Media Release
27 April 2009
Call to stop Warrnambool jumps racing Carnival
In the wake of the 4th Victorian jumps racing horse death this season, leading animal
protection group Animals Australia has called on Victorian Minister for Racing Rob Hulls to
step in and call a halt to the jumps races scheduled for the ‘Warrnambool May Racing
Carnival’ which commences next Tuesday (5/5).
Yesterday at Yarra Valley, jumps hose ‘Hanging Rock’ fell, broke his leg and was killed on the
track. His death follows the deaths of two Victorian jumps horses (‘Taken at the Flood’ and
Wool Zone’) in South Australia on Saturday, and the death of ‘Shrogginet’ at the Cranbourne
Training Centre last Thursday.
Animals Australia’s Executive Director Glenys Oogjes reacted with dismay to these recent
deaths -
“This so-called sport is inherently dangerous, as exhibited by the fact that we now have four
deaths, avoidable deaths, in just four days, and there have already been 20 falls at jumps
races so far this season..
Animals Australia has repeatedly warned both Minister Hulls and Racing Victoria that the
changes recommended by the Review of jumps racing last year would not work. These
horses have now paid the ultimate price.
The Minister must now act swiftly to prevent further unnecessary deaths by immediately
demanding the cancellation of the jumps racing at Warrnambool next week.
The Warrnambool jumps racing track has a gruesome history with 6 jumps horses killed in the
past 3 seasons alone. This year’s May Carnival includes 5 jumps races over 3 days and
culminates with the Grand Annual Steeple which is over 5.5 Km with 33 jumps – the longest
race in Australia, and most jumps of any jumps race in the world.
Background:
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.
Minister Hulls called for an inquiry into jumps racing as the death toll mounted last June.
The final report (released in December) by former Country Court Judge David Jones
recommended significant changes to jumps racing tracks, jumps and training of horses and
jockeys to reduce the death rate. Similar changes had been introduced in 2002 and 2005.
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 
