MEDIA RELEASE Monday 8 July 2024: Animal defenders are calling for an immediate ban of jumps racing in Victoria.
Rider in the Snow was the 9th horse killed in the 2024 jumps racing season, in Race 4 at Warrnambool yesterday 7th July. This is the highest number of deaths in jumps racing in 15 years, when 10 horses were killed in 2009. There are still another 5 jumps racing meetings to go.
“We are disgusted and outraged that we need to keep seeing horses forced to compete in dangerous and grueling jumps races that will often result in death” said Mr Celotto, Campaign Director for the Coalition for the Protection of Racehorses.
“How many more horses have to die for the entertainment of a minority of racing goers?”
The fall which led to Rider in the Snow being subsequently killed on 7th July has been edited out from the official race replay. CPR’s team was on the scene and captured the fall:
“We keep hearing how owners love their horses but to date, 9 out of 143 horses who have competed in jumps races are now dead. With 22 races left in the season, it’s likely there are more deaths to come.”
CPR met with the Racing Minister, Anthony Carbines just a few weeks ago and urged him to ban the sport before another horse is killed.
“The Racing Minister, Anthony Carbines is now complicit in this barbaric sport that can’t be made safe. He has the blood of innocent horses on his hands.”
“How many more horses must die for the sake of the gambling dollar?”
“When 10 horses were killed in 2009, Racing Victoria announced 2010 would be the last year of jumps racing. They went back on that promise. The Racing Minister, Anthony Carbines must now intervene and have this sport banned as soon as possible before another horse dies.”
CPR will now be calling for a meeting with Racing Victoria and the Racing Minister, Anthony Carbines.
Horses killed so far in 2024:
SAN REMO 25/1/2024 Stawell
GRAND PROMENADE 25/03/2024 Warrnambool
REBEL RACER 19/04/2024 Warrnambool
SIVAR 11/5/2024 Warrnambool
MONT AGEL 27/05/2024 Warrnambool
THE RATTLIN BOG 1/05/2024 Warrnambool
FATIGUES 23/06/2024 Warrnambool
JOFFREY 30/06/2024 Casterton
RIDER IN THE SNOW 7/07/2024 Warrnambool
It is absolutely diabolical that in 2024 jumps racing continues in Victoria. This year already 9 horses have been killed either on track (where all racehorse deaths have to be registered) or have been taken away & killed off track. The racing industry prefers that no horses are killed on track at all so that these deaths are not recorded.
Jumps racing is cruel, outdated & dangerous. Horses too slow on the flat are then (very quickly & with very questionable methods) re trained to jump over hurdles. They are whipped at a flat out gallop with no time to collect themselves at all before being whipped to jump over hurdles. Bleeders, heart attacks, ruptured tendons, broken necks, backs, sesamoid fractures & behavioural issues are just the tip of the iceberg concerning jumps racing.
Horses being forced into the barriers, clearly not wanting to race, tongue ties, jiggers, blinkers, electric cattle prods & many other methods are used on jumps racehorses in training. Time & again trainers have been caught, given a slap on the wrist, fined & suspended anywhere between 3 to 6 months then are allowed to continue to train these poor unfortunate horses for their grubby blood money.
Victoria is the last state to allow such disgusting abuse & cruelty to be inflicted on very sensitive & kind animals. In the past l have had OTTS & have seen the very severe behavioural issues these poor animals have suffered & continue to suffer at the hands of the ruthless racing industry. The racing industry profess to “love” their horses but this is nothing more than a smoke screen of abuse, exploitation & cruelty just to “win” paltry sums of between $20,000 to $100,000 depending on where jumps races are held, plus the distance, & so called “prestige” of being either an owner, part owner or syndicate.
Racing is very dubious at the best of times regarding betting, criminal syndicates & cruelty & abuse of racehorses.
It is time to permanently shut down jumps racing for good in this state & follow the rest of the progressive states. Victoria prides itself on being “home to the Thoroughbred. ” Rather than exploiting these highly sensitive & sentient animals it is time that jumps racing is canned forever rather than the thousands of racehorses who end up in cans by those who support racing, the money & the thinly veiled “glamour” of racing.
Enough is enough. How many more horses will be killed to appease a tiny minority who only care about dirty blood money & the pretentious & pathetic prestige of jumps racing?
Totally agree and their is plenty more that you don’t hear about that’s all hushed up