Dear Supporter,
 
This year Australia showed us yet again that there is an abundance of ways to enjoy Melbourne Cup Day that do not involve supporting animal abuse. And, whilst the majority of the public (and the racing industry no doubt) breathed a sigh of relief that the Melbourne Cup came and went without a horse fatality in the big race, those who follow more closely are all too aware that outside of Flemington this was sadly not the case.  
 
In this newsletter:

Melbourne Cup Day was not fatality free
Australia on track towards making Cup Day a party FOR the animals
Squid Game outside Flemington
Derby Day winner bled as he crossed the finish line
AAMI and David Jones end all horse racing sponsorship
Australian Greens unveil transition plan to end horse racing
$1.1 million cash injection into the traceability register working group
Pregnant mares used in racing
Protest at the Warrnambool rodeo
and more…

MELBOURNE CUP DAY WAS NOT FATALITY FREE  

At least three horses were killed on Australian racetracks on Melbourne Cup Day.

Whilst the Chris Waller Racing team celebrated their Melbourne Cup day win off the back of Verry Elleegant, another one of their horses was being carted dead from the course. Waller trained, six year old gelding, The Grinder, sustained a sesamoid fracture in Race 8 at Randwick and was killed. The team were posting Melbourne Cup celebration pics before his body had even gone cold.

Chris Waller has not mentioned the death anywhere on their socials. Had the death occurred in the Melbourne Cup, it would have been splashed across the headlines and Waller himself would surely have been expressing his out pouring of apparent grief. 

We have also discovered two additional Cup Day deaths.

Three year old filly, Mikki Mouse suffered a fracture to her near hind tibia at the Morphettville track in SA and was subsequently killed. Racing.com edited the replay footage (see here) and the stewards report was delayed from being published until well into the following day.

At the Darwin Turf Club, five year old Daly Waters “went amiss” within 15 seconds of Race 1. He was found to be lame in both front legs and was later killed. 

These horses were never given the new stringent vet checks before racing simply because the eyes of the world were not watching them. Whilst all were focused on whether a horse would die at Flemington, Mikki Mouse, The Grinder and Daly Waters deaths were ignored.  At least one horse is killed on Australian racetracks every 2.5 days.

Read the full report here.  This is not a Melbourne Cup issue. This is a horse racing issue.

Take the pledge to never bet on or attend a horse race here.

MEANWHILE AT FLEMINGTON…  
there were concerns for second place Cup horse, Incentivise. 

“He has inflammation in the near-side fetlock” managing owner Steve Tregea said. “They scanned it and didn’t see a lot but there was inflammation and fluid there and he was lame so we will see what the second scan shows.

“When you are racing horses, these things are always on the cards. It is disappointing but you just have to cop these things.”

The five year old gelding is now spelling and has been reportedly cleared of any serious injury. 

Five year old mare, Tralee Rose, was taken to the U-Vet hospital after the big race with a laceration and concerns of structural damage but has since also been cleared of any serious injury. Her owner reportedly stating:

“It is gut-wrenching, she gave her all. She would have been running under duress and pain and everyone is a bit deflated.”

Persan suffered from heat stress. In Race 2, Shepard bled from the lungs to a degree that “may have afffected his racing performance” and Royal Crown pulled up with an irregular heart rhythm.

In Race 4, Lord Vladivostok was found to be lame in the right foreleg. He was beaten with the whip five times more than that allowed before the free for all beatings in the final 100 metres.

AUSTRALIA ON TRACK TOWARDS MAKING CUP DAY A PARTY FOR THE ANIMALS

People from all walks of life spoke up for animals in such a wonderful variety of ways this Melbourne Cup Day.

Check out this epic video which shows how Australia said #nuptothecup in 2021! (available here).

There were just so many #nuptothecup posts, parties and actions this year we simply did not have the time to find and include them all. We’re terribly sorry if we missed you.

 The first Tuesday of November is absolutely becoming a party for the animals, rather than one at their expense. Huge love and thanks to playing your part in saying no to celebrating animal abuse by saying NUP TO THE CUP!

THANK YOU!  

YOU ARE THE HORSES

If you’ve watched the hit series Squid Game on Netflix, you’ve probably already made the connection between the deadly games on the show and the real-life horrors of horse racing.

On the eve of the Melbourne Cup, CPR and PETA Australia staged a scene from Squid Game outside the gates of Flemington to demonstrate that gambling with the lives of others is wrong.

The comparison between horses and Squid Game players could not be made any clearer by the show’s writers. When viewers meet Seong Gi-hun in the first episode, he is betting on horse races. By the final scene, he realises he has become just like a horse for a group of sadistic, bored gamblers.

Much like the way participants in Squid Game are shot on the spot or fall to their deaths in the middle of games, horses used to race in the industry often collapse and die or are killed right on the track. They are not treated as living, feelings beings, but rather as objects used for the amusement and profits of those more powerful than them. The only difference is that the players on the Netflix show initially get to choose whether they want to play or not, unlike horses.

Like the participants in Squid Game, they are literally running for their lives and often dying in the process.

• 

• 

• 

Watch our media edit here.

DERBY WINNER BLEEDS FROM THE MOUTH  

Hitotsu was bleeding from his mouth as he crossed the finish line first in the Penfolds sponsored Victoria Derby 2021 at Flemington. Connections can be seen trying to hide the blood as he is paraded around the mounting yard. Watch the video here. We guess bleeding doesn’t look great for the winners pic. 

Hitotsu’s tongue was tied down for the race.

