For Immediate Release, Monday 28 October 2019 Activists claim VRC plan is a start but $200 Million needed to save horses from slaughter The Victorian Racing Club announced this morning that an Equine Wellbeing Fund will be established for racehorses and more than $1 million will be raised from ticket sales that will kick start the program. Activist group, the Coalition for the Protection of Racehorses (CPR) welcome the announcement but says it’s simply not enough. In 2013, CPR submitted a proposal for the Rehabilitation and Re-homing of Thoroughbreds to Racing Australia (read here). It estimates that today, around $200 million dollars a year is needed annually to create an effective retirement plan. “While we acknowledge this is a start, we’ve done the math and much more money is needed to ensure the protection of these horses after racing. We’ve even worked out how to fund the initiative.” Said Elio Celotto, Campaign Director for CPR.“ In the proposal, a 1% levy on betting turnover would raise in the vicinity of $190 million per annum. A further 1% levy on prize money and a $2000 foal registration fee would also raise further funding. “A 1% levy on all betting turnover would raise in the vicinity of $190 million. What punter would begrudge 1 cent out of every dollar going towards a retirement plan for racehorses.” “Importantly the $2000 foal registration levy would not only raise funds for the retirement plan but deter over-breeding- the principle cause of the wastage problem in the first place.” While CPR is pleased with the announcement, they have been campaigning for a retirement plan for 10 years. “Finally we’re seeing the racing industry respond but the fact that it’s taken a graphic behind the scenes expose of the racing industry makes it difficult to believe that they are motivated by anything more than money and this move is just a public relations exercise.” “The slaughter of horses is definitely the biggest problem facing the racing industry however if they are genuine about horse welfare, they also need to consider the immediate phasing out of the whip and abolish the other inhumane practices such as the use of spurs, tongue ties, unnatural feeding regimes that cause stomach ulcers and the confinement of horses in small stables up to 23 hours per day.” he said “Welfare reforms will help but people must realise that this industry is built on exploiting horses for profits. Their suffering is and always will be inherent”. ENDS For More information: horseracingkills.com |
For Immediate Release, Friday 1 November 2019 Cairns Protests in the Lead Up to the Melbourne Cup What: Horse Racing Kills Protest When: Sunday 3 November 2019, 1:30pm Where: Cairns Esplanade, Queensland Activists are calling on the people of Cairns and surrounds to speak up for abused and killed horses in the racing industry. As the news erupts with the disturbing facts on the treatment of thoroughbred horses in an ABC investigation, Aussies are beginning to question what we are supporting when they go for a day at the races. A driven group of Cairns local residents will gather on the esplanade on Sunday afternoon to raise awareness on the cold underbelly of the horse racing industry. The message they are delivering to the public is clear- “Horse racing kills!” Sev Ipradjian, a health professional from Westcourt reports that “The dark side of horse racing is vast. But the part that horrifies the most is that when horses are no longer deemed financially viable, they are sent to one of two Australian slaughterhouses to be killed for human consumption, or to one of 33 knackeries to be turned into pet food”. The Coalition for the Protection of Racehorses (CPR) have been exposing the brutal reality of horse racing for over a decade. “The life of a horse bred for racing is not an enjoyable one. They are forced to live in a tiny stall when in training, fed an unnatural high protein diet that results in stomach ulcers for 90% of them.” “They use whips, tongue-ties, spurs, bits and even jiggers to dominate, harm and control”. “One horse is killed on Australian racetracks every three days, that we know of” Sev explained. “These horses are being forced to run for their lives, and dying in the process.” Naturopath, Cadwen Piwari from Bentley Park states ” Horses are painfully whipped repeatedly to push them past their limits- this causes most of them to bleed from their lungs. Its just cruel and unacceptable”. Sev added “Many people in Cairns are outraged by the way these loyal individuals are scrapped by owners. At the very least we need more accountability and solid retirement plans for these majestic animals. But ultimately, the industry has proven itself to be beyond redemption and needs to come to an end.” ENDS For More information: horseracingkills.com |
