News - Page 4 of 25 - Horse Racing Kills

Racehorses are also Horses

April 11, 2024 by admincpr 1 Comment

The new Victorian Animal Care and Protection Act wants to recognise all animals as sentient beings. Except racehorses won’t be given the same rights to freedom and protection from cruelty as horses outside the racing industry.

On March 25^th 2024, the Coalition for the Protection of Racehorses made their second submission to the proposed new Animal Care and Protection Bill in Victoria. We were horrified to learn that the “Approved Industry Arrangements” is still an element in the new law that is supposed to bring animal protection up to modern, global standards.

“Approved Industry arrangements” undermines the entire purpose of a new Animal Care and Protection Bill. It allows approved industries to self-regulate not only what they consider appropriate care of their animals but also what they consider cruel treatment of the animals – and not.

In other words, different standards of care and ethics will apply to animals that are biologically the same. For example, the new Act will mean that beating a pet horse is an act of cruelty, but it will be ok to whip a racehorse in every race. While pet horses will be protected against permanent confinement, racehorses will not be afforded that same protection.

It is inconsistent for the Bill to acknowledge animal sentience, to claim it is providing a legal basis for animal welfare, and to then legalise cruel treatment of some animals, because they live in industries that use cruelty as their basic business model.

CPR believes that all animals within a species should be given equal treatment, regardless of the uses to which they are put by humans. It is hypocrisy to claim that horses who are born into the racing industry are less deserving of the basic care and protection that the new Bill is aiming to provide for any other horse in Victoria.

The racing industry has demonstrated multiple times, that it fails to act in the best interests of horse welfare. Acts of cruelty on the racetrack, can be seen on television almost every day – horses being whipped, breaking down, distressed, injured, collapsing during and after races.

The Racing Act is not an animal welfare act – it was designed to establish the racing and gambling industry. Combined with the self-regulation of the industry through the Australian and Local Rules of Racing, the racing industry has been once again, handed a virtual carte blanche when it comes to their treatment of racehorses.

If we are going to consider a bill recognising animals as sentient, it is inconsistent and in fact unethical to exclude certain animals simply out of human convenience. Animals are either sentient, or they are not.

Despite the obvious ramifications for industries such as horseracing, if we are to evolve as a society, we must consider all animals as being equal regardless of their species and the human purpose they serve.

Read CPRs full submission: CPR 2024 Submission to the Victorian Animal Care and Protection Bill

Cinderellas Treated like Servants – Testimonial from an ex-racehorse rescuer

March 29, 2024 by admincpr 4 Comments

Between 1988 to 2001, I was able to take on several racing thoroughbreds who were, in the words of horse racing, ‘finished.’ They were offered to me after they’d tolerated several years of racing. And of earning money. They came with impeccable and highly sought after bloodlines, and they were usually between 4 – 6 years of age. They were all damaged. And they were all on their way to the sales or the knackery. None of them had done anything wrong. They weren’t useful to anyone anymore. That’s all.

Their damage was not only physical – suffering with a multitude of painful injuries – but also most strikingly, emotional and mental. I was assured on more than one occasion that they ‘would never walk again, would never run again, were mad, were man killers, were useless, were brain fried.’

Each one, in my care – after a careful regime of rehabilitation, planning, assessment, understanding and treatments – went onward in life as an amazing horse ready to experience a whole new career or a new life, or a quiet, safe forever home.

It wasn’t always easy. Their physical damage was addressed by ‘letting them down’, slow changes in diet, slow introduction from small yards to larger ones, to paddocks and even swimming holes. A slow introduction to socialising with other horses – something many of them had no clue how to do. A mix of treatments, whether massage, veterinary, chiropractic, Bowen or herbal. It was often a long 12 – 36 months of reconditioning, risks, challenges and ultimately new boundaries, kindness and daily monitoring, repeated messages with no mixed signals, clarity and understanding.

Their post-racing physical conditions ranged from: bleeding from the nose and lungs regularly, roaring when cantering – from severe lung damage; ligaments and tendons that were blown out, ruptured, unsightly, a mess and apparently ‘unfix-able.’ Muscle problems, back issues, stifle damage and more. But these were, in general, with time and treatment, remarkably able to be healed to a full capacity and to allow the horses to go onto new lives. What was not so easy, was their fear factor.

Fear of loud speakers, fear of flank pain, fear of whips, fear of sharp voices, fear of going forward, fear of going anywhere, fear of other horses, fear of large paddocks, fear of being alone, fear of horse shows, fear of horse floats, fear of confined spaces, fear of many things that make even people with horses often assume they are a dangerous breed, too hot blooded, too spirited, unsuitable for anything other than running around a race track, too unpredictable; ‘too mad to be sent onto a riding home.’

They were so highly intelligent and so gentle in nature that often, their behaviour patterns were clearly, obviously, not just high spirits or a horse’s natural flight instinct or a lack of understanding of what was being asked of them. It was, quite simply, that their entire lives had been filled with mixed signals from too many racing stables and all the stable hands ‘just doing their job’.

That they were taken, in many cases, far too early from their dam, that they had severe internal injuries that the racing stable and the owners weren’t willing to have vetted or had even noticed, that they had been unjustly treated and highly misunderstood in a busy, business venture, called horse racing.