A 2016 survey of Australian trainers by Findley et al. analysed 535 responses. Results:
a) 85% used tongue ties.
b) 78% replied that the most common reason for using them was to prevent the tongue moving over the bit.
c) Only 37% used ties when they suspected airway obstruction.
d) 23% reported complications after the use of ties, including lacerations, swelling, bruising and head shyness. [other studies have also observed difficulty swallowing, anxiety, ‘blue tongue’ and permanent tissue damage].

Mr Roger was also recently filmed bleeding in a race, however this was caused by exercise-induced pulmonary haemorrhage. Watch here.

AAMI AND DAVID JONES END ALL HORSE RACING SPONSORSHIP 

Speaking of the Penfolds logo sitting behind an injured and bleeding Derby winner…

We are very excited to announce that AAMI are no longer a major sponsor of the Spring Racing Carnival! In fact, they are no longer a horse racing sponsor at all. Sadly, as you can see above, Penfolds took their place, so what once was AAMI Derby Day, is now Penfolds Derby Day.

AAMI are certainly not alone in making the right decision. Whilst the major fashion retailer won’t comment on its reasons, David Jones has confirmed with CPR that they will no longer sponsor horse racing and have not done so since being a major sponsor of the 2019 Spring Racing Carnival. This confirmation came to us just days after an article in the Australian Financial Review featured comments from the stores general manager of womenswear, footwear and accessories Bridget Veals.

“It’s not for David Jones to comment on political issues, but for a few years now we have thought of this season more in terms of occasions rather than spring racing.”

David Jones re-opened in Melbourne over the first weekend of the Melbourne Cup Carnival, and though the Cup was going ahead to a reduced crowd, you wouldn’t know it from visiting the Chadstone and Bourke St stores, where there were no racing window displays as in previous years.

The article also featured once influencers, now owners and creative directors of vegan shoe brand Twoobs, sisters Stef and Jess Dadon, who did not shy away from speaking out against horse racing.

“Ninety-four per cent of our followers said they did not support the Cup,” says Jess Dadon. “But interestingly, 48 per cent said they once did – so attitudes are definitely shifting.”

While several brands contacted by The Australian Financial Review refused to speak about racing season, Jess Dadon predicts this will change soon.

“The expectation when we started in fashion was that you left your opinions at the door,” she says. “But now, customers – especially young ones – expect you to have an opinion, whether or not they agree with that. Give it a few years and every designer will be shouting this from the rooftops.”

We agree. The question is, will MYER move with the times or stick with this morally bankrupt industry that is dying a slow but certain death? Read the full article here (potential paywall, sorry)

Please consider taking a moment to thank AAMI and David Jones for their smart and compassionate decision by emailing AAMI at [email protected] and sending David Jones a message via their social media pages.

You can also take a moment to express your disappointment to Penfolds via email at [email protected] and cc their overarching company [email protected] and cc [email protected]You can also tweet them @penfolds and message them on their facebook page here.

Perhaps send them the video of Hitotsu bleeding in the Penfolds Derby whilst you let them know you will no longer purchase their wine so long as they sponsor animal abuse.

For our ’10 Reasons Why Your Brand Should Not Be Associated With Horse Racing’ and to sign our boycott pledge click here.

For more hopeful news, check out this article from The Conversation on Melbourne Cup Day on changing attitudes here.

AND IN GENERAL HORSE RACING NEWS…

AUSTRALIAN GREENS UNVEIL TRANSITION PLAN TO END HORSE RACING 

“The transition plan that has been announced by the Greens consists of two steps. It involves the implementation of a horse betting levy aimed at funding the cessation of the commercial horse racing industry in Australia and the establishment of a Horse Racing Transition Taskforce.” More here. 

Senator Mehreen Faruqi explained in her op-ed published by Junkee:“Our plan would establish a taskforce to manage the shutdown, and put a new one percent levy on all betting related to horse racing to fund a just transition. This levy is projected to raise $494 million over two years, and would fund transition activities such as rehoming the animals, retraining programs for workers involved in horse racing, and repurposing racetracks to be used as open green spaces with community facilities. The levy could be increased or extended depending on the activities decided by the taskforce.”

The Australian Greens have also noted the vast spaces racetracks occupy across the country and plan to see them transitioned into green spaces that provide for the entire community. More here.

Meanwhile, just days later in the NSW parliament, it was controversial for Abigail Boyd to even ask the NSW government to step in and ensure the horse racing industry enforces it’s own rules.

“In the horse racing industry, animal cruelty literally pays”, Ms Boyd said.

Watch her speech here. Thank you Abigail. 

$1.1 MILLION CASH INJECTION TO TRACEABILITY

The National Horse Traceability Register, critical to improving horse welfare outcomes and horse and human safety, seems no further towards achieving its goals. A recently announced cash injection of $1.1 million is hoped to help spur it along. 

It has been two years since the ‘Feasibility of a national horse traceability register for all horses’ report was published after a thorough consultation process, and twelve months since the working group to design the register was established.

“We need movement from the working group and a clear commitment to getting this register off the ground as a matter of urgency” said Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi, who spearheaded the initial inquiry. Read the full ABC article here.

EVEN BEING PREGNANT WON’T SAVE THEM FROM THE RACETRACK   

The almost $1.6 million in prizemoney Sweet Deal has been used to earn for her connections was not enough to keep her off the racetrack whilst in-foal.

Sweet Deal was taken out of ‘retirement’ (that’s what they call being used as a breeding machine now), to be raced in the NSW inaugural Invitation – a $2 million race in which she placed 9th. They snuck in a race before and after that one too, resulting in her owners squeezing an additional $42,000 out of her across her three races whilst pregnant.

