Animals Australia to give evidence to jumps race inquiry

4 July 2002

Executive Director of Animals Australia, Glenys Oogjes, welcomes the opportunity to provide evidence to an Racing Victoria Review Panel today to address animal welfare aspects of jumping racing in Victoria.

‘I find it hard to comprehend that this terrible sport, which causes injuries and deaths to the horses involved, can still run on a public track. Our evidence today shows that the risk of death and injury is the same now as it was 25 years ago. Nothing the racing people can say or do can deny this brutal reality’,said Glenys Oogjes prior to meeting with the Review panel.

‘It is high time that this cruel and unnecessary cause of suffering was ended - as it has already been in New South Wales’ said Ms Oogjes.

Animals Australia has provided a written submission to the review - which is available by request. The submission shows:

• there has been no significant reduction in horse fatalities as claimed by Racing Victoria Ltd – some 12 or so horses will die each year at a jumps race meeting;
• the risk of death to horses is 10 to 20 times higher in jumps racing than in flat racing;
• one in every eight horses which started in a jumps race, thus on average on in each race, experience an 'incident' (falls, loses rider etc);
• Australia has a worse record than the UK for horse fatalities;
• jumps racing is already a 'dying sport'.

“At least three horses have been killed in Victorian jumps races (that we know of) since this year’s horse jumping season commenced. Big Bonus was put down after falling at Moonee Valley in June, Holy Grail broke his hind leg at Flemington in April, High Celebrity broke his leg at Warrnambool in May. The deaths are predictable and indeed expected”, said Ms Oogjes

"Considering that jumps racing is conducted primarily to provide entertainment, the high risk factor of injury and death to horses simply cannot be ethically justified. We are calling for a ban on this barbaric activity," concluded Ms Oogjes.

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See also:Take Action! Jumps racing kills again'WASTAGE'Jumps racing -- deadly, now dangerous to allOpinion: Never another Black Caviar, and racing faces a bigger hurdleJumps review panel to investigate death of horse at Warrnambool

Behind the glamour of horse racing lies a grim reality for horses. Thousands of healthy horses are killed each year simply because they weren't fast enough to race. Find out more...

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