Media Release 28 July 2008
Cruelty complaint made against jumps racing trainer
Animals Australia alleges jumps racing breaches Vic Animal cruelty laws
Animals Australia has responded to the 11th death of a jumps racing horse in the past five months by calling on
the Victorian government to immediately halt jumps racing on the basis that it is breaching State animal cruelty
legislation.
In addition, Animals Australia has lodged a specific cruelty complaint with the RSPCA alleging aggravated cruelty
against trainer Tom Hughes Jnr and the owners of jumps horse Spanish Symbol who fell and broke his leg on
Saturday in the Hiskens Steeple at Mooney Valley and was subsequently destroyed. The horse had fallen or failed
to finish in its previous three jumps races.
Animals Australia will today hand-deliver a letter to Racing Minister Rob Hulls asking him to urgently examine
Section 9 (1) (c) of the Victorian Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act which states that it is a cruelty offence if .. A
person does or omits to do an act with the result that unreasonable pain or suffering is caused, or is likely to be
caused, to an animal.
The death of Spanish Symbol contributes to the damning statistic that for every 8 jumps races held in Victoria this
year a horse is dying – and horses are falling and being injured in one of every three jumps races run.
Glenys Oogjes, Executive Director of Animals Australia states;
“The jumps racing industry and their trainers are not above the law. They are entering horses into jumps races in
the full knowledge that horses have been routinely falling, being injured and as a result being destroyed.
“The statistics of falls, deaths and injuries resulting from jumps racing speak for themselves. This industry is clearly
breaching state laws that were passed to prevent and punish those who place animals in a position where they are
likely to be caused unreasonable pain and suffering. The State government must act and ban it, or be a party to
an industry that is flying in the face of the laws passed to protect animals.
“Animals Australia is alleging that the suffering and death of Spanish Symbol on Saturday was not only ‘likely’ but
predictable in light of the horse falling or failing to finish after jumping incidents during his last three track
appearances.
“The entering of Spanish Symbol in the Hiskens Steeple is a clear and unforgiveable example of the mindset of the
jumps racing industry where the high risks for horses are considered acceptable.
“At 2.50 pm on Saturday Spanish Symbol was in the starting gates at Moonee Valley despite all involved in jumps
racing knowing that he was a tragedy waiting to happen. Ten minutes later his front leg was swinging broken after
the inevitable fall. The suffering and death of this horse was no accident - this fall was predictable - as such his
owners and trainer should be prosecuted for animal cruelty,’ Ms Oogjes concluded.
Media contact: Glenys Oogjes 0414 312 552
Animals Australia Office 03 9329 6333
Animals Australia Inc. 37 O’Connell Street, North Melbourne 3051
NEWS 