It is within the rules of racing to race mares up until they are 120 days in-foal.

Read the full article here.

RODEO PROTEST AT WARRNAMBOOL  

Not only is Warrnambool home to one of the cruellest, most gruelling jumps races in the world, it will now play host to yet another horrid form of blatant animal abuse – the rodeo.

Bulls, horses and more will be treated in the most appalling manner in this vile form of entertainment. Sadly, horses from the racing industry also often wind up being exploited, terrified and harmed at the rodeo. Industry proponents would consider this a valid and acceptable “retirement” from the racetrack.

According to locals, the regional city in Victoria’s west has not hosted such an event in many years. Now, with $10,000 in support from the Warrnambool City Council, Warrnambool will regress to behaviour that belongs in the dark ages.If you live in the region, or can make the trip on Saturday 4 December, please stand on the right side of history and protest outside this event to help ensure the people attending know their support of such abuse is unacceptable and to see that the rodeo never returns.

A mini bus of protest attendees will be heading there from Melbourne. Please let us know if you would like to join them. Petrol contribution of $20 required. Protest details are on Facebook here. If you are not on FB please feel free to email us for more details at [email protected]

Huge love and thanks to the many caring souls who generously donated to our efforts over the Spring Racing Carnival. Your financial support allows us to continue our research, investigations, lobbying and advocacy for these beautiful beings who deserve so much better.

The task at hand is of mammoth proportions, but with passion, kindness, integrity and truth on our side, justice will eventually prevail. We’re here with you until it does

Thank you for reading and remember… speak up, always! 

DONATE TO HELP

1. Say #NupToTheCup

There are plenty of ways to say #NupToTheCup in a powerful and effective way.

a) Hijack Myer Fashions on your Front Lawn

Through dressing up in your most fabulous, your wackiest, your most stylish, or even your most gruesome of outfits, you can help break through the facade and tell the world that horse racing is far from glamorous.

Myer Fashions on your Front Lawn is the horse racing industry’s COVID-19 answer to the usual Fashions on the Field. People are encouraged to dress up in their most gorgeous racing outfits and enter the competition by sending in pictures of themselves. Let’s get on board and drop some truth bombs among the ignorance.

What to do
Dress up however you feel is appropriate anytime between now and Melbourne Cup Day. Hold a sign with your anti-racing message (e.g. Nup to the Cup, Horse Racing Kills, You Bet They Die, or others). Post this to all your socials (especially Instagram) on Melbourne Cup Day (November 2nd) with the hashtags #fashionsonyourfrontlawn #cupweekfashion #cupweekcasual #familyties #cupweekcostumes #melbournecup #springracing #springcarnival #nuptothecup plus any others you’d like (and be sure to tag @flemingtonVRC).

Remember to make your post public if you are happy to.

Sound good? Any questions please get in touch. We’ll be looking out for your amazing outfits and messages and include them in our coverage of the day. Further information on the actual event here. 
CPR facebook event here.

b) Say Nup to the Cup at your Workplace!

Want to do some real change-making? Why not host a Nup to the Cup at work?

Possibly the greatest culprit contributing to the normalisation of the cruelty of horse racing is the ubiquity of Cup celebrations in the Aussie workplace. After all, the workplace is arguably where the pressure to conform is felt most keenly. That coupled with there being no other ‘sporting’ event for which Australian workplaces down tools and celebrates means that the workplace is also potentially the place where we can affect the most cultural change.

Learn more about how you can create a fun and successful alternative to the usual celebration of animal abuse, where you will find simple recipes, games and fundraising ideas here.

Chances are you’ll find that providing a space for people to express their own values versus following a tradition with cruelty at its centre, will be met by your co-workers with a sense of relief. The time is now ripe and you can be that beautiful catalyst for change! 

c) Share powerful graphics
Spend part of Cup Day sharing powerful and truthful graphics about horse racing on your socials to help break through the marketing spin. Our joint action with Animal Liberation and Animal Liberation QLD will help you do this. See how here.

d) Host your own public or private social Nup to the Cup event or join one near you.
You can even register it with us for promotional support and help show the world that the Nup to the Cup movement is growing. Registrations and more details here. For a listing of just some of the events happening across the country, click here.

e) Join a protest or run your own.

The racing industry hates that we rally outside their events as it helps to ensure racegoers are exposed to the reality of what it is they are supporting, hopefully to never return. Check out the list of protests against the Melbourne Cup happening across the country here.  If there isn’t one at your local racetrack and they are running races on this day, why not arrange your own. We are here to help so please reach out.


3. Join the Network 10 Blackout!

In 2018, Network 10 secured a five-year deal with the Victorian Racing Club (VRC), to be the official broadcaster of the Melbourne Cup, including live coverage of all four days of the Cup Carnival. Ten reportedly paid the VRC $100 million for the deal. This provides huge support for horse racing, not only financially, but also through continuing the normalisation and cultural acceptance of blatant animal abuse through splashing it across the screens in our homes.

To send a strong message to Channel 10, we suggest you black them out for the entire duration of Melbourne Cup Day, not just the races. Better still, black them out across all four major race days of the Spring Carnival.  
 

4. Boycott Other Racing Sponsors

Tell Penfolds, Lexus, CUB, Furphy, Myer and all the other Spring Racing Carnival major sponsors that you will no longer support them so long as they support horse abuse.

Write to them directly for the most powerful impact and click here to sign a joint letter to all racing sponsors.

