After a hearing has revealed that Brumbies, Standardbred, and Thoroughbred horses were present at the property in Wagga where 500 horse carcasses were found earlier this year, the need for a National Horse Traceability Register is greater than ever.
The discovery of a mass burial pit in Wagga earlier this year, has raised serious questions about links between an illegal knackery, brumby culling, the horse racing and the greyhound racing industries in NSW and Victoria. As such, on 23 May 2024, a hearing was begun by the NSW Animal Welfare Committee, which called in witnesses from various departments and organisations to assist with providing clarity on these matters.
Allegedly, an illegal knackery run by horse dealer Adrian Talbot had been operating on the property in Wagga since 2017. Following the finding of more than 500 horse carcasses on the property, which was leaked to media in April 2024, questions were raised about where all these slaughtered horses had come from.
The Committee hearing confirmed that 260 brumbies from the Kosciuszko National Park had been given to Adrian Talbot as a part of a rehoming program. With this knowledge it was assumed that 260 of the more than 500 dead horses were brumbies. As a result of this assumption, the rehoming program was suspended until the National Parks and Wildlife Department has identified how the rehoming of these brumbies had gone so terribly wrong.
None of the 500 Horse Carcasses has been Identified
Upon the media exposure of the finding of the carcasses, Racing NSW was quick to assure the public that there were no Thoroughbred racehorses among the dead horses. No one asked the obvious question of how Racing NSW could be sure of this.
It was not until Greens MP Abigail Boyd specifically questioned the RSPCA, who had inspected the site, that it was evident that proper identification of the horses had not been undertaken:
ABIGAIL BOYD: I understand that Racing NSW has said that none of these horses were previous racing horses or thoroughbreds, but I also understand that there has been no identification of the full 500 horses. Is it possible for them to say that there are no ex-racing horses in there?
STEVEN COLEMAN: I’m not sure how they could prove or disprove that, in the absence of markings or identification chips. If you were looking at a pit, for want of a better term, that has skeletal remains, I’m not quite sure how you could determine—apart from size, obviously—whether it was a racehorse or not. I don’t know how you would do that.
View the transcript of the hearing here.
Racehorses Confirmed Present at Illegal Knackery
General Manager for NSW Racing Integrity Jacqueline Johnstone gave witness later in the hearing. It became apparent from her witness statements that Racing NSW’s assumptions that there were no Thoroughbreds among the 500 carcasses, relied on the fact that Racing NSW had not identified any live NSW Thoroughbreds on the property in Wagga during their visits.
However, Racing NSW did find mixed breeds of horses including Standardbred racehorses and microchipped Thoroughbred racehorses from Victoria.
Excerpts from Jacqueline Johnstone’s statements:
On 27 September 2022, Racing NSW’s welfare department received information reporting concerns for the welfare of thoroughbred horses allegedly being slaughtered for the purpose of dog meat. The person allegedly responsible for this was Mr Adrian Talbot.
On 29 September 2022, Racing NSW attended the property at Wagga—being —together with the New South Wales police. (…) Racing NSW advised Racing Victoria’s welfare department of the Victorian thoroughbreds that were identified.
From 1 to 7 October 2022, Racing NSW conducted an investigation and interviewed Mr Talbot in respect of the allegation of slaughtering thoroughbreds. At this time, because information was known in relation to other breeds including standardbreds, Harness Racing NSW was also notified.
On 22 February 2023 Mr Talbot was placed on the Racing NSW Excluded List (which, according to Jacqueline Johnstone, would prevent any industry participants providing him with thoroughbred horses.)
On 7 September 2023 further intelligence was received by Racing Victoria regarding thoroughbred horses being sent to an unknown knackery in Wagga.
On 13 February 2024 Racing NSW conducted a drive-by of the location and observed what appeared to be Victorian thoroughbreds at the property. Photographs obtained were referred to Racing Victoria for further follow-up and identification.
These statements confirm what seem to have been common knowledge within the racing industry for years, that truckloads of racehorses were frequently sent from Victoria to the allegedly illegal knackery operator Adrian Talbot in Wagga, NSW.
We have yet to hear a word from Racing Victoria about this matter and whether they had taken any action to stop the transferring of Victorian racehorses to NSW to be slaughtered at the illegal knackery in Wagga since it was first officially reported in 2022.
Read our Media Release: 500 Horse Carcasses Likely to be Racehorses
Horse Meat Supplied Illegally to the Greyhound Racing Industry
What also appears to be common – yet unofficial – knowledge in the NSW racing industry, is that the horse meat from Adrian Talbot’s illegal knackery has been supplied to the NSW greyhound racing industry via his brother Ben Talbot, who is president of the Wagga Greyhound Club.