For Immediate Release, Thursday 17 October 2019 Systemic Slaughter in the Horse Racing Industry Exposed A 2 year undercover investigation has revealed thousands of racehorses are being killed for human consumption every year. In an explosive report this evening by the ABC program 7.30, the racing industry is again having to defend itself against claims of animal abuse and horse slaughter on a massive scale. Even NSW racehorses that are supposedly protected from slaughter by Racing NSW Rules of Racing, are being routinely killed in a veil of secrecy. CPR spokesperson, Elio Celotto who is interviewed in the story had this to say. “The racing industry has hidden behind bogus studies they commissioned and data collected from a compulsory retirement form claiming that less that 0.5% of racehorses are sent to slaughter. They have now been proven wrong and must own up to the fact that they have a serious welfare problem.” CPR is claiming that up to 220 horses are being killed weekly at a Queensland abattoir and on average 56% are racehorses. “The thoroughbreds killed in just one day at this one abattoir alone is more than the racing industry’s estimate for the whole year. With another abattoir that also kills horses and another 33 knackeries, we estimate the real number to be more than 10,000” “The horse meat for human consumption market is reliant upon a steady supply of young, healthy horses and this is provided by the racing industry” said Mr Celotto. “It has long been claimed that the horse racing and horse slaughter industries share an unofficial economic partnership and this investigation proves it” “The racing industry is in total denial. Rather than spending some serious money on reforms that give racehorses a life after racing, they spend millions of dollars on marketing, building stadiums they only fill a few times a year and paying celebrities to attract a crowd that is choosing to distance itself from animal cruelty.” “The industry can no longer continue to offer these false assurances that racehorses are loved, treated well and that most are re-homed. Support of the horse racing industry is support of the horse slaughter industry”. CPR has actions planned throughout the Spring Carnival and will be encouraging racegoers to say ‘Nup to the Cup’ Planned actions for Spring Carnival: Saturday 19 October – Caulfield Cup Protest 10:30am Saturday 19 October – Protest at The Everest 10am Saturday 2 November – Derby Day Protest 11am Sunday 3 November – Peninsula Cup Protest 11am Monday 4 November – Cup Eve Parade Protest 11am Tuesday 5 November – Fashuns on the Field 10am Tuesday 5 November – Protest Melbourne Cup Day at Ascot Perth 9am Tuesday 5 November – Protest the Melbourne Cup – Brisbane 10am Tuesday 5 November – Protest the Melbourne Cup – Canberra 10:30am Saturday 9 November – Train outreach at Stakes Day All protest details can be found at https://bit.ly/2odXRXR Additionally, 13 Nup to the Cup events have already been registered with CPR with many more to come. View at https://horseracingkills.com/nuptocup/ ENDS For More information: horseracingkills.com |
For Immediate Release, Thursday 17 October 2019 Activist Spring Racing Carnival Protests Kick Off This Weekend What: Horse Racing Kills Protests When: Saturday 19 October, 2019 Where: Caulfield (Vic) and Randwick (NSW) Racecourses This Saturday’s ‘Caulfield Cup’ and ‘The Everest’ will see animal activists launch their 3 week campaign against horse racing cruelty. “We will have a large presence outside all of the seasons biggest racing events, starting with this Saturdays Caulfield Cup and The Everest ” said Coalition for the Protection of Racehorses (CPR) Campaign Director Elio Celotto. “People are really waking up to the shocking reality of horse racing and refusing to remain silent.” And tonight on the 7.30 Report, it is anticipated that more cruelty and abuse of racehorses will be exposed. “Whilst this will no doubt be a hard watch, we are very glad that the industry is finally being seen for what it is, ruthless, cruel and exploitative ” Mr Celotto said. We hope people respond accordingly by refusing to attend or bet on any horse racing events. But for those who do, they will again be reminded at the entrance to the racetrack exactly what it is they are supporting” “For too long the racing industry has blatantly lied to the public about the abuses and deaths horses suffer. Before, during and after racing they endure shocking cruelty, whilst the industry keeps peddling the rhetoric that these horses are treated like kings.” “We hope that race day attendees will now know the dark reality behind the facade of glitz and glamour. The public deserve to know exactly what it is they are supporting” he said. CPR will also have a strong presence at other big race meets throughout the season and will be hosting their own Nup to the Cup event ‘Fashuns on the Field’ just outside Flemington Racecourse. “Fashuns on the Field is a protest with a twist. We host a cruelty-free event of food, fun and human races to show punters that you can have a great day out without supporting animal abuse.” 12 other Nup to the Cup events have already been registered with CPR with many more to come. View at https://horseracingkills.com/nuptocup/ CPR Spring Carnival campaign schedule: Saturday 19 October – Caulfield Cup Protest 10:30am Saturday 19 October – Protest at The Everest 10am Saturday 2 November – Derby Day Protest 11am Sunday 3 November – Peninsula Cup Protest 11am Monday 4 November – Cup Eve Parade Protest 11am Tuesday 5 November – Fashuns on the Field 10am Tuesday 5 November – Protest Melbourne Cup Day at Ascot Perth 9am Tuesday 5 November – Protest the Melbourne Cup – Brisbane 10am Tuesday 5 November – Protest the Melbourne Cup – Canberra 10:30am Saturday 9 November – Train outreach at Stakes Day All protest details can be found at https://bit.ly/2odXRXR ENDS For More information: horseracingkills.com [email protected] |
New Zealand Jumps Racing
Many New Zealanders are completely unaware that jumps racing persists in their country. From May to August approximately 23 cruel jumps events are held across New Zealand racetracks, forcing horses to negotiate obstacles whilst travelling at high speeds with a jockey on their back.