5. Wear it!

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Wear your message of kindness everywhere you go.

If you don’t already have any CPR t-shirts, hoodies or caps, last minute orders can still be made here.
 
6. Drive it!

Drive your anti racing message everywhere you go with these bold stencil messages

Orders and how to available here, but please be quick.

7. Watch and Share

Share the truth with horse racing supporters.

Through thorough research and investigations, CPR, journalists and other animal protection organisations are breaking through the well-oiled racing industry propaganda machine. Help this work reach the people who need to see it.

Watch and share these three powerful investigations into the systemic horrors of horse racing

One Year On – 2020

Victims of the Betting Industry: “Wastage” – Horse Meat for EU and Swiss Imports – 2020

The Finish Line – 2020

The Final Race – 2019

Wastage – 2012

CPR’s archive of short film investigations over the past decade can be viewed here.


8. Read, learn, sign and share

• 

• 

• 

Our website is loaded with information about the many issues horses face when used for racing along with simple calls to action you can take. Click the take action tab, where you will see plenty of ways to help horses that are as easy as signing petitions and sharing. From #ditchthewhip, to demanding mandatory racing related death reporting, to banning jumps racing and more. Read through the various pages for all the stats and facts, and become an informed advocate for the animals. Knowledge is power, so reading and sharing this knowledge with your friends and your broader community will help us to create the change the horses need to see.

9. Donate

Donate to one of the many reputable rescues rehabilitating horses in Australia, or to CPR here, so we can continue our ongoing campaigns, lobbying and investigations. You can make a one off donation or monthly contributions; everything is helpful!

10. Never Be Silent

Speak up, speak out and be heard. Every conversation is an opportunity to change hearts and minds. Every action you take is a step toward ending horse racing cruelty.

For the horses x

With support from the Coalition for the Protection of Racehorses (CPR), People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) have filed a case that will challenge the legitimacy of whips in horse racing. Court documents were filed on Friday 8^th October in the Magistrate’s Court in Hobart.

PETA Australia and the Coalition for the Protection of Racehorses (CPR) met with the animal welfare manager for Tasracing, Tasmania’s racing authority, several years ago, to express concern over the use of whips, point out that whipping violates the state’s anti-cruelty statute, and offer support to help implement changes.

Both groups then co-signed a letter with animal protection groups World Animal Protection and Animal Liberation, to Tasracing, requesting a meeting to discuss the issues and see if there was a way forward. In the subsequent meeting with PETA Australia’s lawyer and Tasracing CEO Paul Eriksson, Eriksson refused to engage further and informed PETA Australia that Tasracing had no plans to explore banning or restricting whips.

Because of the unusual status of the racing rules under the Tasmanian Animal Welfare Act 1993 and most other state’s animal protection Acts, whipping horses during racing has long been given an unofficial free pass. The court case will challenge this anomaly that means horses are whipped on racetracks despite it being a clear breach of animal welfare laws.

If you did exactly the same thing to any other animal, you would be charged with animal cruelty. This case highlights whipping a horse is a crime both on and off the racetrack.

The purpose of the whip is to keep a horse running when they are really wanting to slow down because of fatigue. This is when horses are running out of fear and on adrenalin, in circumstances that can lead to serious injury or even catastrophic breakdown.

The racing industry for years has claimed that the whip doesn’t hurt. If it doesn’t hurt and cause fear and distress, it begs the question, why use it?

A peer-reviewed study published on November 11, 2020 found ‘Humans and horses have the equivalent basic anatomic structures to detect pain in the skin’ (available here), something the racing industry continues to deny.

The report’s author, Professor Paul McGreevy, stated “We’re saying that although horse skin is thicker overall than human skin, the part of the skin that is thicker does not insulate horses from pain that is generated during a whip strike”.

CPR has put the challenge to any jockey to be whipped like a racehorse and then maintain the whip doesn’t hurt.

If it‘s not already abundantly obvious that whips hurt and cause unnecessary pain and suffering, then there is a mountain of evidence that confirms this.

This case is asking a magistrate to confirm that whipping racehorses causes unreasonable and unjustifiable pain. If such a conviction is handed down, it will be even more ludicrous for the industry to continue to deny this.

Beating horses with a whip is just the tip of the iceberg in this cruel and ruthless industry. Successful convictions will have serious ramifications not only for horse racing in Australia, but the entire world.

The recent case of a high-profile trainer, Trevor Sutherland, winning his appeal against a three-year disqualification from racing for sending horses to slaughter, brought to light two deeply concerning loopholes in the NSW rules of racing – the rule Racing NSW repeatedly claim sets them apart from all other states. We have officially asked Racing NSW four times if, when drafting the rule, this was intentional or an oversight and also whether the rule will be amended to ensure NSW horses are indeed protected from slaughter as they claim, but they refuse to respond. A copy of the letter is at the bottom of this email.

In short – what the Sutherland case exposed was that, according to the appeals panel:

1. Racing NSW’s local rule 114, which they claim is designed to prevent horses being killed when no longer wanted, does not capture circumstances of intent if it is decided it was not the “primary intent” of the person sending them to be killed (something we have reported on previously)

and

2. the words “similarly disposed of” used in LR114(5)(e) which states a horse is not to be, directly or indirectly, sent to an abattoir, knackery or similarly disposed of should be interpreted to mean “a horse is disposed of (killed) for the purpose of its meat being used as food.”

Therefore, if a racing participant kills a thoroughbred horse on their own property and buries them in a pit, for example, they would presumably not be in breach of the rule.