Highly intelligent, their lives were a distraught, painful maze of trying to understand what was required of them; too young, bodies weak, cartilage unformed, forced to live in tiny stables, fed highly inappropriate amounts of energy food. All so they could run and win money for the owners, the trainers and to become a product. Just a product. Of one of society’s most critical social ills – gambling. Sanctioned and supported by governments and government funding. The taxpayer believes they are ‘having a fun day out’ while they pay and support this, in the gambling arena.

Fine, delicate, sensitive, beautiful, imaginative, good humoured and gentle thoroughbreds came to me ‘finished’, discarded and on their way to be ‘destroyed’. Over bred, over raced, over industrialised. Under appreciated. Uncared for. An industrial wasteland of refined breeding. Cinderellas treated like servants. I saved the ones that came to me. They will never be forgotten.

CPR Calls on Minister after Jumps Horse Death

March 28, 2024 by admincpr 2 Comments

Media Release Tuesday 26 March 2024:

Eight-year-old Grand Promenade was killed after a horrific fall at Warrnambool this Monday 25^th March, which was only the second jumps race day of the 2024 Jumps racing season in Victoria. Out of a total of only five jumps races this year, already four horses have fallen, and one has died. Once again CPR is calling for an immediate ban on jumps racing in Victoria.

“We are calling on the Victorian Racing Minister, Mr Anthony Carbine to view the video of the fall that led to the death of Grand Promenade and then tell us if he still thinks jumps racing should be allowed to continue,” said Mr Elio Celotto, Campaign Director for CPR.

Grand Promenade was killed behind the green screen on the track as a result of the catastrophic injuries he sustained when he fell. The fall has been edited out of the official so-called ‘full’ race replay video. View CPR’s footage below:

“Grand Promenade ran in 32 races and won more than 1.2M dollars for his owners. Instead of giving him a well-deserved retirement, they decided to risk his life and put him over the jumps,” Mr Elio Celotto said, and continued:

“Victoria, the so-called progressive state, is the only state that still allows jumps racing. Somehow the Victorian Labour Government thinks in 2024, it’s still ok to send horses to death for the sake of entertainment and gambling,”

Victorian Animal Justice Party MP Georgie Purcell , echoed similar sentiments:

“Just last week, I warned the Victorian Government of just how deadly jumps racing is. Grand Promenade’s blood is on their hands.

“We call ourselves the progressive state, yet we are the only one in the entire country to continue this blood sport. It is an embarrassment and a disgrace.”

“Anthony Carbines has an opportunity now to show he actually cares for the welfare of horses, and cancel the rest of the jumps racing season,” Victorian Animal Justice Party MP Georgie Purcell said.

CPR has requested a meeting with the Victorian Minister for Racing to discuss putting an end to a sport that cannot be made safe:

“We’ve been monitoring jumps races since 2008. In that time, there have been several reviews – all of which have failed to improve safety,” Mr Elio Celotto said.

In 1997, the New South Wales Government banned jumps racing on animal welfare grounds. Tasmania ended jumps racing in 2007. In 2022, South Australia also banned jumps racing. Last year, 1 in 38 jumps horses died in Victoria.

Since the 2024 jumps racing season began on 12 March, four horses have fallen and now one horse has been killed – in a total of just five jumps races. CPR is awaiting Victoria’s Minister for Racing Anthony Carbines’ response to our request for a meeting.

– ENDS –

Three Horses Fell on the First Day of the Jumps Racing Season

March 13, 2024 by admincpr 3 Comments

On 12 March, the very first day of the 2024 jumps racing season in Victoria, three horses fell. One jockey was taken to hospital for surgery. All three falls has been edited out of the official racing footage.

The three horses who fell in Warrnambool on 12 March were 5yo Teofilo Star, 9yo Serenade the Stars, and 8yo Nelson. Teofilo Star and Nelson was subsequently found lame, but we have no knowledge of the severity. One jockey fractured his collarbone in his fall and was taken to hospital.

Last year during the 2023 jumps racing season, 19 horses fell. That is every one in ten jumps horses. At least three of the 19 falls were fatal. How many horses who could later have been killed because of injuries from these falls is unknown.

Jumps Horse Falls Censored Out from Footage

The three falls in Warrnambool on March 12 would not have been brought to the public’s attention if not for CPR’s team on the scene documenting the conduct during the jumps races.

Racing.com, which is the official channel for replays and live streaming of horse races, has cut out the falls of the three horses from the publicly available footage.

If you haven’t already done so, please support our campaign to ask Racing Victoria to prove that they prioritise the welfare of their horses as much as they claim:

Email Anthony Carbines, Racing Minister in Victoria, and Andrew Jones, CEO of Racing Victoria and urge them to end jumps racing.

Jumps Racing Star San Remo Raced to Death

March 11, 2024 by admincpr 2 Comments

In January 2024 San Remo was killed following an injury sustained during training. San Remo survived three falls, numerous injuries and 87 races including 21 jumps races before his body finally gave in. He lived to be just 9 years old.

Victorian jumps racing star San Remo reached the height of his career on 6 August 2023 when he won the Grand National Hurdle jumps race, which earned his owner the lump sum of $300,000. But that wasn’t enough. San Remo wasn’t afforded any time to rest.