Four horses were reported to have been killed in the 2020 NZ jumps racing season. Many more were injured and have not been seen on the racetrack since – their status unknown.
Please join our 2023 Ban Jumps Racing campaign to call out this brutal animal abuse in the name of gambling profits and entertainment. Come along to our protests (listed below). Or, if you want to get more involved, you can also help behind the scenes, or plan your own protest at your local track – support provided. Simply complete our volunteer form here.
2023 Ban Jumps Racing Demonstration dates…
Trentham Racecourse, Wellington – July 15
More dates and full details coming soon!
Jumps racing is 21st century legalised animal abuse that MUST come to an end!
For more information on jumps racing and CPR’s ongoing campaign in Australia click here.
Barrier ‘Behaviour’
Horses expressions of defiance happen all day at any given racetrack. Most don’t get a mention. The barriers are a common place for such defiance. Horses don’t like confined spaces and have to be trained/coerced to go in because it goes against all their natural instincts. Some horses are rejected from racing simply because they can’t be made to go into the barriers. This is what that looks like.
In late 2019, we reported on how common this is, using Melbourne Cup Day as an example (article here). Across Australia, there were well over 50 incidents at the gates in this one day; what stewards refer to as “difficult to load”, “unable to load”, “fractious in barriers”, “became cast in barriers”, “broke through the gates”, “dislodged rider”, “leg stuck in gates”, “reared at the gates”. Below are just some examples.
Words taken directly from steward’s reports:
Worrigee Star – The mare which escaped from its attendant behind the barriers and galloped a considerable distance before jumping a perimeter fence was declared a late scratching by order of the Stewards at 12.35pm.
Highton – Trainer G Hickman was advised that a warning would be recorded against the gelding which proved reluctant to proceed to the barriers and caused a delay to the start.
Daunting Warrior – The filly was declared a late scratching by order of the Stewards at 2:28pm after it shied en route to the barriers and broke through the running rail, dislodging rider J. Grob in the process.
Daredevil – After being loaded into the barriers, became fractious, reared and became cast over its nearside barrier partition.
Lilly Pilly – After being loaded into the barriers, the filly became fractious, reared and sat down behind.
Red Hot – The filly, which was in the stall adjoining Lilly Pilly which had become fractious and was removed from its barrier, then reared and struck its head.
Animals resist their exploitation all the time. Or often, they are just downright terrified. Another recent example of this is 9-year-old gelding Stirling Estate from Western Australia who, in January 2021 refused to enter the barriers and was therefore withdrawn from the race. His race history shows that his trainers have received warnings and suspensions for Stirling Estate’s objections several times and on one occasion it was noted that he is usually loaded into the barriers with a buggy whip and had refused because one was not available.
The below image is of a filly they are trying to force into the barriers in Sydney. The witness told us “this was a top filly and she was absolutely terrified of the man with the buggy whip behind the barriers.”
As a slight side note, Stirling Estate is now deceased. His trainer claims he kicked out in the washroom bay after racing in Bunbury on February 11, just one month after receiving his fifth suspension for “refusing to load” – his injury apparently turning gangrene and requiring euthanasia.
Open and Transparent?
The racing industry will often claim to be “open and transparent” but our experience of well over a decade demonstrates the very opposite. The industry will go out of its way to keep the truth from the public, as what really goes on behind the scenes is so shocking it threatens the very existence of horse racing.
We, the Coalition for the Protection of Racehorses, represent a large sector of the general public who have very legitimate concerns regarding the wellbeing of racehorses, yet, our emails to industry authorities requesting an open dialogue or specific information regarding individual horses wellbeing are repeatedly ignored – Racing NSW CEO Peter V’landys has even blocked all email and phone communication from us.
But, of course, it is much worse than that. Editing race replay footage when a horse is seriously injured or killed (or failing to upload the footage at all), intentionally omitting information from stewards reports, and blatantly lying to the public in media statements and in official industry reports, are all common practice in this industry that thrives on secrecy.
Below is a letter that has been sent to the Racing Victoria Equine Welfare Department four times since January this year. Not one reply has been received, not even an acknowledgement of the email, even though correspondence on other matters has occurred from the same department contact.
Due to lack of response, we have also sent this letter to the Racing Victoria and Racing Australia CEO’s who, to date, have also failed to respond.
So, we ask, for an industry who repeatedly claims to be “open and transparent,” why is our request so difficult to respond to?
***********************
Dear Racing Victoria Equine Welfare Department,
In our 2020 Deathwatch Report, we highlighted not only were the causes of horse deaths on track again often not disclosed, but also that Racing Victoria was the worst culprit of this. Our report stated:
Of the 24 horses whose cause of death is not clarified, 22 were from Victorian racetracks. Victoria reported a total of 31 deaths, meaning Victorian stewards only disclosed the cause of death in their reporting 9 times. More on this can be found from page 4 in our report here.