The continued refusal by Racing NSW to answer our simple questions regarding both of these loopholes and also our question as to whether mares used for breeding are protected under the rule, indicates that they either intentionally created this loophole, or, at best, are now aware of it, but are refusing to make the required amendments that will do as they claim and protect all horses under their jurisdiction from being killed when no longer wanted.

When the Racing NSW retirement plan and local rule 114 was first announced, CEO Peter V’landys stated “The youth of today care more about animal welfare than any other generation and we need to keep up with their expectations… Every horse in NSW will be re-homed, whether it has raced or not.”

Sadly, it has become clear this statement was nothing but a smoke screen, designed to dupe the public into believing that the horse racing industry was finally taking responsibility for the lives of the horses they could not exist without.

For background on the Trevor Sutherland case click here.


Below is the final letter we sent to Racing NSW regarding this issue, directed to their general counsel.

Dear Mr Sweney,

We are resending this request for urgent action regarding this very concerning loophole. This is the fourth time we have contacted you regarding this matter. We’re sure you will agree action is crucial if LR114 is to serve its intended purpose. 

The email originally directed at Mr V’landys on February 26, 2021 below….

In reviewing the decision of appeal of licensed trainer Mr Trevor Sutherland, 24 February 2021,  we’d like to draw your attention to two very concerning points.

1. When explaining the process of their decision, the appeals panel considered ‘Proper construction of LR114(5)(e)’. They concluded that they preferred the construction of the rule contended by the stewards, in that ‘similarly disposed of’  should be interpreted to mean “a horse is disposed of (killed) for the purpose of its meat being used as food.”  (Point 42)

Can you please clarify if this is the intention of the rule – to only impact on responsible persons whose horses are killed for the purpose of their meat being used as food? If so, does this mean it is acceptable to Racing NSW that horses continue to be killed where their meat is not utilised eg. their body is buried in a pit? If this is not the intention of the rule, does this mean Racing NSW will amend LR114 to ensure this loophole is addressed. 

2. In points 44 and 45 it was determined that LR114(5)(e) does not incorporate a circumstance in which the “primary intent” is not to have the horses killed, even if the person giving the horses away is aware there is a sufficient risk this could eventuate.

Will the rule be amended to mitigate the likely risk of the floodgates now being open to other responsible persons taking advantage of such a loophole. 

Relevant points referred to above as stated by the appeals panel: 

42. In construing this rule, the Panel’s task is to give the words used by the drafter the meaning that they are taken to have intended. “Taken to have intended” of course does not relate to the subjective intention of whoever drafted LR114. That is not known. All the Panel has to go on is the text of LR114, its stated purpose, and the application of common sense given that we are asked to interpret rules relating to the regulation, and protection, of the horse racing industry. Bearing all that in mind, at least in relation to the words “similarly disposed of”, we prefer the construction of the rule contended for by the Stewards. We hold this view even though we consider there is force in the argument put forward on the Appellant’s behalf. An approach using a somewhat economical use of words has been taken to the drafting of LR114(5)(e). However, we do not consider the words “similarly disposed of” need to have the elements or similar elements outlined in the Appellant’s submissions at [175]. In our view, the words “similarly disposed of” relate more to an end result – that is, a horse is disposed of (killed) for the purpose of its meat being used as food.  

44. In the circumstances here, we have found that the primary intent of the Appellant in giving the horses Redfu and Rozzi to Mr Brown was for them to be used by Mr Brown to jump and hunt. While we have also found that the Appellant knew that there was a risk, once Mr Brown had possession of the horses, that they may not work out as suitable for hunting and jumping, and hence could be killed for meat for Mr Brown’s dogs, that was not the intent (destruction for dog food) with which the Appellant gave Mr Brown the horses. It was a risk that he knew could eventuate, rather than the intent that he had when giving the horses to Mr Brown.

45. Turning back to the words used in LR114(5)(e), the facts as found by us mean that what has occurred here is not caught by the rule. For the Appellant to be in breach of the rule, we consider that his intent must have been, in giving the horses to Mr Brown, that they would then be killed, and their meat used as food. That was not the Appellant’s intention. While knowing there was a risk that the horses could be destroyed for food, his intent was that they be used by Mr Brown for jumping and hunting. The fact that there was a risk that this would not work out, and the horses could subsequently be killed (as they were) is not a factual scenario that is caught by the rule. If the drafter wanted such a scenario to be caught by LR114(5)(e), then the rule should have, in our view, been drafted to incorporate such circumstances. 

Many thanks for your time. We look forward to hearing from you.