Only eight days later San Remo was raced in a trial, and 13 days later he was entered into a 4.5-kilometre Steeplechase in Ballarat – a jumps race in which San Remo was struggling so much the jockey had to pull him out before the finish line.

After being raced a total of 22 times in 2023, on January 2024 San Remo sustained a fracture to a hind pastern during track work and was subsequently killed. According to San Remo’s trainer, they were devastated at losing him, “but it wasn’t a horrific end for him or anything like that.”

Risking his Life Jumps Racing

Jumps racing is the deadliest type of horse racing in Australia, and Victoria is the only state to still permit the dangerous ‘sport’. In the 2023 season, 1 in 38 jumps horses lost their lives on the track. According to the 2023 steward reports, an astonishing 84% of all the horses who started in jumps races, had difficulty clearing the obstacles, suffered serious physical damage, died, or was struggling too much to even finish the race.

When horses are jumps racing, they are confronted with the task of galloping as fast as they can whilst being forced to jump obstacles in a crowd of other horses attempting to do the same. The stress, the crowding, and the high speed makes it difficult for the horses to negotiate the obstacles. Jumps racing has been found to be almost 20 times more deadly for horses compared to flat racing.

San Remo was 6 years old when he competed in his first jumps race in 2020. At that time, he would have already sustained considerable wear and tear on his body after nearly four years of flat racing. However, entering older racehorses into jumps races is a common way for owners in the racing industry to squeeze an extra few dollars out of their horses before they are too old to race.

Started Racing at Just 2-years-old

It is fair to say that San Remo had a tough start to life. He was born in Ireland and shipped all the way to Australia to be raced at only two years old. Whilst racing horses years before they have reached skeletal maturity is business as usual in the racing industry, it is a highly contested issue.

Australian research shows that among the immature horses who survived the initial race training and continued into a racing career at 2 years old, 80% suffered from shin soreness and 40% were unsound at the end of the racing season.

San Remo though, seemed to have been made of steel. He survived a total of 66 flat races, 15 trial races, and 21 of the dangerous jumps races. Nonetheless, no one is invincible. And given the intense physical and mental pressure that San Remo was subjected to in his career as a racehorse, it would have been obvious that at almost ten years old, he was at particular risk of a fatal injury.

Fell Three Times in Jumps Races

Not surprisingly, jumps racing wasn’t kind to San Remo. On 21 June 2021 he fell after the very first jump. On 5 May 2022, he fell and rolled over on his neck after a jump in the Grand Annual Steeplechase. On 21 May 2023, San Remo fell after a jump in a trial race. All on Victorian racetracks.

On 6 August 2023, San Remo’s jockey breeched the whipping rules and whipped San Remo 13 times before the 100m line. Nonetheless, his owner was rewarded with $300,000 in prize money.

Considering San Remo’s age, years of wear and tear and his record of falls and past injuries, at this point in time his owner could have chosen to retire him. With his celebrity status as the 2023 Grand National Hurdle winner, San Remo would have had a fair chance of being rehomed to a genuine, caring retirement home as he deserved.

Fly free, San Remo. We will continue to fight for your equine brothers and sisters who deserve better.

CPR’s Elio Celotto Nominated for Lifetime Achievement Award

February 21, 2024 by admincpr Leave a Comment

CPR’s founder and fearless animal rights activist Elio Celotto has been nominated for the Peter Singer Lifetime Achievement award 2024. The Animal Justice Awards will be presented at the annual Animal Rights Forum in Melbourne on 24^th-25^th February.

We at CPR are so proud that our very own founder and Campaign Director Elio Celotto is nominated for the Peter Singer Lifetime Achievement Award 2024. And how very suiting, since reading Peter Singer’s book Animal Liberation was what triggered Elio’s tireless dedication to defend animals of all kinds now almost four decades ago.

Elio first became aware of the systematic destruction of ex-racehorses when he and his teammates from Animal Liberation was called out to investigate a knackery in Victoria in 2005. The pens were filled with branded racehorses waiting to be killed and fed as dog food.

“I would have expected the horses to be somewhat timid. But they were not at all. They were so trusting, all coming straight over to us to have a scratch. I realised then, that no one was doing anything to help these racehorses,” Elio said.

The Coalition for the Protection of Racehorses was founded three years later in 2008 after Elio had collected a solid amount of evidence on the lives and deaths of the horses owned by the racing industry. The first focused campaign in Australia to end the cruelty of the horseracing industry had begun.

Years of Elio’s fearless undercover investigations and research culminated in 2019 when ABC 7:30 aired the documentary “The Final Race” on the evening of the Melbourne Cup Racing Carnival.

The national exposure of the slaughter and mistreatment of thousands of racehorses caused an instant public outcry and immediately forced the racing industry to announce welfare funds for racehorses and instigated a Queensland Government investigation into the Meramist abattoir featured in the ABC 7:30 documentary.

Today, the racing industry’s public licence to operate continues to diminish. Even though the racing industry is still allowed to regulate themselves, and that they continue to cling onto every politician who’s willing to be swung by their financial power, times are changing. The public will no longer accept animals to be used and disposed of as mere commodities.

To this day, Elio is still at the forefront of CPR research and investigations. He’s still holding banners together with his team at race day protests. He’s still out with his camera exposing the cruelty that happens behind the scenes in the racing industry. His dedication to protecting the voiceless victims of the horseracing industry is relentless.