We believe it is in the public interest to know and understand not only how many horses are being killed on the racetrack, but also what is causing their deaths. We understand the cause of death can not always be determined on the day and therefore can not always be told in the stewards report of that particular day, however, when this is the case, subsequent reports and even necropsy reports could and should be made publicly available.
Evie Girl is one example of many which we would like more information on.
Stewards stated:
Evie Girl (NZ) Began to weaken passing the 700m and near the 500m was eased out of the race. After being pulled up, the mare collapsed and was subsequently found on arrival by the official racing veterinarian to be deceased. This incident will be referred to the Equine and Welfare Department.
Another major area of concern where transparency is entirely lacking is deaths in trackwork and training. We would very much like to see this also addressed, with all of these deaths and the causes reported on and made publicly available.
We look forward to Racing Victoria and indeed the industry across Australia being more transparent and providing the public with the information they have a right to, shall they be interested.
Regards,
Coalition for the Protection of Racehorses
**********************************
The above is a very reasonable and straight forward request, especially for an industry that is supported not only by gambling profits but also tax payer dollars and has a dedicated representative in our parliament.
Pictured: Evie Girl – killed at Caulfield on January 13 2021. She was 4 years old.
Your E-News Update: Fined For Refusing To Carry A Whip and much more…
Dear Supporter,
It’s been a few months since our last e-news so there is much to update on. Sadly, there is never a dull moment in the horse racing industry. However, there is also never a dull moment in the public response. The growth of opposition to horse racing is showing no signs of slowing down and the industry certainly doesn’t do itself any favours there. In this newsletter:
Fined for refusing to carry a whip
NZ racehorses slaughtered in Australia
Exposing businesses who sponsor animal abuse
Horse meat exports
Bill for horses in NSW Parliament
Images of trainer mocking dead horse emerge
Trevor Sutherland disqualification overturned
Racing Victoria bungles stomach tubing case
Cliff’s Dream investigation
AJSA blatantly misleads the public
Regal Chamber – the life of a breeding mare
Studies on bone fatigue ignored
Oakbank Carnival
and more…
FINED FOR REFUSING TO CARRY A WHIP
The use of whips remains a contentious and divisive issue among the racing fraternity – a trajectory that is guaranteed to continue until they are banned.
Just weeks after Racing Victoria pulled the pin on their plans to conduct a series of whip free races, with an overall objective towards slowly phasing it out (more here), Tasmanian harness racing driver and trainer Gavin Kelly was fined $1000 for refusing to follow a direction to carry a whip. Kelly is now challenging whether such a direction is lawful. In a recent interview with the ABC, he said:
“I see what horses can do without being whipped and I don’t see that inflicting pain to generate a result is necessary if you train them to the best of their ability”.
“The industry keeps trying to just window dress the issue. They like to look like they are making changes and look like they’ve got animal welfare at heart, but I’m not a believer that they’re out there to generate meaningful change”. Listen to the full audio recording here.
We’ve seen jockeys who have beaten their horse with the whip over three times more than the allowable number receive smaller fines. The whip is just the tip of the iceberg of horse racing cruelty, and still, Kelly is being lauded by many as a hero just for refusing to carry one. The industry really does seem determined to dig its own grave.
NEW ZEALAND RACEHORSES SLAUGHTERED IN AUSTRALIA FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION
It has been very interesting to watch the public response as our New Zealand campaign against horse racing cruelty takes flight. Reading some of the blatant lies and denial from industry participants and supporters feels as though we are stepping back in time to the early days of our Australian campaign – comments that would now be laughable if an Australian supporter were to make them. The New Zealand public are being informed that the treatment of racehorses in their own country is no different and, over time, they too will understand that their attempts at defending the indefensible no longer cut it.
Recently, New Zealanders were informed that many of their horses also end up at the horrific Meramist slaughterhouse in Caboolture, QLD. Read more here. The details of six thoroughbreds who were witnessed in the kill pens where shared for the first time, shocking many. As we continue to expose the NZ horse racing industry, their lies and denial will, too, become untenable. For more information on the number of horses that vanish from New Zealand thoroughbred racing each year click here.
Speaking of New Zealand, our campaign teams across the ditch recently made two important submissions. The first to the parliamentary committee in support of our petition to withdraw the $72.5 million racing industry bail out – available here. The second being a submission to the open consultation on further restricting whip use – our submission for an outright ban is available here.
Our New Zealand campaign is going from strength to strength with satellite teams expanding from three to five in the past few months, with CPR Taranaki and Tauranga now also joining our efforts. Thank you to everyone in New Zealand who is taking action against horse racing cruelty.