Dear Supporter,   We are so excited to inform you that last Friday, Racing South Australia announced that moving forward, there will be no more jumps races held across the state. This is a HUGE win for the horses, who will no longer be forced to jump obstacles at high speeds with a whip wielding jockey on their back – often leading to the most excruciating injuries and death.  Racing SA are putting the decision down to a lack of jumps horses and jockeys, making the industry financially unsustainable. There is absolutely no doubt that an increasing lack of public support has led to this final decision. Dwindling support for South Australia’s most prominent jumps racing event, the Oakbank Carnival, has long indicated this was only a matter of time. CPR have been demonstrating alongside Animal Liberation South Australia (ALSA) outside the carnival since joining forces against SA jumps racing in 2008. At this time, the carnival was the centrepiece of Easter celebrations, attracting in excess of 120,000 people across Easter Saturday and Monday. It was the place to be seen and have fun, and many even camped on the surrounding grounds for the entire long weekend. This year, the event was lucky to attract 5,000 attendees. Through effective campaigning by CPR and ALSA, South Australians have been made aware of the shocking cruelty and blatant animal abuse that is jumps racing and have voted with their feet and their dollars.  ALSA have been campaigning against jumps racing in South Australia for twenty years now, as have many other individuals. We are so grateful to them all for their ongoing dedication to this cause and for working so effectively alongside us, to ultimately achieve this fantastic outcome.  Whilst we celebrate this fantastic news, we must also remember the many individual horses who have suffered horrific injuries and lost their lives due to this brutal and archaic so-called “sport”. We must also consider the victims to come, as jumps races continue in Victoria – now the last bastion of jumps racing. Racing Victoria must take their heads out of the sand and join the rest of Australia in ending jumps racing for good!  You can help make this happen by emailing the Vic Minister for Racing, Martin Pakula, and cc’ing Racing Victoria CEO Giles Thompson, and politely demand they follow SA’s lead and end jumps racing once and for all! [email protected] [email protected] NUP TO THE CUP     With Racing Victoria’s other horror show, the Melbourne Cup, just around the corner, we need as many people as possible to stand up and say #NuptotheCup. Please consider arranging an event, whether it be private or public. This is such a powerful way to change our culture away from Australian’s celebrating animal cruelty and towards us instead making the first Tuesday of November a party FOR the animals. Register your event here. Check out other events as they register here. Working that day? Why not arrange a #NuptotheCup in your workplace! Check out our ideas on ways to make this fun, effective and workplace appropriate here.       Thank you for reading and remember… speak up, always!

DONATE TO HELP

Dear Supporter, Whilst we are arguably in the midst of the most challenging time we have yet experienced throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, horse racing continues just as it has throughout this entire crisis. This means so does the cruelty, the injuries, the deaths, the lies and the cover ups.   In this newsletter: Toxic horse meat kills Australian dogs Thousands of unwanted UK racehorses slaughtered Three horses killed in one day on Australian racetracks Horses neglected and starved Insufficient penalities for severe abuse My Cousin James has part of his tongue removed Industry forum reveals we are having a real impact Video exposes the horrors of New Zealand jumps racing Darwin Turf Club in disarray Spring carnival plans and #NupToTheCup Merchandise and more… TOXIC HORSE MEAT KILLS AUSTRALIAN DOGS  Earlier this month, CPR once again called on the EU Commission to urgently end their import of horse flesh for human consumption from Australia. The calls came after devastating news broke that over twenty dogs had died and over sixty were sick, many with what would be lifelong illnesses, after consuming toxic horse flesh and claims were made that those horses were originally destined for the human consumption export market. In our open letter to the EU Commissioner for Heath and Food Safety, Stella Kyriakides, we explained the horses are believed to have been grazing on a plant native to northern Australia, Indigofera linnaei, before being collected for transport to the Meramist slaughterhouse. Due to Covid-19 regulations they are claimed to have then been rerouted to a knackery in Victoria – their flesh therefore ending up in local pet food products instead. This plant contains indospicine, a toxin that causes severe liver damage. While dogs are particularly susceptible to this toxin, it is unclear as to whether humans may also be negatively impacted, however, studies demonstrate that the meat of any horse from northern Australia slaughtered for human consumption has the potential to cause harm to consumers. Read our open letter in full here.  This all occurred just weeks after we joined Animal Welfare Foundation, Eurogroup for Animals, and Animals’ Angels USA to present evidence to the EU Commission of systemic breaches to horse meat export regulations from Australia, Uruquay, Canada and Argentina – available here. At this meeting the EU officials stated that they were “touched” by the images we presented and that this should not happen. Yet they refused to make any formal acknowledgement of the ongoing breaches, or commit to any kind of appropriate action. This subsequent incident of toxic horse meat is further evidence that the safety of Australian horse meat for human or other animal consumption cannot be guaranteed. We have also continued to place pressure on the National Horse Traceability Register Working Group who are dragging their feet on producing an adequate register and therefore further placing horses, humans and other animals lives at risk. You can help by: 1. Joining the cause to end horse meat exports now here. 2. Writing to the chair of the traceability working group, Stuart McLean, and politely demanding they live up to their responsibility and produce an adequate register as a matter of urgency here. Our hearts go out to all the horses and dogs who lost their lives in this tragic event.

THOUSANDS OF UNWANTED UK RACEHORSES SLAUGHTERED 
Last month, our international partners at Animal Aid UK released their investigation into the routine slaughter of former racehorses. Like Australia, the numbers are shockingly high, with at least 4,000 former racehorses sent to slaughterhouses in Britain and Ireland since the beginning of 2019.

Harrowing video evidence shows terrified and often exhausted horses come face to face with their executioner, some of whom are just two years old.

The full UK investigation cannot be seen in Australia at this time, however excerpts can be viewed in the the below articles.

BBC News

Daily Mail

 UK residents can sign the petition to limit horse breeding here.

Everyone can take the pledge to never bet on or attend a horse race again here.

THREE HORSES KILLED IN ONE DAY ON AUSTRALIAN RACETRACKS
Last Saturday, at least three horses lost their lives whilst being raced – two at Royal Randwick, NSW and one at The Valley, Vic. 

Three-year-old filly Xtremetime fell, suffered an upper near forearm fracture and was killed. Four-year-old gelding Brandenburg sustained biaxial sesamoid fractures and catastrophic suspensory failure to the near foreleg before being killed. Three-year-old filly Widaad, collapsed after the finish line of a suspected heart attack. 

