At least two horses were killed at a student race day event at Leopardstown Racecourse on 5 April 2023.
The “SPIN1038 Student Race Day” was promoted by the radio station as “a day of thrilling racing, fashion and entertainment at Leopardstown Racecourse.”
The two horses who lost their lives on the day were 7-year-old British horse Georgeville and 3-year-old Irish horse Gorta.
Georgeville “stumbled” and suffered a fatal injury in the fourth race of the day. See video footage at https://twitter.com/watch_welfare/status/1643709808321675264
In the following race, Gorta “collapsed after the finish” and died.
These are the latest deaths at Leopardstown Racecourse. In February, 10-year-old horse Dollys Destination suffered a fall and was later confirmed dead.
On 29 December 2022, two horses - Three Stripe Life and Unexpected Depth – died after suffering fatal injuries in a single race (“Neville Hotels Novice Chase”). Also dead are Irish horse Eric Bloodaxe who finished 2nd in his final race at Leopardstown on 28 December 2022 and A Million Bucks who weakened and finished twelfth in a race there on 26 December 2022.
Over 1,000 horses have been killed at racecourses around Ireland in the past decade, including 107 last year. Figures obtained by Paul Murphy TD show that from 2012 to the end of 2022, 1,060 horses have lost their lives at racecourses. Horse Racing Ireland – which has received more than €1.3 billion euros in government grants to-date – 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 to-date in 2023, 14,474 thoroughbred horses were slaughtered at “Department-approved slaughter facilities” in Ireland.
SEE ALSO:
UCC Students' Union bans horse racing involvement
https://banbloodsports.wordpress.com/2023/04/04/ucc-students-union-bans-horse-racing-involvement/
ACTION ALERT
SPIN 1038 is the media partner of the Student Race Day, providing the music entertainment for the event. Urge Spin 1038 to show compassion and disassociate from horse racing.
SPIN 1038
Marconi House
Digges Lane
Dublin 2
Email: info@spin1038.com; complaints@spin1038.com
Tel: 01 656 4600
Don’t attend races or bet on racing.
Demand an end to the government’s massive grants to horse and greyhound racing – more than a €1.6 Billion handed over since 2001, including €91 million for 2023. Contact the Taoiseach, Tánaiste and Finance Minister now.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar TD
Telephone: +353 (0)1-704 3630 OR +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
Tanaiste Micheál Martin TD
Email: 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
Michael McGrath TD
Minister for Finance
Email: michael.mcgrath@oireachtas.ie; minister@per.gov.ie
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/michael.mcgrath.1614
Twitter: http://twitter.com/mmcgrathtd
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
2023 €72,800,000
TOTAL: €1,312,904,981 (€1.31 Billion)
Source: Department of Agriculture
Watch the BBC Panorama documentary “The Dark Side of Horse Racing”
https://youtu.be/VlpQhJFd5Bo
Horse deaths at Irish racecourses
2022: 107 deaths
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
Thoroughbred horses slaughtered in Ireland
2023: 244 (up to 29th March)
2022: 1,051
2021: 1,105
2020: 1,549
2019: 2,218
2018: 2,526
2017: 2,829
2016: 2,952
Horse deaths at foxhunt-organised point-to-point races
2021/2022: 19 deaths (up to May 2022)
2020/2021: 23 deaths
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