We at CPR couldn’t be any prouder to stand side by side with Elio working towards a future that sees the inherently cruel racing industry in the past. We thank you, Elio, for all that you do for the animals and for inspiring us with motivation to never give up.

If you want to join us at the awards ceremony, tickets for the Animal Rights Forum 2024 are still available. Also, a huge thank you to the other amazing animal rights advocates nominated for the Lifetime Achievement Award – together we are strong.

Do you want to be a part of our team? Click to sign up today!

Activist Group Slams Racing Victoria’s New Rule that Bans Horses Sent to Slaughter

February 6, 2024 by admincpr 4 Comments

Media Release Tuesday 6 February 2024:

The Coalition for the Protection of Racehorses (CPR) has made enquiries to Racing Victoria to find out the details of new local rule LR94C that was implemented Feb 1, 2024. The new rule makes it illegal for trainers and owners to send racehorses directly to slaughter at a knackery or slaughterhouse.

“This rule has all the markings of a PR stunt designed to give the impression that racehorses will be protected – yet the slaughter of racehorses will continue,” said Elio Celotto, Campaign Director for CPR.

When CPR contacted Racing Victoria to ask for further details about how the new rule would be effective, it became clear that there is no mandatory penalty set as is the case with many of the welfare rules and penalties are set on a ‘case by case’ basis.

“It’s simply not good enough. Without clearly defined rules and penalties, this local rule will do nothing to prevent horses being sent to slaughter.”

While the racing industry hides behind the fact that they no longer have jurisdiction over horses who have left the industry, the slaughter of thousands of racehorses around the country will continue unabated:

“The simple fact is that once a horse is sold or given away to someone outside the industry, Racing Victoria by their own admission have stated they no longer have control over what happens to the horse. As horses are often sold through a ‘middleman’ anyway, this law changes nothing. A horse could still be sold today and end up at a knackery tomorrow,” said Elio Celotto.

When CPR contacted Racing Victoria, CPR also asked how the new rule was to prevent the horses that are ‘rehomed’ via a sales yard from being sold to a kill buyer:

“While Racing Victoria in conjunction with Racing Australia already require the details of the first new owner of any horse that leaves the racing industry, they have every opportunity to ensure that the new owner agrees not to sell the horse for slaughter – and that kill buyers are prohibited from purchasing a racehorse via a sales yard. Except this loophole is not covered in the new rule,” Elio Celotto said.

Further information:

The National Horse Traceability System first proposed in 2019 could have provided protection not just for racehorses, but for all horses. The ‘National Horse Traceability Register’ was first proposed by the Greens in 2019 primarily on animal welfare grounds and would have made every owner accountable for their horses their entire lives.

The scheme was successfully debated at a parliamentary enquiry and a working group was established. The recommendations made by the working group failed to address any of the animal welfare concerns raised at the senate committee inquiry which was the purpose for enquiry. No less than 64 submissions were made to the committee. Only two opposed the implementation of the scheme.

Link to CPR’s submission April 2019 Submission in support of a National Horse Traceability Register

Link to further submission May 2022: The National Horse Traceability Register has lost its way

– ENDS –

82 Horses Saved from Racing in WA Heatwave

February 1, 2024 by admincpr 2 Comments

Thanks to an overwhelming response from CPR supporters, 82 horses were saved from being forced to race in the scorching heatwave on Thursday 1 Feb in Belmont WA.

On Wednesday 31 Jan horse races were scheduled to go ahead in Ascot WA despite soaring temperatures of up to 42C. CPR reached out through social media for people to help contact Racing WA and ask them to stop the races. That didn’t prevent the races from happening on the day but resulted in the eight races involving 82 horses on the following day in Belmont WA to be cancelled due to the extreme heat forecasted.

With temperatures soaring between 39 and 42C predicted at the time of the Wednesday Ascot races later in the day, early morning CPR started calling Racing WA including their Head of Integrity and Chief Steward directly to ask they please reconsider going ahead with the races of concern for the wellbeing of the horses involved.

We at CPR left voice messages with everyone but got no response. Then we decided to reach out through our social media to supporters asking them to assist in calling and emailing Racing WA. With the following storm of calls, emails, and messages everyone persisted with, Racing WA had no choice but to finally start returning our calls.

“I Wouldn’t be Racing in 38 Degrees Either”

When CPR at last got a return call from a Racing WA officer, it was only one hour before the races were scheduled to start. When we politely voiced our concern, the officer replied that she completely understood and agreed she wouldn’t want to run for 1-2 kilometres whilst being whipped in 38 degrees either.

However, 38,5C was nonetheless the cut-off temperature in the extreme weather policy Racing WA was to follow, she explained, and claimed that the weather bureau BOM had assured them the temperature would drop below in time for races to start.

Other CPR supporters had call backs from various Racing WA staff who blamed the punters for insisting that the races would go ahead, explaining how upset the punters got every time a race had to be cancelled for whatever reason, as they would lose a lot of money.

“No doubt racing punters are pressuring for the races to go ahead. But passing the blame on to the punters, only goes to prove that animals should never be involved in any business driven by money and profit,” said CPR General Manager Helle Erhardsen.