Our soon to be published Deathwatch 2021 Report, reveals things have not gotten better for horses on Australian racetracks. Indeed they are much worse, but the public outrage to such carnage is most certainly growing. Stay tuned!

Rest in peace Xtremetime (left), Brandenburg (centre) and Widaad. All so young. All deserved so much better 

ANOTHER SLAP ON THE WRIST!  

This is Chancery. He was used to race sixty-four times before being starved by his trainer Des Waldock.

Racing and Wagering Western Australia found Waldock to be guilty of failing to provide the ten-year-old gelding with proper and sufficient nutrition and suspended his trainers license for three months. 

In deciding his penalty the stewards took into account (among other things), that Waldock had eventually rehomed the gelding and that his condition had therefore since improved. Meaning, Waldock suffered a lesser penalty because members of the public and other industry participants have paid for and put in the time, care and energy to ensure Chancery is nursed back to health.

It should never be the job of others to put their hands in their pockets whilst this multi-million-dollar industry and their apparent ‘Off The Track’ programs continually fail these horses. Nor should penalties for such neglect be reduced due to the work of others.

LEO WAS NOT SO LUCKY 
Twelve-year-old Leo (Leonardo Lion) was bred into the racing industry in 2008. He never actually made it to the racetrack in all that time, yet when he was rescued just a few weeks ago, the authority still had him registered as an ACTIVE racehorse.

There could not be a more pertinent example of how this industry has no idea or concern for where so many of the horses they bring into the world are, and how they are being treated.

Despite all attempts over ten long days, Leo’s rescuers at Bella Vita Horse Sanctuary were unable to bring him back to health. Leo tried so hard but his body shut down and he passed away on August 8 2021.

He remains listed as an ACTIVE racehorse by the authority. 

MORE INSUFFICIENT PENALTIES FOR SEVERE ABUSE 
There is no shortage of evidence to demonstrate both trainers and jockeys repeatedly get let off with little to no repercussions for severe abuse to horses in racing. 

NSW trainer, Kim Waugh, and jockey, Serg Lisnyy, are no exception. Earlier this year they were charged with six separate counts of serious cruelty involving the registered racehorse ‘Tarsus’. The three-year-old suffered deep lacerations down his flank after Waugh ordered Lisnyy to use the spurs in trackwork. Another jockey at the Waugh stable was found to have kicked Tarsus in the stomach. All continue to be registered industry participants. A breakdown of the charges and penalties can be found here.

On appeal, jockey Serg Lisnyy had his six-month disqualification for an act of animal cruelty through the excessive use of spurs and the use of unapproved spurs reduced to a five-month suspension, meaning he could still take part in trackwork, trials and jump-outs. 

In allowing Lisnyy back for trackwork whilst serving his suspension from racing, appeals panel chairman Richard Beasley stated: “He has a mortgage, other debts, and a young family to support. He will suffer financial hardship from a suspension, but a disqualification will deprive him of any capacity of earning an income from the racing industry.” 

PART OF HIS TONGUE REMOVED  
Four-year-old gelding, My Cousin James, had his tongue tied for so long that part of it became necrotic and had to be surgically removed.

Ballina trainer Steven Phelps is currently serving a four-month disqualification. More here.
 
A survey of Australian trainers analysed 535 responses and found:23% reported complications after the use of ties, including lacerations, swelling, bruising and head shyness. Other studies have also observed difficulty swallowing, anxiety, ‘blue tongue’ and permanent tissue damage. Learn more here.

A horses tongue should never be tied for any amount of time, yet in horse racing, it is standard practice. Sign here to support a NSW ban on tongue ties and other instruments of cruelty here.

INDUSTRY FORUM REVEALS WE ARE HAVING A REAL IMPACT
Although the suffering of horses used by the racing industry continues, their own International Forum for the Aftercare of Racehorses (IFAR) 2021 gave many hopeful indications that our work continues to be a clear threat. Although the speakers made it abundantly clear that public perception is their main motivation, not concern for the horses, there is absolutely no doubt that slowly but surely we are having an impact. Take a watch – and let’s keep up the good work! 

The recording here is the final of four. Highlights are listed below for the time poor and those for little tolerance for rhetoric.
9:00
17:30
29:45
40:00 – informative section on bone fatigue

For the record – the graph presented at 59:20 is entirely inaccurate.

All four recordings available are here.

VIDEO EXPOSES THE HORRORS OF NEW ZEALAND JUMPS RACING  
On the eve of New Zealand’s jumps racing season, CPR released a damning video, exposing the horrors of the so-called ‘sport’. 

A compilation of New Zealand’s brutal 2020 jumps racing season was circulated across the country showing the inherent cruelty that comes with forcing horses over obstacles at high speeds, whilst in fear of the jockey on their back.  

Many New Zealanders were not even aware that jumps racing occurs in their country. Like Australia, support and attendance is dismal, but the cruelty is the same. Watch the powerful compilation here. 

Sadly, at the same time that this footage was making its way around NZ, Fulmineus became the first reported victim of the 2021 jumps racing season in Australia. See his devastating death here. Five-year-old Mighty Jim has since joined the list. See his horror fall here.

Of course, COVID-19 regulations have made it near impossible for us to be at the racetrack to protest the past two jumps seasons, however we did manage to take advantage of eased restrictions and gather outside the Warrnambool track for Grand Annual Day of the May jumps carnival. Huge thanks to all who made the trip. Our voices were heard loud and clear from both outside and within the course, where we spoke out for Fulmineus and all the other horses who have lost their lives in the name of gambling profits and entertainment. Protest video snippet here.

