7 horses DEAD after Punchestown racing festival

Обновление к петицииIrish Government: Stop giving millions of euros to horse racing7 horses DEAD after Punchestown racing festival

Irish Council Against Blood SportsMullingar, Ирландия

24 мая 2023 г.

The number of horses dead following the 2023 Punchestown racing festival last month has risen to SEVEN.

Three horses used on Day 1 of the 25th-29th April festival are among those known to be dead:

5-year-old British horse Diverge who finished last in the “KPMG Champion Novice Hurdle” and was “found to have an overreach post race”

6-year-old Ballyday Star who suffered an horrific injury in the “Kildare Hunt Club Cross Country Chase for the Ladies Perpetual Cup” race. Shocking video footage captured the plight of the horse https://twitter.com/watch_welfare/status/1650954700324237335

4-year-old horse Scarlet Grace who "weakened quickly" and finished 21st (second last) in the "Oak Lodge Landscapes Flat Race".

Also dead are two horses used on Day 3 of the festival on 27 April:
11-year-old Mortal who “finished lame” in the “Mongey Communications La Touche Cup Cross Country Chase” race and 9-year-old British horse Brandy Harbour who “fell heavily” in the Pigsback .com Handicap Chase race.

7-year-old Artic Weather is also dead. This horse was pulled up in the “Stanley Asphalt Hunters Chase” race on 28 April.

A horse who fell in a race on the final day of the festival was also confirmed dead - 9-year-old An Droichead Eile.

9-year-old British horse Master McShee – previously listed as dead by Horse Racing Ireland – apparently did not die. According to a 5 May 2023 Racing Post report, the horse “suffered a career-ending injury but trainer Paddy Corkery is hopeful his life can be saved”. The report added that the horse was “mistakenly listed as being dead on Horse Racing Ireland’s racing calendar due to a miscommunication”.

At last year's 2022 Punchestown Racing Festival, six horses died.

Since then, more horses have lost their lives following races at the County Kildare racecourse, including four in February 2023.

Earlier this year, Paul Murphy TD (Solidarity-People Before Profit) questioned the Minister for Agriculture about the deaths at Punchestown.

In his 31 January 2023 Dail Question, Deputy Murphy asked Minister Charlie McConalogue “if he will request an update from Horse Racing Ireland regarding horse deaths at [Punchestown] and if he will make a statement on the matter.”

He highlighted to Minister McConalogue that at least 13 horses used at Punchestown last year were later reported dead and that there were 21 deaths between 27 April 2021 and the end of 2022.

These horses are among a growing list of horse racing victims.

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 March 2023, 14,474 thoroughbred horses were slaughtered at “Department-approved slaughter facilities” in Ireland.

ACTION ALERT

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

Sign and share the petitions

Irish Government: Stop giving millions of euros to horse racing
https://www.change.org/p/irish-government-stop-giving-millions-of-euros-to-horse-racing

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
2023 €72,800,000

TOTAL: €1,312,904,981 (€1.31 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
2023 €18,200,000

TOTAL: €328,166,146 (€328.1 Million)

Source: Department of Agriculture

Watch the BBC Panorama documentary “The Dark Side of Horse Racing”
https://youtu.be/VlpQhJFd5Bo

Find out more about race horse deaths at
https://banbloodsports.wordpress.com/2021/08/19/horses-confirmed-dead-following-races-at-irish-racecourses/