A racehorse experiencing heat stress. Photo courtesy: MSD Veterinary Manual

Cancellation of Thursday Races Followed Volume of Calls

From the CPR supporters who were at the races in Ascot on Wednesday 31st Jan, we understand that stewards and other staff were loudly complaining about the volume of calls and emails they had been bombarded with during the day from concerned CPR supporters.

Only half an hour after the first race of the day had commenced at 3:34pm, Racing WA announced via their social V-account, that the races scheduled for the following day in Belmont WA would be cancelled due to the extreme weather that was forecasted.

“We are grateful for the dedication shown by our supporters in alerting Racing WA about the danger they were putting the horses in by allowing them to race in that scorching heat. We need much more strict policies in place across all of Australia to prevent racehorses from suffering utterly unnecessary heat stress,” Helle Erhardsen said.

Exercise-Induced Heat Stress can be Fatal to Horses

According to the Australian Veterinary Association, the horse’s brain is particularly sensitive to heat stress, and clinical signs include abnormal mentation with irritability, head shaking and random kicking, progressing to disorientation, unpredictable lunging forward, ataxia and collapse.

The publication The Horse has interviewed scientist Leah Trigg, who is co-author of a 2023 report on exertional heat illness (EHI) in Thoroughbred racehorses. She said that racehorses produce an estimated 1,250 kilojoules of heat energy – enough to boil a gallon of water – every minute while racing.

“When the horses can’t get rid of that heat – by, for example, transferring it to cold water as it’s splashed onto their bodies—their internal temperatures continue to rise to the point of EHI. If internal body temperatures reach 104 F (40 C), scientists believe the animals might experience protein damage and cell death, in addition to a cascade of physiological harm,” Trigg told The Horse.

“Horses experiencing EHI can have increased respiratory and heart rates and are at risk of serious central nervous system dysfunction and even death,” Trigg said.

Update on the Races that did Go Ahead in Ascot this Wednesday

Already from the first race, one horse was reported with heat stress. From there on, very little was reported. We can only speculate, if vets had been advised to be vague in their reporting, which we sadly know has happened before.

This does not mean that the horses had an easy run in the heat. Our CPR supporters present at the races, noticed that several horses coming back to the stable area after being raced, were very wobbly on their feet.

Normally, horses only get hosed down post-race but on Wednesday, many horses had several buckets of ice water thrown on them as well – something that is usually only used if the horse is experiencing heat stress and needs urgent cooling down to avoid collapse.

“Once again, thank you to everyone who helped prevent this scene from being repeated yesterday. Racing WA and the rest of Racing Australia should never allow any horse to be put through this, ever,” Helle Erhardsen said.

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Debunking 10 Common Arguments From The Racing Industry

December 20, 2023 by admincpr Leave a Comment

When the horseracing industry is faced with criticism, we hear many of the same arguments used to defend their practices. But are these arguments valid? What does science say? Read our response to 10 common arguments frequently used by the horseracing industry.

“Horses are born to run, they love it”

“We treat our horses like Kings and Queens”

“Racehorses are athletes, they won’t run well if they’re not happy and healthy”

“We spend thousands of dollars on caring for the horses, it’s only fair they do some work in return”

Do these arguments sound familiar?

We hear many of the same arguments from the racehorse industry to defend their practices repeated, when they are faced with criticism. As a help to debunk the many myths the racehorse industry like to spread, and to encourage you to engage with people of different opinions, we have created a document with some of the common arguments used to defend horse racing – and our response. Click on the image below to read👇🏼

What’s On In NSW & VIC over Nup to the Cup Weekend

October 27, 2023 by admincpr Leave a Comment

WHAT’S ON so far….

VICTORIA!

Saturday 5 November

Raising funds for Tiny Tales Chihuahua Rescue join the Melbourne PUP at this dogs day out in Brunswick. The beer garden at Edinburgh Castle will be transformed into a doggy play heaven with optional races for tiny dogs (under 5kgs) plus stalls, a kissing booth, a pawtune teller called Madam Patsy, pin up pooch and more. More details here.

Monday 6 November

St Kilda’s Good Love will be saying NUP on Cup Eve by donating $1 from every Pink Gin Fizz sold to our work at Coalition for the Protection of Racehorses. Good Love is vegan and neon pink! The beats are strong, the cocktails extravagant and the food is turning heads. More details here.

Monday 6 November and Tuesday 7 November

Collingwood’s beautiful GLOU Sustainable Wine Dispensary have crafted a tasty little cocktail to celebrate NOT supporting the Melbourne Cup and horse racing. It will be pouring all day across both Monday 6th and Tuesday 7th of November so please head in and ask for a NUP C(O)UP. More details here.

Tuesday 7 November

Say NUP with High Tea in the gorgeous Dandening Ranges at Selby Community House. A festive and friendly community atmosphere with music, kids games and go in the draw to win some great prizes in the raffle. More details and bookings here.

Join Free Spirits Farm Sanctuary (Glenrowan) for cruelty-free fun in the form of a vegan picnic, human races, music, fashions, farm tour, fundraising and more, all surrounded by the rescued farm animals at the Sanctuary. Details here.

