The future of jumps racing in Australia is in serious doubt following yet another series of tragic falls that turned Saturday’s Grand National Hurdle at Flemington into a public relations disaster for the racing industry. Just four of the 13 starters finished the race and two horses had to be put down in one of the premier hurdles events on the Australian racing calendar.
With the jumps racing season barely half over 10 horses have been put down following falls in races in the two states where jumps racing is not outlawed — Victoria and South Australia. In the whole of the 2007 season there were seven fatalities.
Even before Saturday’s tragedy, there was pressure for jumps racing to be outlawed. Victoria’s Racing Minister, Rob Hulls, some weeks ago ordered Racing Victoria to bring forward a review into the future of jumps racing.
The RSPCA is not the only organisation calling for jumps racing to be outlawed. Increasingly, the flat racing industry is concerned at the damage falls in hurdle events — especially in major races watched by punters around the nation — does to the image of the sport of thoroughbred racing.
Jumps racing proponents are blaming the state of the Flemington track for Saturday’s tragedies, but that does not counter the reality that the number of falls at other tracks this season has risen dramatically.
Jumps racing has been in decline for some time. In Victoria it is now largely confined to the winter and late autumn months. The Cup Day Hurdle has long ceased to be a part of the Melbourne Cup Day program at Flemington. The other problem with jumps racing events is that they are not popular with punters. And when only four horses in a field of thirteen complete the race how could they be?
The Victorian racing industry will probably fight any move by the state government to abolish or phase out jumps racing. Hurdle events fill a gap in the racing calendar between the autumn and spring racing carnivals in Melbourne, and the Warrnambool jumps carnival in May is a major local attraction.
But the days of jumps racing are numbered. Saturday’s tragic Grand National Hurdle makes that even more certain.
Horse rider, breeder and owner Venise Alstergen writes:
Jumping races are anathema to me, whereas eventing and show-jumping is fantastic. Horse and rider have trained for years. Together they move in harmony. Jumps racing seems to work in the UK but not in Victoria or South Australia. Tasmania finally banned it last year.
Jumps jocks are flat racers who’ve grown too big for the game. In the case of horses it’s generally the ones who’ve failed on the flat. I can’t think of any who’ve been trained solely for jumping. Apart from the Grand National Hurdle, the Grand National Steeple Chase, the A.J. Hisken’s Steeple, a couple of others perhaps, there is absolutely no money in it.
Whatever the motives, where the whole thing comes unstuck is the combination of horses trained for “the flat” and unskilled riders. They don’t use staying horses, they use sprinters which need to breathe more often, and which can get a tank full of air in the act of jumping. How owners manage to bribe the VRC into allowing it is beyond me. Does the Minister for Racing might know?
Yes, there is a training school for these hoops, but the course ain’t long enough. Also you’re not dealing with Einsteins. It’s hard work trying to get some kid from Wangaratta to realise a horse is a living, feeling creature, who responds to kindness far more readily than it does to rough handling.
Venise, search in Google for the words
5,000 Horse Deaths Reported Since 2003
I’ll deal with Connor first. I”ve explained to you why I don’t think flat racing is bad. Yeah, it’s okay to write to the Minister for Racing. But usually the only thing he/she cares about is votes and if there are more votes to be gained by supporting the Board of the VRC, all the different Racing clubs, etc. But the VRC is the controlling body. They control the entire racing industry. VIPs in the industry have tons of money and can deliver big pressies to the Minister for Racing. The late Premier of Victoria, a sh*t of a man called Henry Bolte-was a country man through and through. When developers and like-minded people tried to bribe him with Persian rugs, would say. “Nah. I’ve already got enough of them. What else have you got?”
That’s what happens in state politics. Notice how close together are the eyes of the present Minister for Racing. Greed is apparent. Connor, I know some of the horrific accidents that can happen. But no one wants an accident. Look at the cruelty in China, and with whaling, cats, dogs.you name it.
I can’t imagine NOT writing to the Chairman of the VRC. I did, yesterday. I know that I alone wont be listened to. But hey, by the time he has seen forty of them, he might start to get worried.
