The Irish Council Against Blood Sports has expressed its disgust to Guinness over its association with a cruel fox hunt.
One of the races that took place during the recent Galway Races summer festival was the “Guinness Galway Blazers Handicap Chase” on 2 August 2024.
In a complaint to the company, we stated: “The animal cruelty associated with the Galway Blazers has been well documented. For example, one former member described as 'vulgar' what he witnessed, saying 'no fox deserves to be killed in such a horrible way'.”
Also brought to Guinness Ireland's attention was a disturbing Connacht Hunt Saboteurs video entitled “ Blazers charge at peaceful sabs with horses, hitting with whips, throwing punches, charging a sab through a wall, making death threats”
https://www.facebook.com/ConnachtHuntSabs/posts/2547733428782055
We encouraged Guinness to also watch a video in which members of the Irish Hunt Saboteurs are subjected to vile, sectarian abuse during a Galway Blazers hunt. The sickening video footage posted on the Hunt Saboteurs’ Facebook page shows a hunter holding a stick saying: “F*** off, Orange c***s. Orange, Proddie [Protestant] b******s - f*** back to England you c***s.” When the sabs point out that they're Irish and that “there’s no need for racism,” the hunter gives them the finger and replies: “F*** off you Proddie c***”. https://www.facebook.com/banbloodsports/posts/2513967525385457
Fox hunting is one of Ireland's worst forms of cruelty to animals. It involves releasing a pack of hounds to chase foxes. When caught, the foxes are knocked off their feet, mauled, bitten, eviscerated and pulled apart. When a fox attempts to find refuge underground, hunt terriermen are called in. They send terriers down after the fox. The fox is attacked and cornered while the hunters dig the clay away from above. The injured and squealing fox is then pulled out and brutally killed. Witness the barbarity at https://youtu.be/cbLKs9pgQno?list=PL9C1CFBF3F2ACB535
It is incredible that Guinness considered it appropriate to align its brand with a group involved in one of Ireland's worst acts of animal cruelty, a bloodsport which most people here want banned.
A RED C poll confirmed that 77 per cent of Irish citizens want foxhunting made illegal, while just 12 per cent disagree with a ban.
Join us in calling on Guinness Ireland to clarify its stance on fox hunting and give an assurance that it will never again associate with the Galway Blazers or any other fox hunt.
Guinness is a major sponsor of horse racing in Ireland. ICABS is urging the company to end its support for this activity.
“By associating Guinness with horse racing, you appear to believe that this somehow benefits your brand,” we commented. “The reality is that with more and more revelations about cruelty, doping and killing in racing, this association is more likely to damage your brand.”
In relation to the “Guinness Galway Blazers Handicap Chase” race, the jockeys who whipped their horses over the finish line in first and second places were suspended for eight days for overuse of the whips. See video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-E61xJx054&t=160s
During the Galway Races festival week, at least six horses were killed. They are among a growing list of racing victims. Further to a parliamentary question from Paul Murphy TD to the Minister for Agriculture, Horse Racing Ireland released statistics showing that over 1,300 horses have lost their lives at racecourses and point to point races in Ireland since 2012.
Horse Racing Ireland previously revealed the method of killing to be either lethal injection or a bullet in the head.
The death figures do not include the horses injured at racecourses, taken away and later killed elsewhere or the horses killed behind the scenes because they are not fast enough to win races.
Many more race horses are also killed in slaughterhouses. Between 2016 and 2023, 15,658 thoroughbred horses were slaughtered at “Department-approved slaughter facilities” in Ireland.
We told Guinness Ireland to watch the recently broadcast documentary "RTE Investigates: Horses - Making a Killing" https://youtube.com/watch?v=ymm0xh3gp7o which shocked the nation with its horrifying scenes of horses being hit, punched, prodded with a pitchfork and terrorised at a slaughterhouse in Kildare. Most of the horses slaughtered at this hellhole were thoroughbreds discarded by the racing industry.
[NOTE: Any donations made through Change.org go directly to Change.org. Please consider donating to the Irish Council Against Blood Sports to support our campaigns https://www.paypal.me/banbloodsports Thank you]
ACTION ALERT
Contact Guinness Ireland to complain about its association with the Galway Blazers fox hunt.
Guinness Ireland
Email: customer.service@diageo.com; Consumerinfo.ireland@diageo.com; consumercare.GBandIreland@diageo.com
Join us in urging Guinness and other companies to stop sponsoring horse racing
SuperValu Ireland
Email: group@musgrave.ie
Tel +353 (0) 21 4522100
https://twitter.com/Musgraveplc
The SuperValu Ireland Ladies Day meeting took place at Roscommon Racecourse on 8th July 2024. Organisers thanked Supervalu for “making this event possible”. On the day, 5-year-old horse Morning Soldier was pulled up in the “SuperValu Co. Roscommon Ladies Day Novice Hurdle” race and was later confirmed dead.
The Connacht Hotel
Email: marketing@theconnacht.ie
Tel: +353 91 381200
EMS Copiers
Email: info@emscopiers.ie; sales@emscopiers.ie
Tel: 01 6205501.
Colm Quinn BMW
Email: sales@colmquinnbmw.ie
Tel: 090 646 5888
https://twitter.com/ColmQuinn_bmw
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Colm-Quinn-BMW/117749908310381
Bulmers Irish Cider (also known as Magners Original Irish Cider)
Email: info@bulmers.ie; company.secretary@candcgroup.ie
https://www.facebook.com/bulmersoriginalirishcider
https://twitter.com/bulmersireland
In 2022, Bulmers was announced as “the Official Entertainment Partner of Horse Racing Ireland’s Racecourses”, with a Bulmers spokesperson stating: “We are delighted to be expanding and re-energising our long-standing relationship with Horse Racing Ireland and are looking forward to the next three years working to grow the spectator experience at horse racing”
Westmeath County Council/Belvedere House and Gardens
Sponsors racing at Kilbeggan Racecourse
Email: chiefexecutive@Westmeathcoco.ie; info@belvedere-house.ie
https://x.com/westmeathcoco
https://x.com/BelvedereHouse
Visit Wexford / Wexford County Council
hello@visitwexford.ie
Sponsored the "Visit Wexford Maiden Hurdle" race at Wexford Racecourse on 13 July 2024 during which 5-year-old horse A Okay suffered an injury and was later confirmed dead.
Kilmurray's Homevalue Hardware
Mullingar Business Park
Tel: 044 934 2955
Email: info@kilmurrayprecast.ie
Kilmurray's Homevalue Hardware sponsored the €100,000 “Kilmurray's Homevalue Hardware Mullingar Midlands National Handicap Chase” race at Kilbeggan Racecourse on 12 July 2024.
SEE ALSO
Six horses DEAD following Galway Races festival
https://banbloodsports.wordpress.com/2024/08/10/six-horses-dead-following-galway-races-festival/