Bring your friends & family for an afternoon of hilarity, with non-horse races, dancing, glamour & outrageous fashion, a catwalk and prizes for cup-day hats and style at The Macedon Ranges Kindness Cup. More details and bookings here.

Evies Disco Diner (Fitzroy) will be aying a very loud and proud NUP TO THE CUP! with drag brunch, hosted by Tilly Capulet. Drag shows, bottomless brunch, bingo, fun prizes, lipsync battles and general carry on. More details and bookings here.

From 2-5pm, the team at Red Sparrow Pizza (Collingwood) are offering food and drink specials, a Humane Animal Rescue stall with merch, information and dogs looking for their forever home. More details and bookings here.

Last but far from least – join us at the Official Nup to the Cup Party ft. The Tarantinos, Playlunch, Farshans on the Field (aka human races), DJ’s, lawn bowls and more. You can also get your protest at this event to if you’re up for it. More details and bookings here.

Sunday 5 November

The Owl & The PussyCat Farm Animal Sanctuary Say Nup to the Cup at this 130 acre sanctuary where 70 rescue residents are living the lives they deserve. Includes sanctuary tour, grazing table and much more. In memory of Gemma.

Details and bookings here.

Tuesday 7 November

Animal Justice Party NSW and Mama B’s Vegan Pub Bistro bring you a delicious 8 course degustation, plus bingo, door prizes and more. Details and bookings here.

Say Nup to the Cup in style on the Nothern Beaches with mouthwatering canapes, DJ’s, trivia and more. Details and bookings here.

No Bones Ocean Shores are putting on a delicious set menu luncheon for $45pp, with $10 going to The Kind Farm Horse Rescue Hosted by Animal Justice Party

Details and bookings here.

Indu dining say Nup to the Cup in their terracotta-clad haven with a cruelty-free event to help end horse racing. Head chef, Erry Saliman, has created a set menu for $69PP with optional additional drinks package. Details and bookings here.

@UJellyCafe Join this family owned cafe in Bowral for a set mexican tasting menu for $55PP. Bookings and more details here.

Join Animal Defenders Office and Little Oak Sanctuary at the Petrie Plaza in Canberra to join in or cheer on Compassionate Stakes – the hilarious t-rex races. More detials and bookings here.

Or, if you prefer to protest in the more traditional way, join us, and co-hosts Animal Liberation, World Animal Protection, Animal Rights Activism Sydney, Animal Jusrtice Party NSW and PETA Australia to protest The Big Dance at Randwick on Melbourne Cup Day. Details here.

Click here to check out other events across the country

Click here to register your own.

Aware of an event that has not registered with us yet? Please let us know via DM or emall us at [email protected] so we can help to promote it.

Your E-News Update: Deathwatch 2023 reveals the most deadly year on record and more!

October 20, 2023 by admincpr Leave a Comment

Dear Supporter,,

In this newsletter:

Deathwatch 2023 Released
Farshans on the Field Nup to the Cup Party Tickets On Sale!
2023 Nup to the Cup Collector’s T-shirt
Spring Racing Carnival Protests
Music Artists to Boycott
Call for Volunteers

BREAKING: DEATHWATCH 2023 RELEASED

Deathwatch 2023
The Most Deadly Year on Record

We have just published our Deathwatch 2023 Report and the number of horses who suffered and died on Australian racetracks is the worst on record.

Read the full report here.

We has been researching and publishing a record of deaths caused from racing related injuries since 2014 – initiated because the racing industry does not collate and publish specific information relating to on-course horse deaths themselves. From the period August 1, 2022 to July 31 2023 (the ‘racing year’), CPR monitored every race Australia-wide and gathered data on the deaths of racehorses on Australian racetracks.

Key findings:

The race-day death toll for this racing year is 168 horses – the worst since CPR started recording raceday deaths in 2014
This is twenty-nine more than last year.
A horse is killed on Australian racetracks every two days.
The most common cause of death was from an injury sustained to the horses’ forelimb with sixty-three instances.
Six horses died in their first ever race.
Fifty-one horses died past the winning post, meaning many were suffering injuries whilst being beaten and pushed beyond their limits to the finish line
Ten horses were two years old or younger when they died from a racing injury.
Of the horses that were killed, sixty had been raced as two-year olds
Racing Victoria remains the biggest culprit of not reporting the cause of death of a horse – failing to do so sixteen times.
Racing Victoria edits racing replays to hide horse injuries and deaths more than any other state racing authority.
The state with the highest recorded deaths was New South Wales with fifty-three deaths, followed by Queensland with forty and Victoria with thirty-nine.
The most lethal track in Australia was Thoroughbred Park – Canberra ACT with six recorded deaths, followed by Aquis Park – Gold Coast, QLD and Ascot – Perth, WA, each with five confirmed deaths.

The report contains statistics, case studies exposing specifics about particular deaths and more. A new section has been added this year titled ‘Trainer Spotlight’ in an effort to highlight particularly bad practices that trainers get away with.

A video summary featuring many of the deaths can be viewed here.

It is simply not good enough for the racing industry to be putting out propaganda videos about how much they care about their horses when they are turning a blind eye to the horses killed on track.

We’re seeing the racing industry do what it always does when it tries to regain the confidence of the public. It spends more and more money on the marketing machine instead of doing the real work of caring about its horses.

