UK Jockey Membership Defends Cheltenham Security Document After Horse Deaths
Britain’s Jockey Membership mentioned this week the welfare of horses at Cheltenham, the nation’s largest horse racing competition, was of paramount significance. It claimed the group did evrything potential to make sure the animals’ security.
Shallwehaveonemore, pictured, was euthanized after falling within the first race at Cheltenham final Tuesday. (Picture: OTB Sports activities)
The Jockey Membership, which runs Cheltenham, was responding to criticism over the deaths final week of 4 horses on the four-day competition. The deaths prompted animal welfare group the League In opposition to Merciless Sports activities (LACS) to say the animals have been being “sacrificed for leisure.”
The primary fatality got here within the very first race of the occasion on Tuesday, when Shallwehaveonemore needed to be euthanized after falling within the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle.
On Thursday, two extra horses, Mindsmadeup and Born Patriot, met the identical destiny following falls. And on Friday one other, Ginto, needed to be put down after struggling an damage within the Albert Bartlett Novices Hurdle.
Since 2000, 73 horses have died at Cheltenham, in accordance with LACS, 16 prior to now 5 years. In 2006, 11 died in a single week.
‘Pointless Tragedy’
“For any horse to lose its life within the pursuit of a ‘sport’ is an pointless tragedy. However this sickening dying toll factors to the necessity for brand spanking new and far tighter security measures to be applied – we’re calling for an unbiased regulatory physique to be created, with horse welfare as its solely concern,” Chris Luffingham, director of exterior affairs at LACS, advised Gloucestershire Stay.
“We may even be calling for the ban on the whip, which forces horses to transcend what they’re comfortably in a position to do, leading to deaths, accidents, and stress,” he added.
Within the US, 144 deaths at California’s Santa Anita Racetrack within the 2018-19 racing season triggered widespread outrage that led to reforms. These included restrictions on using whips by jockeys, a ban on most medicines earlier than races, and the introduction of latest imaging applied sciences to catch accidents sooner. The measures helped carry a few 50 % discount in deaths.
However Ian Renton, regional director for the Jockey Membership, advised BBC Radio Gloucestershire his group couldn’t be doing extra to advertise security.
All our group right here work completely tirelessly to do the whole lot we are able to for horses and human welfare and that’s completely paramount in the whole lot we expect,” Renton mentioned.
“We acquired criticized for watering [the track] on Tuesday night time, the explanation for that’s to strive to make sure we produce completely the most secure floor, and we are going to proceed to try this,” he added. “We are going to proceed to take criticism for issues like that as a result of the welfare of horses is what we put on the high of our checklist.”
Document Crowds
Regardless of controversies, the 162-year-old Cheltenham Competition is extra standard than ever, with file crowds recorded this 12 months. Some 280,627 racegoers attended the occasion throughout the 4 days. In the meantime, on-course bookies reported that enterprise was brisk.
“I’ve by no means seen so many large-stake bets within the silver ring than I did on Thursday, and there undoubtedly appears to be much more cash about,” bookmaker Martin Davies advised The Racing Publish.
