Dear Supporter,
With yet another review into the future and safety of jumps racing, Racing Victoria turned down the chance to finally do what’s right and bring the deadly sport to an end. More than 350 submissions were made to the review panel in October 2024. Nonetheless, on Friday 13th December, Racing Victoria announced that jumps racing in Victoria will continue in 2025.
Not a single word was said about the welfare of the horses in the announcement, despite a devastating total of 12 jumps horses having lost their lives in 2024. Instead, economic benefits and cultural reasons were cited as the basis for the decision to continue the sport.
Read our media release in response to Racing Victoria’s decision here. Thank you to everyone who spoke up for the horses and made a submission to the review in 2024. CPR has been campaigning for a ban since 2008 and vows to continue fighting until it inevitably happens.
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Our Work to Protect Racehorses
in 2024
Throughout the year we have noticed that horse racing clubs are focussing more on fashion, celebrities, music, entertainment for kids and various other non-racing related activities. It seems such distractions are necessary to attract people to the races.
In addition, revenue from wagering is dropping across the country, and the number of Thoroughbred foals born in 2025 is expected to be the smallest in Australia in 50 years. In the latest news, the Victorian Racing Club has suffered a $24.2 million loss for the financial year and is laying off close to 40 staff members.
For CPR, 2024 has been characterised by our increasing engagement with animal welfare legislation authorities, and collaboration with animal friendly politicians at both State and Federal level. We have also strengthened our cooperation with other animal protection organisations across the country.
Our efforts have not only grown public awareness of the cruelty inherent in the horse racing industry, but also contributed to educating both the public and responsible authorities about the changes that are needed to achieve better welfare for the horses who are trapped in the industry.
Here is a summary of some of all the things we’ve been up to:
Throughout the year we’ve joined forces with other animal advocates and animal protection groups across the country to carry out more than 30 protests at horse racing events. Our annual Nup to the Cup campaign during the spring racing season (September-November) saw yet another spike in attendance and interest. 1,500 people said ‘Nup to the Cup’ at our main party venue in Melbourne alone, and nearly 40 additional events, public and private, were registered across the country. In October we released our annual DeathWatch report for the 2023/2024 season, exposing the deaths of at least 151 Thoroughbreds – that is three horses every week – who had been killed on the track or as a result of injuries directly related to racing in Australia. On 24th October we made our submission to the Racing Victoria Jumps Racing Review Panel, arguing that history has proven jumps racing can never be made safe and should be banned. At the end of the jumps racing season, we published our 2024 jumps racing report, which described the details of the 12 jumps horses who had been killed in 2024 and the total of 472 incidents suffered by the jumps horses throughout the season in Victoria. In September we launched a petition campaign to limit overbreeding of racehorses and ‘Give Mares a Fair Go’. The campaign was initiated by public demand following the news that the famous Black Caviar had been killed after giving birth to her ninth foal and had indeed not been afforded the peaceful retirement that the racing industry wanted people to think. In August we commenced cooperation with animal friendly MPs and animal protection groups in Tasmania to fight for increased transparency and better regulation of horse welfare in the Tasmanian horse racing industry. In July, CPR made a submission to the Inquiry into the Development of Rosehill Racecourse in NSW. CPR’S Elio Celotto gave evidence at the Committee hearing commenting that any funding from a future sale should be reflected in increased animal welfare outcomes. He also gave evidence about the impacts of whips, racehorse confinement and the need for a national traceability register. Importantly, the Committee recommended that the NSW Government should conduct a review of the Thoroughbred Racing Act 1996, in consideration of the animal welfare issues raised in the Inquiry and the 2021 report of the Thoroughbred Aftercare Welfare Working Group. Also in July, we assisted the ABC exposing how Racing Victoria is failing to help re-home and rehabilitate ex-racehorses, despite the millions of dollars in prizemoney they allegedly allocate for that exact purpose. In June a NSW Committee hearing confirmed the presence of racehorses in a pit at an illegal knackery in Wagga, where 500 horse carcases were found. This sparked renewed focus on the need for a National Horse Traceability Register, which CPR has been campaigning for since 2019. CPR staff completed the UNE course on Application of the Five Domains Horse Welfare Assessment Model, which is the most up-to-date welfare assessment framework internationally, with CPR campaigning that it must be adopted by the racing industry. April and May were focussed on jumps racing in Victoria – campaigning, protesting and meeting with the Victorian Minister for Racing. CPR provided feedback on the Code of Practice for Horse Welfare in the ACT, which still exempts racehorses from having the same rights as other horses in the State. In March the jumps racing season commenced in Victoria. We launched our 2024 campaign to end jumps racing, which almost 7,000 supporters have joined. March was also the month where we made our second submission to the new Victorian Animal Care and Protection Act. New provisions in the Act claim to recognise all animals as sentient beings. Sadly, animals caught in commercial industries, such as horse racing, continue to be excluded from the rights provided to other animals, even those of their own species. In February CPR participated in the annual Animal Rights Forum in Melbourne. Our Campaign Director Elio Celotto was honoured with a nomination for the Lifetime Achievement Award for his tireless dedication to defend animals throughout four decades. January was marked by scorching temperatures in which horses were transported long distances, and then forced to race. We managed to get a race meeting in WA cancelled which saved 82 horses from racing in staggering heat. However, already in December, we are seeing numerous horses recorded with heat stress. As such, we have launched a letter campaign to demand more stringent hot weather policies. If you want to help, please sign up here.
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New Year Protests Coming Up
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Why not start your New Year standing against animal exploitation! Join us and Animal Activism WA on January 1st, 2025, when we say Nup to the Perth Cup at Ascot Racecourse!
WHAT: Perth Cup Protest
WHEN: January 1st, 12pm onwards. WHERE: Ascot Racecourse. Meet on the corner of Raconteur Dr (near gate 6) at 12pm or find us opposite Gate 4 or 6 if arriving later.
WHAT TO BRING: Hat, sunscreen and water. There may not be shade. Placards provided. More details here.
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Queenslanders – join us, AnimalKIND and Coast to Coast Animal Friends when we protest the Magic Millions Race Day 2025, where 2-year-old horses will be forced to race prematurely because owners want a return on their investment as quickly as possible.
WHAT: Protest the Magic Millions Race Day 2025 WHEN: January 11th 2025 from 10.30am onwards. WHERE: Aquis Gold Coast Turf Club, Bundall Racecourse main entrance (Cnr Racecourse Road and Ascot Road)
WHAT TO BRING: Hat, water, sunscreen. Umbrella is a good idea for shade or in case of rain. We'll be there rain or shine. Placards provided. More details here.
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THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT
IN 2024!
This will be our last newsletter for 2024. We wish you a very merry Christmas and a happy new year. With your support, we look forward to being an even bigger voice for racehorses in 2025!
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