EXPOSING BUSINESSES WHO SPONSOR ANIMAL ABUSE
CPR’s campaign against horse racing sponsors continues, as lists exposing which companies support animal abuse are continually being developed. Companies are supplied with information on the many forms of cruelty horses endure before, during and after racing (see here) and those who sponsor a race where a horse is killed on the track are informed of the name and age of the horse, along with their picture and cause of death that their sponsorship supported.
Every month the companies who sponsored a race in which a horse was killed are also shared with the public across social media, encouraging them to take their business elsewhere. To add your name to the list of people who will not support businesses that support horse racing cruelty, click here.
EFFORTS TO BAN THE IMPORT OF HORSE MEAT INTO THE EU CONTINUE
A webinar on The Import of Horsemeat from Overseas was recently held by the Intergroup on the Welfare and Conservation of Animals. The Intergroup is made up of Members of the European Parliament, working together to advance animal welfare and conservation in EU policy making. We were very pleased to present on behalf of Australia’s cruel horse meat exports, alongside representatives from other countries who have investigated horse meat production for export to the EU.
The evidence provided by all the presentations is undeniable. All third countries that export horse meat to the EU are in clear breach of EU Commission regulations. The EU Commission must act immediately to ban the import of horsemeat from Australia, Canada, Argentina and Uraquay. You can watch the webinar here and sign our petition to ban EU horse meat imports from those countries here.
BILL INTRODUCED TO NSW PARLIAMENT TO LEGISLATE AGAINST RACEHORSE SLAUGHTER AND INSTRUMENTS OF CRUELTY
Last month, Animal Justice Party MLC Mark Pearson introduced an important bill: the Racehorse Legislation Amendment (Welfare and Registration) Bill 2020. If passed this bill would:ban whips, tongue ties & spurscriminalise sending ex-racehorses to knackeriesput in place a birth-to-death racehorse registration and rehoming scheme.This important amendment would see an end to the worst of the abuses inflicted on these innocent beings in NSW, whilst we work toward the day when they are no longer viewed or used as a commodity for the gambling dollar. Thank you to Mark Pearson and the Animal Justice Party NSW team for bringing this bill to the house. You can watch the reading of the bill here and show your support here.
TRAINER MOCKS HORSE IN THEIR DEATH
The entire racing world went into a frenzy recently, as photos emerged of winning Grand National trainer Gordon Elliott sitting on a horse who had recently passed of a reported heart attack.
The images went viral across the globe, sparking outrage and exposing the true feelings of those who most often report to be deeply saddened by the deaths of horses they knowingly put in harms way. To add to the scandal, just days later, a video was published of jockey Rob James laughing as he too straddles a dead horse – available here.
Since the outrage, Elliott has been suspended from training for six months. However, his horses continue to be accepted into races as his license has been transferred. Black Tears, a horse from Elliott’s stable, won the Mare’s Hurdle on the first day of the Cheltenham Festival. As our international partner from Animal Aid UK, Dene Stansall, stated “We’re disappointed that Elliott’s horses have been allowed to run because stopping horses from his stable running would have been a greater punishment. He’s allowed to go on holiday over the summer and come back refreshed, while his horses are still there all ready to go again.”
3-YEAR DISQUALIFICATION OVERTURNED
Trevor Sutherland’s 3-year disqualification has been overturned on appeal.
The NSW trainer pleaded guilty last year to sending two of his horses, 6-year-old Redfu and 4-year-old Rozzi to Irish huntsman Donnchadh Brown where they were killed and fed to his hounds. At the time, this was found to be in breach of Racing NSW LR114(5)(e) which states a horse “is not to be, directly or indirectly, sent to an abattoir, knackery or similarly disposed of”.
Mr Brown is the manager of the Sydney Fox Hunting Club, known to Sutherland (according to Brown) for feeding horses to the hounds he so cruelly uses in barbaric fox hunts. Evidence provided by a Racing NSW Welfare Officer, after speaking with Brown, claimed that Sutherland “rehomes the majority of his horses, however the ones he couldn’t find a home for, he gave to Mr Brown for pet food.” Read more here.
RACING VICTORIA BUNGLES STOMACH TUBING CASE
Within 48 hours of trainer Trevor Sutherland winning his appeal in NSW, Racing Victoria dropped all charges against trainer Richard Laming and two stablehands for alleged race day stomach tubing of Jamaican Run.
It was reported: The snap withdrawal followed an RV-led decision on Wednesday to halt proceedings midway through the five-day hearing, with Murphy citing information that could put the tribunal in “a difficult position”.
“I am making application that the matter be adjourned until tomorrow, but I will not indicate the basis of that application,” Murphy told the VRT.