However, when Wade Birch, who is Chief Operating Officer at the Greyhound Welfare and Integrity Commission (GWIC), was questioned by the Chair of the hearing, AJP MP Emma Hurst, he claimed to have no knowledge of such allegations. In fact, Wade Birch denied having even heard about the 500 horse carcasses in Wagga until the he was asked by the DPI to contribute to their investigations one month later, despite the heavy media reporting on the finding.
It was also confirmed in the hearing by Wade Birch that GWIC had made no effort themselves to investigate the allegations against Ben Talbot of having sold and distributed illegal horse meat to greyhound trainers and had no intention to do so either.
Despite the allegations against Ben Talbot, he is still also a member of the advisory council within the Greyhound Welfare and Integrity Commission in NSW.
Demand for National Horse Traceability
According to the witness statements by Greg Vakaci from the Biosecurity and Food safety branch of the NSW DPI, it is not uncommon that illegal knackeries are found and reported to authorities in NSW.
When Steven Coleman and Troy Wilkies from RSPCA NSW gave witness at the hearing, they were asked about the need for lifelong traceability of horses as a preventative measure for horses ending up at illegal knackeries.
ABIGAIL BOYD: Do you think that this again highlights the need for there to be some sort of official tracking system or tracing system for racing horses in the State?
STEVEN COLEMAN: Yes.
TROY WILKIE: Even for all horses, I would say. If you’re going to have it just for racing horses, you might have the same sort of potential shortfalls that you might get in the tracking systems for other species that have been highlighted by yourself and other members.
Several racing authorities in Australia have banned ex-racehorses being sent directly to slaughter after the national public outcry following the 2019 ABC 7:30 exposure The Final Race – The Dark Side of Australia’s Horse Racing Industry, which was based on CPR investigations into the widescale slaughter of racehorses.
Nevertheless, the ban of sending racehorses directly to slaughter has done nothing to prevent this slaughter. Once a Thoroughbred leaves the racing industry, the horse is no longer traced and therefore the racing industry no longer takes responsibility for where the horse ends up.
With a National Horse Traceability Register, no one would be able to claim ignorance of any horse’s whereabouts. As such, no matter how many times a horse is passed on, all past and present owners of the horse would be registered.
Another Push for a National Horse Traceability Register
Such a National Horse Traceability Register (NHTR) was first proposed by Greens Senator Mehreen Faruqi shortly before the airing of the ABC 7:30 exposure of racehorse slaughter in 2019. And there was broad support for the proposed NHTR within the Government.
After Agriculture Victoria was handed over the leadership of the working group in 2022, however, the terms of reference for the NHTR were changed from a focus on horse welfare and rider safety, and watered down to a sole concern with biosecurity.
The progress of the register has since stalled despite collaborative attempts from CPR to try and get it back on track. However, with help from Senator Mehreen Faruqi, we have now been able to pose questions about the status and progress of the National Horse Traceability Register to the Department of Agriculture.
We are currently awaiting answers. Read our questions submitted to the Federal Department of Agriculture here: NHTR Senate Qs 2024.
I hope all these cruel insidious people including government & there associate Rspca go down for cruelty, genocide and crimes against nature. These people are not human! They only care about making money!
The inquiry into Parks over the 260 dead brumbies which were suppose to be rehomed was covered up by Penny Sharpe and her department as nothing to see here, no one responsible, no one accountable.
What a bloody farse.
Penny Sharpe and her dept including Atticus Fleming and the Invasive species mob need to be sacked from holding any parliamentary position or disbandoned
An absolute disgrace. Adrian Talbot should be prosecuted for the atrocities against these innocent horses.
The RSPCA should step up for once and do their duty. They are supposed to be a society for the prevention of cruelty to animals. All creatures great and small.
I and many others have lost faith in you
Steve Coleman and the RSPCA !
Australia needs to wake up to the cruel acts of horse welfare and horse standards need to be a policy put into place as a matter of priority. The uk, and europe have excellent standards in place for these sentient beings. Australia needs to act fast and recongnise that all horses, racing, domestic and wild brumbies aare advocated equally. Lets not discriminate across the board. Australia is far behind the times and these horses are being inhumanley dipsosed off. Its an utter disgrace and beong barbaric. The slaughter and culloing ofd these horses needs to end now!
Thank you for your amazing research which inspires us to take action. Its pointless just to cry and moan.i read the article with a heavy heart.How can i find out which animal food products manufacturers use horse meat in their product.
This could be part of the destruction of this insidious chain of cruelty.
No demand for horse meat means the end of the demand for dead horses.I just don’t know where to start.However i will begin my revolting journey by asking the question to as many animal food product companies as i can.