involved.
We’ve continued to expose the atrocities and systemic cruelty inherent to horse racing through consistent reporting on the day to day cruelty and the more extreme cases of abuse that occur.
We reached a huge new audience from across the board due to our first ever Nup to the Cup advertising campaign and launched a brand new website dedicated solely to Nup to the Cup – check it out here.
Our Deathwatch 2022 Report ensured we cut through the industry claims that horse deaths on track are being addressed by presenting detailed and factual information to the media and public that aside from the Melbourne Cup efforts, this is certainly not the case. Available here.
After twelve long years of hard campaigning, we won our campaign to end jumps racing in South Australia. The so-called sport is now not only discontinued by Racing SA but was later made illegal through a successful Greens amendment to the Animal Welfare Act. This fantastic achievement leaves Victoria as the last bastion to continue this horrific cruelty. Learn more and sign the petition to end jumps racing in Victoria here.
Last year our continued pressure on businesses resulted in some major brands removing their support of horse racing, including David Jones and AAMI. This year there has been a notable increase in the number of races being left without any sponsors at all.
Our report co-signed by nine other individuals and animal protection organisations exposing the failings of the promised National Horse Traceability Working Group and its associated campaign, placed significant pressure on the Working Group and Agriculture Victoria. Whilst the recommendations put forward by the Working Group are unacceptable (more here), they do show promise for a more efficient and lifelong traceability register to be created in the future. The recommendations are yet to be adopted so our campaign directed at each states agriculture department continues. Read our report and take action here.
Our consistent horse sale investigations have provided us with the details to produce several reports exposing the continued cycle of breed, use and discard adopted by racing. This has also supported efforts as to why an effective, lifelong traceability register is essential to not only biosecurity but human safety and horse welfare. Various reports can be found on our news page here. A summary of the entire year of public horse sales will be published in early 2023.
We have major plans in the making for 2023 but before we sign off for another year, below is an update of some recent events in racing since our last e-news that we’d like to bring to your attention.
In this newsletter:
- Weir faces court over torturing animals
- Triangle sales prove racing has no idea or concern where horses go
- Steward attempts to hide illegal horse abuse
- Electric shock devices in rodeos
- Damning slaughterhouse report released
- Private buyers don’t guarantee good outcomes
WEIR AVOIDS CRIMINAL CONVICTION
On December 16, 2022, the Warrnambool Magistrates Court viewed 15 minutes of many hours of footage showing Weir and co-accused TORTURING horses with an electric shock device (aka a jigger).
The original charges included cocaine and firearm possession, engaging in conduct that corrupts a betting outcome, conspiracy to defraud Stewards, and animal cruelty offences which were:
“three counts of engaging in the torturing, abusing, overworking and terrifying of a thoroughbred race horse, and three counts of causing unreasonable pain or suffering to a race horse.”
Not only were the conspiracy charges dropped against Weir and co as we reported last month (here), the plea deal appears to have also seen the word “torturing” removed from the charges. The drug and firearm charges were dismissed.
From the ABC article:
“These horses weren’t training at an optimal level and [Weir] thought it might help,” Ian Hill QC said.
“He’s not a person who is cruel by nature.”
In sentencing, Magistrate Franz Johann Holzer fined Weir and McLean $36,000 each for the three counts of animal abuse.
Kermond avoided the fine but must donate $10,000 to the RSPCA, which he must pay by June 30, 2023.
All avoided a conviction.
Full article here.
TRIANGLE SALES PROVE RACING HAS NO IDEA OR CONCERN WHERE HORSES GO
Our review of recent horse sales exposes the continued failings of the racing industry to protect its horses.
Since May of this year, forty-three thoroughbreds were listed in the online QLD Triangle Sale – four of whom were return listings within that period.
For the full article which includes many stories of the horses this industry continues to fail click here.
STEWARDS ATTEMPT TO HIDE ILLEGAL HORSE ABUSE
Background: Photographs of QLD jockey Ric McMahon holding a jigger next to now eight-year-old gelding Hemmerle’s neck in trackwork on August 30 2022 were shared on Twitter before being promptly removed by the racing photographer herself, Sharon Chapman. Queensland Racing Integrity Commission (QRIC) stewards launched an investigation the following morning and both McMahon and the horses trainer Todd Austin were immediately suspended – more here.
