30/12/2022
Two horses used in racing at Leopardstown racecourse today have been confirmed DEAD.
The two horses died after suffering “fatal injuries” in the same race on the final day (29th December 2022) of the 4-day “Christmas Festival 2022” (29th December 2022).
6-year-old horse Three Stripe Life fell and was injured in the "Neville Hotels Novice Chase" race. The horse was carrying rider Jack Kennedy.
Also dead is Unexpected Depth who was carrying Danny Mullins. The 8-year-old was “hampered by faller” and sustained “fatal injuries”.
Shame on Neville Hotels for sponsoring the race. There was no mention of the two dead horses in a tweet from Neville Hotels four hours after the race. The tweet stated: “Delighted to be back for another fantastic afternoon at the Christmas Festival. Congratulations to Paul Townend in securing the Novice Steeplechase for Willie Mullins. ”
At least two horses were also confirmed dead following last December’s Leopardstown racing festival. They were Boro Tari who “weakened” during a race and Kilfenora who was “fatally injured” and “finished lame”.
Horses used at Leopardstown earlier this year were also confirmed dead.
- Chambery Prince who weakened and finished last in a race on 4 August 2022
- Commander Sayer who weakened and “lost action” during a race on 21 July 2022
- Rustler who was pulled up during a “Bulmers Live At Leopardstown” race on 13 May 2022
These horses are among a growing list of racing victims. Sickening Horse Racing Ireland statistics show that over 1,300 horses have lost their lives at racecourses and point-to-point races here since 2012. These figures do not include the horses killed in training or the thousands who do not make the grade and are destroyed behind-the-scenes. See a list of the 2022 horse racing victims at
https://banbloodsports.wordpress.com/2021/08/19/horses-confirmed-dead-following-races-at-irish-racecourses/
Thousands of race horses have been sent to slaughter, including 1,105 in 2021 and hundreds more this year.
The slaughter statistics were uncovered by Paul Murphy TD (People Before Profit-Solidarity) following Dail Questions to Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue. The Minister confirmed that between 2016 and 2022, 13,484 thoroughbred horses were slaughtered at Department-approved slaughter facilities in Ireland. See below for more details.
Thousands more have been exported to the UK for slaughter – as revealed in the shocking BBC documentary “The Dark Side of Horse Racing” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VlpQhJFd5Bo
Horses are also being killed during races in the UK. Since 2007, 2,537 horses have lost their lives at UK racecourses, many of them Irish. The victims include horses who suffered broken necks, horses destroyed after breaking legs and horses who collapsed with heart attacks during and after races.
ACTION ALERT
Don’t bet on horse racing or attend racing events.
Urge Neville Hotels to stop sponsoring horse racing.
Tel: +353 (0)1 271 2523
Email: [email protected]
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Neville-Hotels-1998090210513432
Tweet to:
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/nevillehotels/
There are renewed calls on the government to stop supporting racing. Since 2001, the Irish Government has granted more than €1.6 Billion of scarce public funds to horse and greyhound racing, including €91 million for 2023.
Contact Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, Tanaiste Micheal Martin and Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe and demand an end to state funding to these two gambling activities which cause much suffering and death to animals. 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 Leo Varadkar TD
Telephone: +353 (0)1-704 3630 OR +353 (0)1-640 3133
Email: [email protected]; [email protected]
Tweet to: http://www.twitter.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LeoVaradkar
Tanaiste Micheál Martin TD
Email: [email protected]; [email protected]
Phone: +353 (0)1–618 4350 or +353 (0)21-432 0088
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michealmartintd/
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/
Michael McGrath TD
Minister for Finance
Email: [email protected]; [email protected]
http://www.facebook.com/michael.mcgrath.1614
http://twitter.com/mmcgrathtd
Please 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
SAMPLE LETTER
(If you have time, please write your own personal letter)
Dear Deputy,
I am writing to urge you to please oppose any further funding to horse and greyhound racing.
The Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund has channelled more than €1.6 Billion of scarce public funds into the gambling activities over the past two decades.
Much of the money given to horse racing ends up as prize money in the pockets of wealthy horse owners and trainers, while the funding for greyhound racing continues despite revelations about obscene cruelty and killing and calls for a ban.
If you saw the “RTE Investigates: Greyhounds running for their lives” documentary, you will understand why there should be absolutely no support given to this shameful industry. The programme revealed that around 6,000 greyhounds are killed every year simply because they are not fast enough to win. We were shown horrifying scenes of greyhounds being delivered to knackeries to be shot in the head. One dog was seen writhing on the ground in agony as his merciless owner drove away https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYTb2qBjlMM
The programme also highlighted the illegal practice of doping dogs to make them run faster or slower to influence the outcomes of races. Also shown were greyhounds with their ears chopped off or burned with acid (to remove identity tattoos before being dumped) and the hellholes that await Irish greyhounds exported to China and Pakistan.
A RED C opinion poll commissioned by the Irish Council Against Blood Sports and Greyhound Action Ireland shows that two out of every three Irish adults want the government to stop funding greyhound racing [66% Agree, 16% Disagree, 18% Don’t Know] Petitions urging the government to stop the funding have attracted over 420,000 signatures.
It is COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE that public funds have been pumped into horse and greyhound racing. It is time for this to be stopped and for the money to be redirected to the many deserving charities, health/homeless/environmental groups, sports clubs, animal rescue centres, etc crying out for funding.
Thank you. I look forward to your positive response.
Yours sincerely,
[Name/Address]
Horse deaths at Irish racecourses
2022: 47 deaths (up to May 2022)
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
Horse deaths at foxhunt-organised point-to-point races
2021/2022: 19 deaths (up to May 2022)
2020/2021: 23 deaths (HRI previously stated that up to 11 May 2021, there had been 28 fatalities)
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
Horses slaughtered at Department-approved slaughter facilities in Ireland
2022 (to May): 305
2021: 1,105
2020: 1,549
2019: 2,218
2018: 2,526
2017: 2,829
2016: 2,952
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