Efforts to hide deaths are greater than ever, When the racing industry chooses to ignore calls for transparency, it means it has much to hide.

The true number of horses killed is much higher. Many sustain injuries and are taken off the racetrack and later euthanised. This way their deaths don’t have to appear in Stewards Reports. The industry records them as “retired” and wipes their hands of them. If the racing industry was serious about animal welfare, it would offer complete transparency about the retirement of all its horses.

And Racing Victoria will get rid of them for you free of charge. Their so called ‘Onsite Humane Euthanasia Program’ will have your horse killed and disposed of without a trace, even without having suffered injury.

The Australian people have a right to know the truth about what happens to horses instead of being fed propaganda from an industry that still has much to hide. Our Deathwatch Report exposes this truth – it is brutal and entirely unacceptable.

FARSHANS ON THE FIELD NUP TO THE CUP PARTY – EARLY BIRD TICKETS ON SALE NOW!

Exciting news! This year the official Nup to the Cup party is happening indoors at the bowls club opposite Flemington racecourse on Cup Day. (No more braving Melbourne’s unpredictable weather).

EARLY BIRD TICKETS available now!

For the 8th year running the Coalition for the Protection of Racehorses and Tenfingerz are joining forces to bring you the official Nup to the Cup event – Farshans on the Field!

Come protest the Cup! And show regular racegoers what cruelty-free fun looks like. There will be music, there will be bowls, there will be Farshans on the Field aka Human Races. Prizes to be won!

PROTEST INFO:

The protest will still happen on the corner of Newmarket Reserve, opposite Flemington Racecourse. (same place it always happens). NB: no ticket required to attend protest.
Picket signs provided.

You are welcome to attend just the picket line, or come and go from the party as you please.

PARTY INFO:

This is now happening in the bowls club on the edge of Newmarket Reserve.

There will be bands and DJs indoors; and bowls and Farshans on the Field (aka the human races) on the bowling green.

There will be a door fee to help cover costs. Ticket required or pay at the door if not sold out prior.

TICKETS: available now!

Early bird: $15 – Available til 13 October unless sold out prior
General admission: $25
All tickets include drink on arrival, bowls, and entry to Farshans on the Field (if you wish to race).

MUSIC:

Playlunch
DJ Jen Moore
More to be announced

EMCEES:
The Midnight Horrors (aka Tenfingerz & Tobias Manderson-Galvin)

SCHEDULE:

10AM: Protest starts
11AM: Entertainment at bowls club starts
1.30PM: Playlunch (live)
*More sets to be announced*
Farshans on the Field races start
3PM: The main event – THE HUMAN RACE – same time as the official Melbourne Cup.
3.20PM: DJ Jen Moore
6PM: Finish

Farshans on Field race details and prize pool to be announced.

Vegan food available for purchase.
Drinks at bar. No BYO.

Discount early bird tickets available here
Follow the event and invite friends here.

For other Nup to the Cup events being held across Australia keep an eye on our website here.

NUP TO THE CUP 2023 COLLECTORS T-SHIRT

Hells Yeah!

2023 Nup to the Cup Limited Edition Collector’s Tee available HERE

Concept by Tenfingerz

Illustration by Famous Artist Sebastian Berto

For all other CPR merch visit our Horse Racing Kills store here.
For all other Nup to the Cup merch, visit our Nup to the Cup store here.

UPCOMING PROTESTS

Protest ‘The Everest’
Saturday 14 October, 2023
Randwick Racecourse – cnr Alison and Darley Road, Randwick NSW
10:30am – 1pm
Dress: Smart casual at a minimum. Dress as if you are going to the races is even better.
Banners and posters will be provided.
Follow the event and invite friends here.

Rally at the Caulfield Cup
Saturday 21 October, 2023
Melbourne Racing Club – Gate 23 Caulfield Racecourse, Station Street, Caulfield, VIC
10:30am – 12:30pm
Dress: Smart casual at a minimum. Dress as if you are going to the races is even better.
Banners and posters will be provided. Follow the event and invite friends here.

Say Nup to the Geelong Cup
Wednesday 25 October, 2023
Geelong Racecourse – main entrance, Geelong, VIC
11am – 1pm
Dress: Smart casual at a minimum. Dress as if you are going to the races is even better.
Banners and posters will be provided.
Follow the event and invite friends here.

Protest at Derby Day
Saturday 4 November, 2023
Flemington Racecourse – opposite main entrance – 448 Epsom Road, Flemington VIC
10:30am – 12:30pm
Dress: Smart casual at a minimum. Dress as if you are going to the races is even better.
Banners and posters will be provided.
Follow the event and invite friends here.

Memorial for the Horses Replacing Cup Eve Parade
Monday 6 November, 2023
Princes Bridge, Melbourne, VIC (meet outside St Paul’s Cathedral)
11am – 1pm
Dress: Black smart casual for a funeral. Banners and posters will be provided.
Follow the event and invite friends here.

Brisbane Protests Melbourne Cup Day
Tuesday 7 November, 2023
Eagle Farm Racecourse – main entrance – Eagle Farm, QLD
11am – 1:30pm
Dress: Smart casual at a minimum. Dress as if you are going to the races is even better.
Banners and posters will be provided.
Follow the event and invite friends here.

