Media Release
2 August 2009
Ten dead horses in jumps racing:
How many is too many Minister Hulls?
Jumps horse 'Rough Night' fell in a hurdle race at Warrnambool today – he broke a leg and was
euthanased on the track. Rough Night becomes the tenth horse to die in jumps racing in Victoria
this year. The seven year old horse is the fifth to die on track since Racing Victoria (RVL) resumed
the jumps season in May under so-called safer rules.
Peak animal welfare organisation Animals Australia today called on Minister Rob Hulls to side-step
Racing Victoria (RVL) and to stop the jumps racing season to prevent further deaths.
Glenys Oogjes, Executive Director of Animals Australia said;
“The death of Rough Night at Warrnambool today is surely enough for Minister Hulls to see that
Racing Victoria cannot stop this ridiculous and tragic toll from rising. Minister Hulls, through leaving
RVL in charge of jumps racing, has effectively assigned the fox to look after the chickens!
"I call on the Racing Minister to intervene immediately to stop this cruel and deadly 'blood' sport.
"The rate of falls and deaths so far this season exceeds what the Minister has described as
'unsustainable' last year, and is the highest death rate* for the past 35 years.
"So Minister - how much suffering and how many horse deaths will it take before this cruel sport is
ended in Victoria?" concluded Ms Oogjes.
Background:
Whatsourgo died in June, All Square, Geeorb and Dark Disguise were all killed in July, and now
Rough Night has today died during the first jumps meeting in August.
RVL suspended jumps racing on 7/5/09; on 18/5 RVL announced a restart with new 'conditions', e.g.
the removal of the (previous) last hurdle, further jockey education and horse qualifying conditions
Previous to the suspension - ‘Pride of Westbury’ broke his neck, ‘Hassle’ broke a leg and ‘Clearview
Bay’ broke his neck when he fell during the Warrnambool racing carnival in early May – all died.
In April ‘Hanging Rock’ fell, broke his leg and was killed on the Yarra Valley track, and ‘Shrogginet’
died at the Cranbourne Training Centre.
12 horses died at official jumps races in Victoria during the 2008 season, and another died at a trial.
Horses die in jumps racing at a rate 10 – 20 times the fatality rate to starters in flat racing.
Animals Australia has 'deaths to starters' comparisons for jumps racing seasons from 1974 onwards.
The 2009 season death rate, to date, is the highest during that time.
Jumps racing now only occurs in Victoria and South Australia.
Media comment:
Glenys Oogjes 0414312552
Animals Australia Inc. 37 O’Connell Street, North Melbourne 3051
NEWS 