DARWIN TURF CLUB IN DISARRAY 
Dead and injured horses, hospitalised jockeys and a $12 million dollar scandal has placed the Darwin Turf Club in the headlines plenty of late.  

On July 28, three jockeys came crashing down on the racetrack in Race 3 and all were rushed to hospital. More here. There was no word on the wellbeing of impacted horses Somervell, Supreme Times and Jomera, in the days that followed, until it was finally confirmed four-year-old Jomera had lost her life in the incident. 

The track is also the focus of a recently released ICAC report finding their $12 million grandstand grant to be shrouded in “corruption, misconduct, breaches of public trust and mismanagement of public resources”, implicating senior public servants, local businessmen and Darwin Turf Club members. At the centre of the scandal is the turf club chairman Brett Dixon, whose construction company, Jaytex, was awarded the grant. More here.

Just a few weeks prior to Jomera’s death, four horses at the track bled from the nostrils in one race day – three in the same race.

And just last month the track had another multiple-horse fall with three jockeys again rushed to hospital, one in an induced coma. Three-year-old gelding, The Unknown was killed. More here.

Video footage from the July 28 incident, which a track staff member described as “brutal”, has been withheld (as is footage of the race where The Unknown lost his life). Racing NT CEO Andrew O’Toole ignored our repeated calls regarding the Jomera  incident however he did however make this very telling comment to the media “This is something we didn’t need in Cup Week.”

SPRING CARNIVAL PLANS & NUP TO THE CUP
With horse racing guaranteed to be allowed to continue right through the Spring Racing Carnival, we must also prepare to be present outside the various racetracks as much as we can. Whilst it is currently looking as though our usual #NupToTheCup party outside the Flemington course will have a limited capacity or may not even be possible, things may look a little different in your neck of the woods. 

If you are able, please do consider running your own #NupToTheCup event or attending one near you. CPR support kits are available and registrations can be made here. One 2021 #NupToTheCup has already been organised for Fortitude Valley, QLD which looks like it will be a blast! Details and tickets available here.

Join the rapidly growing movement to make the first Tuesday of November a party for the animals! Say #NupToTheCup.

For your private or public #NupToTheCup support kit click here.

Stay tuned for our soon to be launched #NupToTheCup in the Workplace support kit.

MERCHANDISE

With lockdowns impacting our opportunities to speak out for racehorses in real life, now more than ever we can use CPR’s official merchandise to help spread the message about ending horse racing cruelty. Take a look here!

Collectors Item t-shirts designed by  Melbourne artist Sebastian Berto 
Stickers
Caps & Beanies                               
Hoodies & more…  Purchase here 

Thank you for reading and remember… speak up, always!

DONATE TO HELP

CPR relies 100% on donations to fund our investigations and campaigns. Without the generosity of our supporters we would not exist.

Thank you to all of our supporters who have donated recently. It is much appreciated and allows us to continue working toward justice for horses.
Click here to donate

6 August 2021

Stella Kyriakides

European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety

By email: [email protected]

Re: A new potential consumer health risk from the consumption of Australian horse meat

Dear Stella Kyriakides,

The reason for writing to you is it has come to our attention that it has been claimed that a consignment of horses from the Northern Territory, Australia were destined to be slaughtered for human consumption, but due to COVID restrictions were instead redirected to a knackery in Victoria and slaughtered there for pet food.

These horses had been grazing on a plant native to northern Australia, Indigofera linnaei. This plant contains indospicine, a toxin that causes severe liver damage, and while dogs are particularly susceptible to this toxin, it is unclear as to whether humans may also be negatively impacted. At this stage over sixty dogs have been affected by eating meat which Australian authorities appear to have traced back to these horses. To date, over twenty dogs have died, and many others will be left with lifelong health problems.

We know that many horses from northern Australia are slaughtered at the EU approved Meramist Abattoir in Caboolture, Queensland and their meat is exported to Switzerland and the EU for human consumption. There is the possibility that the meat of any horse from northern Australia slaughtered for human consumption has the potential to cause harm to consumers.

In this instance, the horses that appeared to have carried the toxin were slaughtered at the Maffra Knackery in Victoria. On July 29^th 2021 the knackery made this comment on their Facebook page “we provided details of station bred horses we purchased from Northern Victoria which we now understand might have contained the toxin because they had crossed the Victorian border from interstate.”

Agriculture Victoria and PrimeSafe released this media statement on July 30^th 2021 which may be of benefit to you:

Primesafe and Agriculture Victoria statement Indospicine in pet meat – warning to dog owners

Also of benefit is a link to a study on the meat of slaughtered camels that had consumed the same plant and as such, the same toxin. The results of this study demonstrate a concern for human safety if the affected meat were to be consumed.

Release of Indospicine from Contaminated Camel Meat following Cooking and Simulated Gastrointestinal Digestion: Implications for Human Consumption

We believe that despite any regulations and testing that our export abattoir, Meramist, may have in place, the health of Europeans consuming Australian horse meat cannot be guaranteed. This is not only because of the ongoing issue of drugs in the systems of horses but also because of naturally occurring toxins in their meat. For this reason, and the already thoroughly documented breaches to EU animal welfare regulations at the abattoir, we again ask that you immediately cease importing horse meat from Australia.

Regards,
Elio Celotto
Campaign Director
Coalition for the Protection of Racehorses

For a full list of documented evidence proving the EU must end the import of horse flesh from third countries including Australia click here.

Feature image source : ABC article Pet food crisis deepens with spotlight on NT horse meat, questions over recalls