Help End Jumps Racing Carnage

Jumps racing is a cruel and dangerous 'sport' in which horses are forced to jump metre-high fences at high speed. It's 10 - 20 times more dangerous to horses than flat racing, and many of the injuries sustained during jumps races can be horrific. As a result, 10 horses died on the track in Victoria (8 in races plus 2 in trials), and 3 in South Australia in 2009.

During the Warrnambool (Vic.) racing carnival in May 2009 three horses -- Pride of Westbury, Hassle and Clearview Bay -- died after sustaining horrific injuries during jumps races. Racing Victoria temporarily suspended jumps racing after those deaths, but then allowed the season to resume. New conditions imposed did not significantly reduce the falls and death rate; another 5 horses died. Therefore, at the end of the 2009 jumps racing season Racing Victoria’s Board (which represents the racing industry) announced in November 2009 that the 2010 jumps racing season would be the last for Victorian jumps races.

Backflip: Under pressure from jumps horse owners, trainers and jockeys, the RVL Board reversed its decision in January 2010 and will now allow jumps races to continue in Victoria beyond 2010 if the fatality rate is halved (from the 2009 season) and the fall rate reduced (from 5% to 3% of all starters in races). These (lower) fatality and fall rate targets are totally unacceptable given they are still some 15 times higher than flat races!

Update: At Casterton in country Victoria, 7 year old Prince Vitality fell over the first fence in the steeplechase and broke his shoulder (30/5/10). He was killed on the track; the 2nd horse to die in Victoria this jumps racing season. Earlier in May, on the second day (5/5) of the 3-day 2010 Warrnambool Racing Carnival, six year old Sirrocean Storm hit a jump and broke his hind leg. He too was killed on the track. Also, at the Easter 2010 Oakbank Carnival in South Australia two jumps horses competing in a hurdle race died on the track after falling. Another horse was killed after a sustaining injuries during a fall in July on the Morphettville racetrack.

It is important that we now appeal to the Victorian and South Australian Governments to ban this cruel sport. Please add your voice and let them know that the community will no longer tolerate the Government endorsing this cruel sport.

Take Action!

Subject: (please enter a subject line) Dear Decision Maker, (please edit the letter below, or send as-is) I am appalled that the racing industry leaders have failed in their duty to protect jumps racing horses, and therefore appeal to you to ban jumps racing. The horrific images of horses breaking their necks and their legs on racetracks will never be forgotten. Placing horses at such risk of death and injury is not acceptable. None of the excuses put forward by the jumps racing industry for the continuation of this cruel 'sport' are acceptable -- and claims that horses will be shot, or go to the knackery has only given the community greater insight into how ruthless and uncaring the jumps racing fraternity are. Please act on behalf of the concerned community and ban jumps racing. Sincerely, Your Name

We will send this letter to:

• Rob Hulls, VIC Minister for Racing
• Michael Wright, SA Racing Minister

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