Perth Melbourne Cup Protest at Ascot
Tuesday 7 November, 2023
Ascot Racecourse – opposite main entrance – Ascot, WA
9am onwards
Dress: Smart casual at a minimum. Dress as if you are going to the races is even better.
Banners and posters will be provided.
Follow the event and invite friends here.

Melbourne Nup to the Cup Protest
Tuesday 7 November, 2023
Newmarket Reserve – opposite Flemington Racecourse, VIC
10am onwards
Dress: Smart casual at a minimum. Dress as if you are going to the races is even better.
Banners and posters will be provided.
Follow the event and invite friends here.

Farshans on the Field – Australia’s Official Nup to the Cup Party!
Tuesday 7 November, 2023
Flemington & Kensington Bowls Club – 407 Racecourse Road, Flemington
11am – 6pm
Discount early bird tickets available here
Follow the event and invite friends here.

MUSIC ARTISTS TO BOYCOTT

It’s a sad state of affairs when muso’s and DJ’s you may like decide to endorse beating, harming and killing horses for gambling profits and entertainment!

The below artists will be playing at the Melbourne Cup Carnival, in Racing Victoria’s latest attempt to make animal abuse a party. Put them in the bin!

CALLING ALL ANGELS

Volunteers are the bones of the Coalition for the Protection of Racehorses – especially during our busiest time of year, the Spring Racing Carnival. If you can help in the leadup to and/or on Nup to the Cup Day (Tuesday 7 November), please complete the form here and we’ll be in touch.

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

CPR Aotearoa make a statement outside New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing Awards Night

Andrew Wilson Horse Sales! Sound Dodgy to You?

October 3, 2023 by admincpr Leave a Comment

On the July 28, 2022, we reported via our social media platforms that we had concerns about the legitimacy of some of the bidders in the Andrew Wilson Online Sale.

We have continued to record the sale outcomes, not only for thoroughbreds and standardbreds but for all horses. Over twelve months later we still have the same, and even greater, concerns.

The majority of buyers probably trust what sellers say and the majority of sellers probably believe that a genuine private buyer, who has taken a particular fancy to their horse, will bid and that their horse will go to a wonderful home. On occasion, it does play out that way, but we also know that dealers sell through that sale and their care factor is usually limited by dollar signs. From our observations, we believe that dealers also buy through the online sales, just as they do at live sales. Online sales are an advantage to them as they can hide behind a ‘bidder code’ and have the anonymity they don’t get at live sales.

Every sale we continue to see the same thing – the same bidder code will bid on ten, twenty, even thirty horses. Why would someone genuine bid on thirty horses in the same sale? Why would the same person bid on Miniatures, Clydie crosses and everything in between in the same sale? Why is it the people who bid on the most horses in the one sale rarely actually buy any? Are they dealers looking for bargains and the prices go too high? Are they dummy bidders? If they are indeed dummy bidders (and this is a question not a statement), is it fair on genuine bidders to be bidding against them? Why would someone put in low bids on thirty horses in one sale? Why would another person bid on twenty-six horses in the same sale and a third person bid on twenty horses that were spread over not one or two states, but four states? Why would none of these bidders actually buy a horse? It makes no sense to us unless they were dummy bidders.

In one of the most recent sales there was again numerous bidders who bid on numerous horses, most again not buying anyone. However, one regular bidder code who bid on twelve horses across three states, on July 21, 2023, did buy four horses, two from VIC and two from NSW. Someone, it seems, thought it financially worthwhile to do so. Were they a dealer? Even in the sale just gone, one bidder bid on twenty-eight out of ninety horses yet bought none. Why?

Another thing that makes no sense to us – why is it that horses are sometimes passed in at a certain price and then offered for sale later at the passed in price or even less? For example, “Tyson”, also in the sale of July 21, 2023, was passed in at $175 to a bidder code that was used for at least eighteen other horses in that one sale. A bidder that had the highest bid on six horses yet bought no one. Was that bidder a dummy bidder? It seems likely to us seeing that “Tyson” sold after the sale for $100, $75 less than the highest bid.

A similar scenario with “Peggy” (aka Don’t Take No) who was in the sale before. She was passed in at $400 to a bidder who had bids on twenty-four horses over two states and also bought no one. Peggy was listed straight after the sale as a “second chance” at her passed in price of $400.

In a sale just last month, Unexpected Gift was passed in at $550 yet sold straight after for $500.

We could go on and on but suffice it to say that none of the above scenarios are “one off” instances, it’s a similar scenario every single sale.

We are of course very happy that there are no longer any live horse sales in Victoria, that COVID-19 put an end to Echuca, Warrnambool and Pakenham, and that the horses are not terrified in sale yards. BUT one thing doesn’t change. Reserve or not, sellers have no control over who buys their horse. We see ads that say “good home only”. In our opinion that is just the seller trying to make themselves feel better about risking their horse’s future. How can they possibly know if the person with the winning bid is going to be a “good home”? They can’t. We see sellers say their horse is “a member of their family” yet they won’t make the effort to make sure they go to an appropriate home. We see bidders that, to us, appear to be anything but genuine buyers. We see posts from buyers who have played with fate, bought horses unsighted and lived to regret it. And most upsetting to us is the risk to the horses who are the pawns in this game of chance.

Pictured: Unexpected Gift