“In our professional view it would be very dangerous to ignore the circumstances and it would put the tribunal ultimately, I would have thought, in a difficult position.” More here.
Since, the Victorian Racing Integrity Board has demanded Racing Victoria provide a “full and public explanation” about the failed hearing, which has just been completed. It found Racing Victoria steward witnesses were in communication, “in contravention of an order of the VRT which prevented witnesses from speaking to other witnesses or interested parties during an adjournment.” More here.
Laming also has a cobalt presentation charge, which he plans to appeal.
CLIFF’S DREAM INVESTIGATION
CPR investigators recently reviewed the death of Cliff’s Dream’s in a jumps race at Warrnambool back in 2016 and found his treatment behind the green screen required investigation. However, Racing Victoria disagreed
View the footage of his shocking treatment, with full statements from both Racing Victoria’s Equine Welfare Department and a former industry vet of 30 years, here.
AUSTRALIAN JUMPS RACING ASSOCIATION PROVIDES BLATANT MISINFORMATION
In a story which aired on ABC’s Landline in October last year, when speaking of horses used in jumps races, the host stated “A just released 2-year study shows that 95% are rehomed”.
We found this statement quite unbelievable so contacted Racing Victoria who confirmed: 1.that the media got it wrong and the report actually stated “95% of horses WHO ARE REHOMED out of jumps racing do not require a retraining period”and2. that they were aware of this inaccurate statement before the program aired.We immediately asked Racing Victoria why the program was not corrected before going to air, to which we were told they did not see it as necessary. This is a pretty big mistake for the ABC program to make, but they could almost be forgiven for the inaccuracy, given this is exactly how the findings have been twisted in the Australian Jumps Racing Association (AJRA) media kit, and other reports and posts. Learn why here.
REGAL CHAMBER – the life of a breeding mare
Regal Chamber was used by the racing industry to produce 19 foals in 20 years, spending more than 90% of her life after racing pregnant. Every year she was forcibly mated with a stallion, while at the same time having a foal at foot. Somewhere between 3-6 months of age, her foal would be taken away from her, just like she was taken away from her mother at the same age, to be trained and then raced, exploited and then discarded.
In the end, Regal Chamber was abandoned by everyone, however, she found kindness in the final 18 months of her life. Read her heartbreaking story here.
KNOWINGLY RACING HORSES TO INJURY AND DEATH
This is a graph produced by Professor Chris Whitton, head of the Equine Centre at The University of Melbourne, who works extensively with the racing industry. It highlights the cumulative effect of bone damage, placing racehorses under extreme pressure during racing. This only gets worse with every successive race until their injuries make them non-competitive or result in catastrophic breakdown.
The video ‘Avoiding Injuries and Maximising Performance in Racehorses’ by Chris Whitton, from which this graph was taken, is very informative – available here. It also gives us an insight into what really matters to the industry, and it’s got nothing to do with horse welfare and everything to do with maximising profits. They are knowingly putting the lives of the horses they claim to love at risk for financial gain every time they race. This is just normal practice and part of the industry’s business model.
Our recent article on how industry and tax payer dollars are used to fund such studies whilst ignoring their findings can be read here.
OAKBANK CARNIVAL IS NO MORE and…. Morphettville abandons jumps races
After 12 years of campaigning and demonstrating against the Easter Oakbank Jumps Carnival with Animal Liberation South Australia (ALSA), we are happy to say, the carnival is no more.
When CPR and ALSA first joined forces back in 2008, the carnival was the centrepiece of Easter celebrations in Adelaide. It attracted in excess of 120,000 people across Easter Saturday and Easter Monday. It was the place to be seen and have fun and many even camped on the surrounding grounds for the entire Easter long weekend. This year it will be just another race day on the Easter Saturday with just 2 jumps races.
Additionally, it appears that the SA Jockey Club have surreptitiously gotten rid of jumps racing at their Morphettville track, as no jumps races have been scheduled to take place there for the 2021 season and none planned for the future. This is more evidence of the racing industry trying to keep their very fragile social licence as the dark side of racing is exposed.
Here is an old news item of CPR and ALSA protesting against jumps at the Morphettville track back in 2014.
A huge thank you to ALSA and all our supporters who instead of having a break over Easter, chose to attend our demonstrations, often in the sweltering heat or bitter cold and rain. Details on this year’s Oakbank jumps protest here or email us at [email protected] Image by Tamara Kenneally Photography
THANK YOU AND CONGRATULATIONS
Huge thanks to all the organisations and individuals across Australia and New Zealand who have taken action against horse racing so far this year. Through expanding our teams and joining forces with others, we have already run or supported protests outside the Adelaide, Hobart, Launceston, Auckland, Wellington, Taranaki and Perth Cup Days. We’ve also stood strong to protest outside (and inside) the Magic Millions, Wellington’s Student Day at the Races and Summer Race Day at Whanganui. Huge thanks to ALSA, Coast to Coast Animal Friends, Taranaki Animal Save, DxE Tasmania, Animal Liberation Tasmania and Animal Liberation Queensland for joining forces with us. And, of course to our CPR teams in Taranaki, Whanganui, Wellington and Auckland for making our NZ protests possible.
