At least six horses are known to be dead following the “Easter Festival” at Fairyhouse Racecourse in Ratoath, County Meath.
The festival took place from April 16th - 18th 2022 and featured the Boylesports-sponsored “Irish Grand National”.
The dead horses are
5-year-old Irish horse Ernie McCracken who fell during a race on Day 1 of the festival (16 April 2022).
4-year-old Irish horse Oakroom Lady who "weakened quickly" and finished second last in a "Jetaway.ie Irish EBF Mares INH Flat Race" race later that day.
6-year-old horse "The Quiet Horse" who finished fifth in a "Ryan's Cleaning, Waste & Recycling Maiden Hurdle" race the following day is also now dead.
Three horses used on the third and final day of the festival on 18 April have also been confirmed dead:
8-year-old “Full Time Score” (carrying jockey Rachael Blackmore) who weakened during the "BoyleSports Irish Grand National". In the race, 6 horses fell, 3 were pulled up, 1 refused to jump and 2 unseated the riders.
11-year-old horse, Agent Boru, who was destroyed after falling and suffering an injury.
9-year-old horse Blackbow who "fell heavily" and was fatally injured during a “Devenish Chase” race. The Irish Times reported that trainer Willie Mullins "reckoned Blackbow suffered a heart-attack before the fence at which he fell." He was quoted as saying: "the other fella [Blackbow] unfortunately didn’t make it. Unfortunately that’s the ups and downs of the game. He is a big loss. I haven’t had a chance to talk to Paul (Townend) yet but I’m not sure if he had a heart attack before the fence as he didn’t get up at all.” https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/racing/bittersweet-day-for-mullins-as-easy-game-wins-but-blackbow-suffers-fatal-fall-1.4855971
The following week, at the Punchestown racing festival, another five horses died, including three on the final day.
They are all among a growing list of horses who have lost their lives. At least 100 are known to have died during or after races around Ireland in 2021, plus 44 so far this year. The list of racing fatalities continues to grow. Sickening Horse Racing Ireland statistics, obtained by Paul Murphy TD, show that a total of 1,166 horses have lost their lives at races in Ireland since 2012.
870 of these fatalities occurred at racecourses and 296 at foxhunt-organised point-to-point races.
These figures do not include the horses killed in training or the thousands who do not make the grade and are destroyed behind-the-scenes.
Horse Racing Ireland furnished the fatality figures further to a Dail Question from Deputy Paul Murphy (RISE / Solidarity / People Before Profit) to the Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue. It revealed the method of killing to be either lethal injection or a bullet in the head.
The revelations about high levels of deaths at races follow the emergence of statistics confirming that thousands of race horses have been slaughtered in Ireland.
In reply to a Dail Question from Paul Murphy TD in March 2021, Minister Charlie McConalogue provided figures which show that from 2016 to 2020, a total of 12,074 thoroughbred horses were slaughtered at Department of Agriculture-approved facilities. Thousands more have been exported to the UK for slaughter – as revealed in the shocking BBC documentary “The Dark Side of Horse Racing” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VlpQhJFd5Bo
Irish horses are also being killed during races in the UK. Since 2014, at least 664 Irish horses have lost their lives at UK racecourses, including 113 last year. The victims include horses who suffered broken necks, horses destroyed after breaking legs and horses who collapsed with heart attacks during and after races
There are renewed calls on the government to stop supporting racing. Since 2001, the Irish Government has granted more than €1.5 Billion of scarce public funds to horse and greyhound racing, i.e. €1,240 million for horse racing and €309 million for greyhound racing.
SEE ALSO:
Five horses killed at Punchestown racing festival
https://banbloodsports.wordpress.com/2022/05/07/five-horses-killed-at-punchestown-festival/
ACTION ALERT
Don’t bet on horse racing or greyhound racing or attend racing events.
Since 2001, the Irish Government has granted more than €1.5 Billion of scarce public funds to horse and greyhound racing. That’s €1,240 million for horse racing and €309 million for greyhound racing.
Contact Taoiseach Micheal Martin, Tanaiste Leo Varadkar and Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe and demand an end to state funding to these two gambling activities which cause much suffering and death to animals. Tell them to redirect the funds to the many deserving charities, health/homeless/environmental groups, sports clubs, animal rescue centres, etc crying out for funding.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin
Email: taoiseach@taoiseach.gov.ie; micheal.martin@oireachtas.ie; info@fiannafail.ie
Phone: +353 (0)1–618 4350 or +353 (0)21-432 0088
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michealmartintd/
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/@MichealMartinTD
Tanaiste Leo Varadkar
Telephone: +353 (0)1-640 3133
Email: leo.varadkar@oireachtas.ie; finegael@finegael.ie
Tweet to: http://www.twitter.com/@LeoVaradkar
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LeoVaradkar
Paschal Donohoe TD
Minister for Finance
Email: paschal.donohoe@oireachtas.ie; minister@finance.gov.ie
Tel: 01 604 5626
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PaschalDonohoe/
Tweet to @Paschald
Please sign and share the petition
Irish Government: Stop Giving Millions of Euro to Cruel Greyhound Racing
https://www.change.org/p/irish-government-stop-giving-millions-of-euro-to-cruel-greyhound-racing
Irish Government grants to horse racing
2001 €47,110,330
2002 €54,452,651
2003 €51,348,800
2004 €53,531,200
2005 €54,680,000
2006 €56,047,000
2007 €58,539,000
2008 €61,028,800
2009 €54,502,000
2010 €47,411,200
2011 €45,830,000
2012 €45,032,000
2013 €44,016,000
2014 €43,376,000
2015 €54,400,000
2016 €59,200,000
2017 €64,000,000
2018 €64,000,000
2019 €67,200,000
2020 €67,200,000
2021 €76,800,000
2022 €70,400,000
Total: €1,240,104,981 / €1,240 million / €1.24 billion
Irish Government grants to greyhound racing
2001 €11,777,583
2002 €13,613,163
2003 €12,837,200
2004 €13,382,800
2005 €13,670,000
2006 €14,012,000
2007 €14,572,000
2008 €15,257,000
2009 €13,625,600
2010 €11,852,800
2011 €11,460,000
2012 €11,258,000
2013 €11,004,000
2014 €10,844,000
2015 €13,600,000
2016 €14,800,000
2017 €16,000,000
2018 €16,000,000
2019 €16,800,000
2020 €16,800,000
2021 €19,200,000
2022 €17,600,000
Total: €309,966,146 / €309 million / €0.309 billion
Source: Department of Agriculture