Bernard: I couldn’t agree more. The day someone can invent a robot that does the job, the better. You spend years with your horse, cosseting him, paying for the best and cosiest rugs, stabling, if the horse likes it, or in a nice gentle and lush paddock with trees, abundant water, and non barbed-wire, if he prefers that. Fences have to be in wonderful condition so that the little dear can’t injure him self. Horses are like humans. Anything that can go wrong will go wrong.
trainer spends hours placing him in the right race. Weight is an enormous issue. So is finding a jockey who can ride at the weight. You don’t want one who is a bit heavy because he could be fasting and you don’t want him fainting in the saddle. Past performances of the opposition are a v. important study, so is the weather, the condition of the track, you name it, it’s important. It’s a 2000 metre race-the horse is a middle distance racer. That is how a horse’s conformation is. Straight through the shoulder suggests a sprinter, a good deep chest and well sprung ribs suggest a middle distance horse, or perhaps a stayer.. Does he like traveling in one of those huge horse floats? Maybe he prefers a two horse trailer hitched onto a Land Wagon. He steps down the ramp and looks bright. I don’t bet, but your co-owner might enjoy it. You’re strolling, with a pounding heart to the saddling enclosure. This is the moment the trainer tells you the original jockey, Roy Higgins, I know he’s retired, but you’ll get the idea, fell off in the first race and broke his arm. A young replacement has been found. With a leaden heart you enter the saddling enclosure. Yep, it’s the tall maypole, with a desperately thin body and a hacking cough who is going to ride the love of your life. Not only is he built wrong, but he has hands like meat axes. He doesn’t listen to the trainer’s instructions and the minute he gets on board , the horse knows he is going to hate this experience. The tail starts swishing and the ears go down fairly flat, and he gives a fairy strong buck to register his disapproval.
You just don’t want to look at the race. But you gotta, otherwise the trainer wont like it. The pride of your life loves to race from behind and by the time he turns into the straight he starts to mow down the opposition. The starting gates clang open and straight away the little acne-covered b*stard jumps him into the lead. Bingo-bl*ody, bl*ody bingo. It has taken five seconds for the liitle ar*e-hole to slaughter your horse’s chances. That is all it takes. All that time and trouble shot in five seconds. Horses don’t like to lose, anymore than do humans. And enough bad races like this can kill your horse’s enthusiasm for racing. So when you say shoot the jockey, Bernard you’ve gotta know that The Saint Valentine’s Day Massacre in Chicago all those years ago, pales in comparison to what you want to do to the little sh*t.
Bollocks Connor. I don’t have a ‘vested interest’ I don’t have enough money. How long have you been involved with horses, anyway? My only interest is a complete love of horses. And knowing a little bit about the racing game. Do you seriously imagine that my comments could have been written by someone without a passionate love of horses? I have said that the “jumps” are butchery, stinking, rotten butchery. At the same time I have made a plea for people like you to realize that not all people in the industry are crooked b*stards. Yes, they exist. But they exists in any sphere of endeavour. Look at Richard Pratt, Alan Bond, What’s his face Mokbel. And I also said that horses, in their natural state love competing with each other. And that you cannot make a horse race if it doesn’t want to.
(If cruelty to animals is your bag look up Cruelty to animals in China.) I’m always getting stuck into the Japanese for whaling and I’ve written heaps of stuff about cruelty to animals in general. I’m a conservationist, 12 years campaigning to save kangaroos from being butchered. I can assure you that I have no desire to stick up for the people who mis-use horses. I loathe cruelty to horses. But not everything about racing is evil. Most owners and breeders love horses. And go to endless trouble finding homes for them when their racing days are over. I personally cannot be on the side of the ignorant, the evil and the barbaric. But there are good people out there.
I don’t know who you wrote to, to protest against jumping. Some people are worth writing to, some aren’t. I suggest writing to The Chairman of the VRC, Racing Victoria, 400 Epsom Road, Flemington 3031. You could also wuite to Mr Jim Bowler, Chief Handicapper VRC at the same address.
I’m not trying to patronize you, but having had so many years of tangling with the authorities, I’ve learned one thing. If you want to get your letter past the persons’ secretary, you have to lay off the adjectives. Don’t use hyper-ventilating words. If you have said “Any form of racing is a blood sport. Ban it completely” in any of your letters, the offending item would go straight into the WPB. Horses aren’t whipped unrelentingly. If they were they’d return to scale covered in blood. And, as I said in the comment which went missing. The Stipendary Steward would have the jockey’s b*lls for breakfast.
I’m tired now, I’ve been at it all day and I need to rest. Thanks for your interest.
Cheers
Venise
Venise, I have written to, and complained to, decision makers that aren’t vested interests for years. You appear to be in the vested interest category.
For anyone else reading this, take a look at;
http://sports.aol.com/story/_a/5000-horse-deaths-reported-since-2003/20080614192309990001