Media Release
5 December 2008
Animals Australia now calls on Minister Hulls to protect horses from jump race cruelty
Leading animal protection group Animals Australia slammed the decision of Racing Victoria
(RVL) to allow jumps racing to continue, and will appeal to the Victorian Minister for Racing to
overrule that decision and ban jumps racing. 12 horses died after falls in jumps racing in 2008.
Animals Australia’s Executive Director Glenys Oogjes reacted today to the RVL decision:
“State animal cruelty legislation is being breached every time a jumps race is held. We have
therefore lodged complaints with RSPCA Victoria under Section 9(1)(c) of the Victorian
Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act. Cruelty investigations into several jumps racing fatalities
are underway.
‘It is appalling that the RVL decision means horses would continue to be permitted to race,
fall, be injured and die at a rate that is 10 to 20 times higher than flat races. Racing horses
over metre-high obstacles at around 50km/hr is a known recipe for pain, suffering and death.
Animals Australia provided evidence to Judge Jones that previous jumps racing reviews – in
the 1990s and in 2002 and 2005 – had made no difference to the injury and fatality rates.
“It is deeply distressing that yet more so-called ‘reforms’ have been recommended. They will
fail as have all previous ‘reforms’. Animals Australia now calls on Minister Hulls to ban this
brutal ‘sport’. If the Brumby Government fails to overrule the RVL-proposed continuation of
jumps racing, it is the jumps horses that will be forced to test the changes. It is inevitable that
some otherwise healthy horses will pay with their lives,’ concluded Ms Oogjes
Background:
The RVL decision comes after a review and report by former Country Court Judge David
The review of jumps racing was ordered by Racing Minister Rob Hulls in June 2008 as the
jumps racing death rate escalated. The Minister indicated he would consider the Judge’s report
and RVL decision and come to his own view on the future of jumps racing.
Jumps racing now only occurs in Victoria and South Australia.
For media comment:
Glenys Oogjes Executive Director, Animals Australia Mob: 0414 312 552
Animals Australia Office 03 9329 6333
Animals Australia Inc. 37 O’Connell Street, North Melbourne 3051
NEWS 