The movement against horse racing is a growing and unstoppable force.
MERCHANDISE
The CPR store is chock-full of great items to help spread the message about ending horse racing cruelty without even having to say a word. Take a look here!
Collectors Item t-shirts designed by Melbourne artist Sebastian Berto
Stickers
Caps, Beanies & Gators
Hoodies & more… Purchase here
DONATE
For 13 years CPR has been supported by the generosity of your donations, big and small. They have enabled us to break the secrecy once enjoyed by the horse racing industry wide open. If you can afford to help us continue with this important work, please consider making a one-off or monthly donation. Click here.
SOME CUTENESS OVERLOAD TO WRAP THIS UP!
The cruelty-free Adelaide Cup alternative, the Canine Cup, was a huge success again this year. The event raised $8175 for Freedom Hill Sanctuary and demonstrated to Adelaide and well beyond that you do not need to support animal abuse to have a good time. There were gorgeous fashions, delicious food and loads of entertainment.
Pre-recorded images of dogs running in the park on their own terms featured on the big screen and can be viewed here.
Brief ABC coverage of the event here.
Photos from the Canine Cup event 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 |
New Zealand Racehorses Slaughtered in Australia for Human Consumption
Over the course of a two year investigation at the Meramist slaughterhouse in Caboolture, QLD, it was, on several occasions, possible for investigators to scan the microchips of horses in the killpens awaiting slaughter.It was not possible to scan all horses in the pens, however, of the horses that were able to be scanned, six were later identified to be of New Zealand origin.
Babinda (bred by D & I H Mackay)
sent to Australia as a 3 year old
raced 9 times
prizemoney $6,020
used to breed 4 foals for Reibycroft Stud, NSW
killed age 11
Lady Fleur (bred by W R Roper)
sent to Australia as a 1 year old
raced 4 times
prizemoney $550
killed age 5
Honeymoon Harmony (bred by Mrs D E & T V Pearce)
sent to Australia as a 1 year old
raced 0 times
killed age 3
Habitual Offender (bred by Bloodstock Resources Ltd & Rich Hill Thoroughbreds Ltd)
sent to Australia as a 3 year old
raced 28 times
prizemoney $80,019
killed age 7
Huss On Fire (bred by D G & R B McLaren Ltd)
sent to Australia as a 1 year old
raced 0 times
used to breed 6 foals (one of whom went on to win over $1 million for his owners)
killed age 11
Innovate (bred by Mrs J M Wanless)
sent to Australia as a 2 year old
raced 56 times
prizemoney $79,082
killed age 9
Due to the racing industry not tracking horses effectively during and after racing, it is not possible to know just how many New Zealand born horses sent to Australia end up being brutally killed at knackeries for pet food and slaughterhouses for human consumption, however, considering:
1. this is the fate for the majority of Australian born racehorses
2. six NZ born racehorses were identified among the limited number of evenings where scanning took place
and
3. there is also one additional slaughterhouse and approximately 30 other knackeries that kill horses operating across the country,
we have no doubt that this is the fate suffered by the majority of racehorses sent to Australia from New Zealand for breeding and racing purposes – a figure which currently sits anywhere from approximately 1,000 to 1,700, per year depending on which of the two countries fact books you are checking.
To watch the groundbreaking investigation ‘The Final Race’ to see what NZ bred horses endure in Australia click here.
To read CPR’s report on Meramist slaughterhouse click here and here.
For more information on the number of horses that vanish from New Zealand thoroughbred racing each year click here.
TABCORP’S CLAIMS OF ZERO-TOLERANCE TO ANIMAL CRUELTY
ABC’s 7:30 program ‘The Final Race’, exposing the systemic and brutal slaughter of racehorses, aired one week prior to Tabcorp’s 2019 AGM. The companies Chairman at the time, Paula Dwyer, said the following in her address:
“This brings me to the issue of animal welfare as highlighted on the ABC last week. Although Australian racing bodies have made progress in prioritising animal welfare, the vision of horses being mistreated at a Queensland abattoir was shocking and unacceptable to us. In response, we have resolved to use our industry leadership position and our voice to play a more meaningful role with our racing industry partners to ensure animal welfare is immediately prioritised and protection mechanisms strengthened and enforced. As a participant in the industry, we require a zero tolerance approach to animal cruelty.” Full address available here.
In June the following year, the company also released a position statement on animal welfare, once again reinforcing their zero-tolerance stance to cruelty to animals in racing and in society in general. This outlined 11 requirements Tabcorp placed on the industry – available here.
