Three horses are now known to be DEAD following a race meeting at Navan Racecourse in March.
Horse Racing Ireland has this week confirmed the death of 3-year-old Irish horse Green Steps who "weakened" and finished 16th in a race at the County Meath racecourse on 29 March 2022. The horse was carrying jockey Donagh O'Connor.
Another horse carrying the same jockey was previously confirmed dead. 9-year-old British horse, Machine Learner "struggled" and finished third-last in a race at Navan Racecourse on the same day.
The third horse was 8-year-old British horse Here And Now who "weakened" and finished eighth in a race that day.
More recently, two horses used at Navan Racecourse on 14 May 2022 are also known to be dead. They were Ajax Tavern who finished third in a race and Arbutus who "broke down" during a race on the same day. Shocking race footage shows the horse's broken back leg dangling https://twitter.com/watch_welfare/status/1525507497288687619
Also dead following races at Navan Racecourse this year are:
9-year-old It's Only A Number who "looked to go wrong" during a race on 12 March 2022
3-year-old Noble Seal who "fell heavily" during a race on 5 March 2022. See video footage at https://twitter.com/watch_welfare/status/1500102197006245893/video/1
5-year-old Easca Peasca who fell during a 2-mile race on 22 January 2022.
They are all among a growing list of horses who have lost their lives. 113 horses were killed at racecourses around Ireland in 2021, with 47 more dead so far this year.
The latest figures, obtained from Horse Racing Ireland by Paul Murphy TD, bring to over 1,300 the number of horses killed at Irish racecourses and point to point races in the past decade.
There were over 20 deaths at foxhunt-organised point-to-point races in the 2020/2021 season (over 300 since 2012).
Horse Racing Ireland – which has received more than a billion euros in government grants to-date – revealed the method of killing to be either lethal injection or a bullet in the head.
Thousands of race horses have also been sent to slaughter, including 1,105 in 2021 and over 300 so far this year.
The slaughter statistics were uncovered by Deputy Murphy (People Before Profit-Solidarity) following Dail Questions to Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue.
The Minister confirmed that between 2016 and 2022, 13,484 thoroughbred horses were slaughtered at Department-approved slaughter facilities in Ireland.
2022 (to-date): 305
2021: 1,105
2020: 1,549
2019: 2,218
2018: 2,526
2017: 2,829
2016: 2,952
Horse deaths at Irish racecourses
2022: 47 deaths (up to May 2022)
2021: 113 deaths
2020: 65 deaths
2019: 102 deaths
2018: 111 deaths
2017: 88 deaths
2016: 83 deaths
2015: 89 deaths
2014: 99 deaths
2013: 121 deaths
2012: 82 deaths
Horse deaths at foxhunt-organised point-to-point races
2021/2022: 19 deaths (up to May 2022)
2020/2021: 23 deaths (HRI previously stated that up to 11 May 2021, there had been 28 fatalities)
2019/2020: 13 deaths
2018/2019: 38 deaths
2017/2018: 28 deaths
2016/2017: 32 deaths
2015/2016: 36 deaths
2014/2015: 30 deaths
2013/2014: 42 deaths
2012/2013: 49 deaths
ACTION ALERT
Don’t bet on horse racing or attend racing events.
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.
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
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