18 Nov, 2022 – Stewards inquiry commences with McMahon accusing trainer Todd Austin of handing him the jigger to use on Hammerle’s neck whilst stating he is a lazy horse and a “liven up” may help him in the race. The jockey claimed he’d “never come across a jigger in his life” and, whilst he admits he held it that day, he never turned it on as he was “too scared to use it”. Austin’s lawyer worked to discredit McMahon, presenting a long rap sheet of McMahon being dishonest with stewards in the past, including tampering with a urine sample, something the jockey did not deny.
21 Nov, 2022 – In the separate criminal investigation, Ric McMahon received a $5000 fine and a criminal conviction by the Mount Isa Magistrates Court after pleading guilty to one count of possessing the jigger (a prohibited thing) at a licensed venue. Magistrate Eoin Mac Giolla Ri said, “Racing in general is about winning money … vast amounts of money are exchanged.”
28 Nov, 2022 – back to the stewards inquiry, Austin’s lawyers claim McMahon is “broke” and unable to fund his legal defence, then go on to imply it is being funded by local bookmaker Graham Saunders – something Saunders denied – more here.
According to the ABC, the inquiry heard Saunders sent jockey Ric McMahon a message the morning after the incident — after he was sent the photo by multiple friends — advising the jockey to “get ahead of it” because “no-one will stick by you”.
Also, senior steward Rion Hitchener told the inquiry he had instructed the racing photographer Sharon Chapman to remove the photos from Twitter as soon as he was made aware of them, in an attempt to protect the image of racing. More here.
One can only imagine how often stewards turn a blind-eye or engage in cover ups to protect the image of racing – their primary concern.
The QRIC inquiry continues, as does the brutal abuse of horses used by the racing industry.
TAKE ACTION FOR HORSES IN RODEOS
When the evidence came out regarding jigger use in the story above, QRIC were quick to take action, suspending two racing participants, and even conducting their own inquiry which is ongoing. There was also widespread media attention.
Animal Liberation Queensland has provided video evidence of electric prods and jiggers in the chutes with eleven horses at Queensland rodeos, yet no one has been charged with an offence.
The only difference between a horse at a racetrack and a horse at a rodeo is the location – so why such a varied approach from two different QLD government departments?
No more double standards. Please support the ALQ campaign by demanding better here.
DAMNING SLAUGHTERHOUSE REPORT RELEASED
On September 15, 2022, Senator Murray Watt, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, released an 8,000 page report that supposedly covers all animal welfare incidents documented by On Plant Veterinarians (OPVs) and/or senior management at Australian red meat export abattoirs, between 1st January 2020 and 31st December 2021.
We are appalled by the suffering of ALL the animals in Senator Watt’s report, suffering which could have and should have been avoidable in most cases, and ultimately, suffering that is all entirely unnecessary.
Read our very succinct summary here.
PRIVATE BUYERS DON’T GUARANTEE GOOD OUTCOMES
A few months rarely pass without there being another uproar regarding horses once used and abused by the racing industry being dumped at the sales. Kind hearts, charities and rescues come together from all over to do what they can with extremely limited resources to try to save them and other breeds from the dreaded ‘doggers’.
When a private buyer outbids them, everyone breathes a sigh of relief, including the struggling sanctuaries who then don’t have to take on yet another discarded horse from this multi-billion dollar industry, or feel the guilt that they were unable. Many of the public then believing the horse to now be safe and loved, forever.
But is that always the case? No one is vetted at the sales. It is literally an auction and the highest bidder takes them home as easily as they could a car, whom they can essentially treat as they please.
Read on here.
UPCOMING PROTESTS
Protest: Nup to the Perth Cup
January 1 2023
Ascot Racecourse, Perth WA
9am – 12pm
Dress: Smart casual at a minimum. Dress as if you are going to the races is even better.
Banners and posters will be provided.
More details here.
Campaign Against the Magic Millions
Protest and Educational Outreach at the Magic Millions Sales
Tuesday 10 January 2023 – Friday 13 January 2023
Magic Millions Sales Complex, Bundall
Times listed on the Facebook event here.
RSVP to [email protected] essential
Protest at the Magic Millions Race Day
Saturday 14 January 2023
10:30am – 1:30pm
Gold Coast Turf Club, Bundall
Dress: Smart casual at a minimum. Dress as if you are going to the races is even better.
Banners and posters will be provided.
More details here.
Thank you for reading and remember… speak up, always!
Article feature image: Bessie – Brightside Farm Sanctuary
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