Former jockey Davy Russell - who was filmed punching a horse on the neck with his fist - has claimed that in horse racing, “welfare is on the forefront of every person's mind, whether it be a trainer, an owner, a jockey”.

The Irish Mirror is reporting that Russell made the statement in an interview on “Off the Ball Saturday” on Newstalk. https://www.irishmirror.ie/sport/horse-racing/davy-russell-blasts-recent-rte-34069935 

Russell also “blasted” RTE’s recent  “RTE Investigates: Horses – Making a Killing” documentary which exposed horrific cruelty to horses at Shannonside Foods equine slaughterhouse in Kildare.

The programme, which shocked the nation with its upsetting scenes of horses being hit, punched, prodded with a pitchfork and terrorised before slaughter, can be viewed at https://youtube.com/watch?v=ymm0xh3gp7o 

Despite the fact that most of the horses slaughtered at this hellhole were thoroughbreds discarded by the racing industry, Davy Russell had this to say: "The abattoir has NOTHING TO DO WITH RACING. We're above that. That is not a racing issue.”

He went on to state that when thoroughbred horses are killed “it's not a pretty sight - there is no machine that can come in and take them away in a certain manner”, adding: “It can be a hard watch and I am hardened to it. It is not nice to watch but unfortunately, it's the nature of it."

He also told “Off the Ball Saturday” that "the welfare of the horse is number one."

Davy Russell was caught on video in 2017 punching a horse in the neck before the start of a race at Tramore racecourse https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/racing/davy-russell-gets-four-day-ban-for-striking-a-horse-1.3210076

See the sickening video footage at https://twitter.com/banbloodsports/status/1366867044981964804?t=ODt3Dm6jR1BAd9OSOMyKAg&s=19

Russell admitted at a Turf Club hearing that he had hit the horse, named Kings Dolly. The panel’s report said he “used his fist to hit the horse on the soft part of her neck, just behind the head, to make the horse concentrate” and added: “He had his stick in his hand when he did this. He said he would have slapped the horse if he hadn’t had the stick in his hand. He accepted his actions were inappropriate.”

Russell told At The Races: “Obviously, visually it doesn’t look good. There were a number of different things going through my head at the time to bring the filly under control, because at that stage she was out of control. I felt that if I was to continue in that vein during the race I would have had a very difficult time trying to control her during the race. I felt I needed to do something to let her know there was somebody on her back. Just to slap her to the soft of the neck I felt was the appropriate action. A slap on the neck is what she wanted to get her to pay attention.”

Previously, Russell received a 14-day ban after he abused stewards at Clonmel racecourse in 2016, after he was found to have struck the runner-up horse Solar-Heat three times with his whip in the closing stages of the race. He had won the race on Little Folke, but this was reversed because of his actions.

During an appearance on the Late Late Show in 2018, Davy Russell told then presenter Ryan Tubridy that his “attitude wouldn’t be brilliant” in relation to losing a race, and that he “could take it out on the dog, now, fairly quick”, further going on to admit that he “might not even be nice to the girl leading up the horse” https://www.facebook.com/463547953760768/posts/1659253437523541

ACTION ALERT

Don’t bet on horse racing or attend horse racing events.

Since 2001, the Irish Government has granted €1.46 Billion of public funds to horse racing

Contact the Taoiseach, Tanaiste and Finance Minister and demand an end to state funding to this gambling activity which causes so much suffering and death. 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 Simon Harris TD
Email: simon.harris@oireachtas.ie; finegael@finegael.ie
Telephone: +353 (0)1 618 3805 or +353 (0)1 889 2442
X: http://www.twitter.com/SimonHarrisTD
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/DeputySimonHarris

Tanaiste 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

Jack Chambers TD
Minister for Finance
Email: Minister@finance.gov.ie
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jackchambersff/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jackfchambers

Join us in urging companies to stop sponsoring horse racing

Guinness Ireland
Email: customer.service@diageo.com; Consumerinfo.ireland@diageo.com

The Connacht Hotel
Email: marketing@theconnacht.ie
Tel: +353 91 381200

SuperValu Ireland
Email: group@musgrave.ie
Tel +353 (0) 21 4522100
X: https://twitter.com/Musgraveplc
The SuperValu Ireland Ladies Day meeting took place at Roscommon Racecourse on 8th July 2024. Organisers thanked Supervalu for “making this event possible”. On the day, 5-year-old horse Morning Soldier was pulled up in the “SuperValu Co. Roscommon Ladies Day Novice Hurdle” race and was later confirmed dead.

EMS Copiers
Email: info@emscopiers.ie; sales@emscopiers.ie
Tel: 01 6205501.

Colm Quinn BMW
Email: sales@colmquinnbmw.ie
Tel: 090 646 5888
X: ttps://twitter.com/ColmQuinn_bmw
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Colm-Quinn-BMW/117749908310381

Bulmers Irish Cider (also known as Magners Original Irish Cider)
Email: info@bulmers.ie; company.secretary@candcgroup.ie
https://www.facebook.com/bulmersoriginalirishcider
X: https://twitter.com/bulmersireland
In 2022, Bulmers was announced as “the Official Entertainment Partner of Horse Racing Ireland’s Racecourses”, with a Bulmers spokesperson stating: “We are delighted to be expanding and re-energising our long-standing relationship with Horse Racing Ireland and are looking forward to the next three years working to grow the spectator experience at horse racing”

Westmeath County Council/Belvedere House and Gardens
Sponsors racing at Kilbeggan Racecourse
Email: chiefexecutive@Westmeathcoco.ie; info@belvedere-house.ie
X: https://x.com/westmeathcoco
https://x.com/BelvedereHouse

Kilmurray’s Homevalue Hardware
Mullingar Business Park
Tel: 044 934 2955
Email: info@kilmurrayprecast.ie
Kilmurray’s Homevalue Hardware sponsored the €100,000 “Kilmurray’s Homevalue Hardware Mullingar Midlands National Handicap Chase” race at Kilbeggan Racecourse on 12 July 2024.

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
2024 €76,000,000
2025 €79,280,000

TOTAL: €1,468,184,981
(€1.46 Billion)

Thoroughbred horses slaughtered in Ireland

2023: 1,428
2022: 1,050
2021: 1,105
2020: 1,549
2019: 2,218
2018: 2,526
2017: 2,829
2016: 2,952

SEE ALSO

TEN horses used at 2024 Galway Races festival are DEAD
https://banbloodsports.wordpress.com/2024/11/08/ten-horses-used-at-2024-galway-races-festival-are-dead/

Six horses KILLED after suffering horrific injuries at Punchestown
https://banbloodsports.wordpress.com/2023/06/29/six-horses-killed-after-suffering-horrific-injuries-at-punchestown/

More horses confirmed dead following races at Irish racecourses
https://banbloodsports.wordpress.com/2021/08/19/horses-confirmed-dead-following-races-at-irish-racecourses/

Why you should say NO to horse racing – download and distribute the leaflet
https://banbloodsports.wordpress.com/2023/08/05/new-leaflet-why-you-should-say-no-to-horse-racing

Watch “RTE Investigates: Horses – Making a Killing”
https://youtu.be/ymm0xh3gp7o
 
Watch the BBC Panorama documentary “The Dark Side of Horse Racing”
https://youtu.be/VlpQhJFd5Bo