Two horses have been confirmed dead following a race meeting at Ballinrobe Racecourse on 15 September 2023.

They were:

7-year-old horse Cullaghs Star who weakened, “looked to go wrong” and was pulled up in the “Michael Cawe Suspended Ceilings Handicap Hurdle” race and

8-year-old French horse All Class who suffered a fall in another race on the same day.

They are the latest horses to have lost their lives during or following race meetings at the County Mayo racecourse.

Previously confirmed dead were:

5-year-old horse Sleep Sound who was pulled up and “finished lame” in a race at Ballinrobe Racecourse on 28 August 2023.

9-year-old Rainbow Chaser who “finished lame” in the “Supermac’s Maiden Hurdle” race at Ballinrobe Racecourse on 2 May 2023.

5-year-old Too Easy Mate who finished seventh in the “Adare Manor Opportunity Maiden Hurdle” race at Ballinrobe Racecourse on 2 May 2023. 8-year-old Keep ‘Em Lit who “slipped up” in the “Burke’s Clonbur Handicap Hurdle” race at Ballinrobe Racecourse on 2 May 2023. See video at https://twitter.com/watch_welfare/status/1653511837252476928

5-year-old “Ko Kate” who fell during a race at Ballinrobe Racecourse on 22 August 2022. 

5-year-old Ivaquestion who “tailed off” and finished eighth in the “Bank Of Ireland Maiden Hurdle” race at Ballinrobe Racecourse on 30 May 2022. This death was confirmed in September 2022

9-year-old Irish horse, Andratx who finished tenth in a race at Ballinrobe Racecourse on 08 April 2022. 5-year-old Irish horse Landa Beach “fatally injured” at Ballinrobe racecourse on 10 September 2021 during the “Burkes Clonbur Handicap Hurdle” race.

10-year-old French horse La Tektor who was “pulled up lame” during a “Ballinrobe Water Towers” race at Ballinrobe Racecourse on 23 August 2021.

5-year-old Caroles Secret who was “pulled up injured” on 9 August 2021 at Ballinrobe racecourse (after a 251 day break)

7-year-old Irish horse Pay The Fine who was last used in racing at Ballinrobe racecourse on 9th August 2021 in the “Broderick’s Electrical Maiden Hurdle” race.

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.

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

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/