The industry is systemically failing in all eleven areas outlined in the statement, yet Tabcorp of course continues to support, endorse, facilitate and profit from the industry. CPR raised this with Tabcorp in a meeting in July 2020. The statement now appears to have been removed from the Tabcorp website, intentionally or inadvertenly we cannot say.
The murky waters of Racing NSW kill ban just got murkier
Trevor Sutherland’s 3-year disqualification has been overturned on appeal.
The NSW trainer pleaded guilty last year to sending two of his horses, 6-year-old Redfu and 4-year-old Rozzi to Irish huntsman Donnchadh Brown where they were killed and fed to his hounds.
At the time, this was found to be in breach of Racing NSW LR114(5)(e) which states a horse “is not to be, directly or indirectly, sent to an abattoir, knackery or similarly disposed of”.
Mr Brown is the manager of the Sydney Fox Hunting Club, known to Sutherland (according to Brown) for feeding horses to the hounds he so cruelly uses in barbaric fox hunts.
Evidence provided by a Racing NSW Welfare Officer, after speaking with Brown, claimed that Sutherland “rehomes the majority of his horses, however the ones he couldn’t find a home for, he gave to Mr Brown for pet food.”
When Sutherland was questioned as to whether he knew the horses would be fed to Brown’s dogs he said:
“I thought he was taking them to jump. He’s always said, “if you’ve got anything that can jump, I’ll take it and try it for jumping and, as I said, both of them were big, tall, rangy horses and he could jump with them.”
During the course of his interview, however, Sutherland was confronted with a text that he had sent to Mr Brown
TS: “If you need some hound food probly got 2 maybe 3 down the back paddock.”
DB: “Super, when do you want them gone?”
TS: “When ever suits talk to a bloke Tommo about I’ve got running with them probley get him as well.”
According to a stable foreman, when Sutherland gave two further horses to Brown, Hangin’ With Willy and Witchblade, Brown stated those horses would be given “every opportunity” in his “business”. They were also killed. It is important to note, these horses were given to Brown several months after Rozzi and Redfu had already been killed. Did Sutherland not think to ask how they were going? If he was aware they had been killed why did he give Brown two further horses? According to the appeal transcripts, this line of questioning never occurred and the fact that Hangin’ With Willy and Witchblade were also killed does not appear to have been considered by the panel at all, for reasons we are unaware.
In addition to all of the above, Sutherland was also found guilty last year for lodging a false stable return which claimed that another horse, Bless You Toby was spelling, when he was actually aware the 3-year-old gelding was “found to be deceased” the week prior.
Even with all of this evidence, making it crystal clear to our mind that Sutherland was knowingly sending his horses to be shot and fed to Brown’s poor dogs, or at best, knowing this was their outcome if they didn’t work out as horses helping in Brown’s disgustingly cruel fox hunts, his suspension was overturned and he is now able to return as an official Racing NSW industry participant – the appeals panel finding even though the horses being killed was a risk that he knew could eventuate, this was not his “primary intent” for them.
Apparently 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.
Read the full appeal transcript here.
AJRA provides blatant misinformation to media
The 2021 jumps season trials commenced last week in Victoria, so what better time to highlight how the jumps fraternity is twisting research results to mislead both the media and the general public.
In a story which aired on ABC’s Landline in October last year, when speaking of horses used in jumps races, the host stated “A just released 2-year study shows that 95% are rehomed”.
We found this statement quite unbelievable so contacted Racing Victoria who confirmed:
1. that the media got it wrong and the report (available here) actually stated “95% of horses WHO ARE REHOMED out of jumps racing do not require a retraining period”
2. that they were aware of this inaccurate statement before the program aired.
We immediately asked Racing Victoria why the program was not corrected before going to air, to which we were told, they did not see it as necessary.
This is a pretty large mistake for the ABC program to make. So, we took a look at the industry’s own reporting of their findings, to realise the ABC could almost be forgiven for the inaccuracy, given this is exactly how the findings have been twisted in the Australian Jumps Racing Association (AJRA) media kit, and other reports and posts
Having said this, the ABC doing their own research rather than believing the very industry who has a vested interest in lying about these figures would be nice.
A quick read of what really is not a study, but a survey of the very people who profit from jumps racing, shows it does not cover how many horses were taken out of jumps racing over the two year period, how many were injured and subsequently killed both on and away from the racetrack, nor does it even give a figure of the number of horses who were successfully rehomed over the period and still survive today.
What is stated is that the AJRA will release an “even more demonstrative report at the end of 2021”. Well, that wouldn’t be hard. But will it actually include what people really want to know, or will it just be another promotional piece attempt to sell jumps racing back to a general public and even racing industry participants themselves who have long turned their backs on the barbaric business?
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