Home > RSPCA Campaigns > Jumps Racing

Jumps Racing

RSPCA Victoria is appalled by Racing Victoria Limited’s (RVL) announcement that it will be reneging its commitment to end jumps racing at the end of the 2010 season.

Racing Victoria’s so called commitment to the welfare of horses was obviously a complete farce. RVL’s CEO, Rob Hines, publicly admitted that despite exhaustive reviews, and additional safety measures implemented as a result, the injury rates to both horses and jockeys has continued to increase. The RSPCA fails to see how any of RVL’s reasons to end jumps racing has changed in the past seven weeks. New conditions the jumps racing industry must meet to keep the sport alive indicate that the death of five horses in the 2010 season is ‘acceptable’. This is downright disgusting. It is a joke that this body, one that has had the chance to show real leadership, has succumbed and pandered to a minority stakeholder.

Research conducted by both the RVL and  RSPCA revealed the majority of the community supports a ban on jumps racing, something the RVL board reported as another factor when it reached its original decision to cease jumps at the end of 2010. This complete turn-around shows RVL up as incompetent in acting in the best interest of horse welfare and the Victorian racing industry. It makes a complete mockery of animal welfare and racing in Victoria.

Other conditions announced to boost revenue are negligent at best. Encouraging more failed 'flats' horses to enter jumps racing to increase field size and bets wagered will only lead to even more injuries and falls from a greater number of horses that are simply not bred for the purpose of jumping.

The RSPCA will be appealing to the state government to take action and will intensify its campaign to have jumps racing banned once and for all.
 

What is Jumps Racing

Jumps racing is the racing of horses over obstacles, hurdles and ditches. Jumps racing is typically run over longer distances than a flat horse race and the jockeys are heavier.

There are two types of jumps races conducted in Victoria and South Australia - hurdles and steeplechase events. A hurdle event is run over a distance of between 3000 and 3500 metres while a steeplechase in run over a slightly longer distance, usually between 3500 and 5500. Victoria and South Australia are the last two remaining states in Australia to continue with jumps racing with all other states having abandoned the sport.

The RSPCA has been an avid campaigner against jumps racing for over three decades, quite simply because of the horrific injuries incurred by the horses, often resulting in death, that occur each and every jumps season. The unacceptably high risk to the welfare of jumps horses makes this so called sport nothing more than legalised cruelty.

Whilst the jumps racing debate has been typically argued by the racing industry on one side, and animal welfare organisations on the other, from the overwhelming response the RSPCA receives from the community every time another horse dies on the track, it was evident that the community no longer tolerates this sport as part of the racing industry.

This sentiment is reflected in a recent independent consumer research study commissioned by the RSPCA into the perceptions of the communities views on jumps racing and the racing industry.

Key findings of the independent research were:

• 76% of females want Jumps racing banned.

• 74% of 18-34 years want Jumps racing banned.

• Perceptions of the racing industry – 43% feel less favourably towards the racing industry because of jumps racing.

• Attitudes towards sponsors – 36% feel less favourable towards sponsors of the racing industry because of jumps racing.

• Attendance at race meetings – 26% either no longer attend any race meetings or will consider not attending in the future because of jumps racing.

* Independent research conducted by Footprints Market Research

No one wants to see a horse suffer whilst enjoying a day at the races

The RSPCA is calling upon the Victorian community to take a stand against animal cruelty by showing its support for a total ban on jumps racing this Spring Racing Carnival.

Approximately one in 24 horses that started a jumps racing event last season was killed on the racetrack. Even more alarmingly, it is estimated one in four horses sustained injuries during the same season and have not been seen on the track again. The odds that a horse will die or be seriously injured are better than those a punter could expect to be paid by a bookmaker.

There have been many reviews of the sport that have seen revisions to hurdles and the format in general. Despite the implementation of these revisions, horses continue to die on the track in horrific circumstances. Quite simply, it is evident a jumps race cannot be conducted safely and humanely, and revisions have clearly failed.

Many arguments from the pro-jumps racing camp have contributed to the continuation of jumps racing in Victoria. The majority of these arguments have been made on an economic basis and do not fundamentally consider the welfare of the horse. RSPCA Victoria believes these arguments can easily be refuted as poor excuses.

There will be a significant number of people put out of work if jumps racing was to be banned.

Owners, trainers and jockeys currently employed in jumps racing could be deployed into other areas of the industry. High weight flat races could be run instead of jumps racing, giving jockeys, trainers and owners the opportunity to still earn a living from racing.

It is interesting to note that less than 15 trainers worked with more than four jumps horses in 2008, and the number of trainers working in the jumps racing industry continues to decline year on year. In 2008 there were 149 trainers who entered a horse in a jumps race. Only 67 continued to enter horses in jumps races in 2009. An additional 26 trainers who hadn't raced a jumps horse in 2008 also participated in the 2009 season, making a total of 93 trainers this year.  The vast majority of these trainers could be considered hobby or part time trainers due to the fact that they train only one horse (thus only supplementing income from jumps racing).

Jumps racing provides regional areas with important tourism dollars.

Local bodies hosting racing carnivals such as those held in Warrnambool declare that jumps racing is a draw card for people attending the carnival.In reality, attendance at jumps racing meetings is typically much lower than that of a flats racing meet. Considering there are only five jumps racing events throughout the whole Warrnambool Racing Carnival, it is plainly evident most race-goers are there to enjoy the carnival as chance to spend time socialising at an entertaining community event.

The independent consumer research commissioned by the RSPCA in September 2009 bolsters this sentiment, strongly indicating that having jumps racing in the line up is harming attendance levels. 26% of those surveyed during the research no longer, or would consider no longer attending the races because of jumps racing.

Jumps racing provides horses with a second chance at a racing career.

This is another economic debate that does not take into account the welfare of the horse. The speed of the field or track is a fundamental problem with jumps racing. The right horses
are required to participate in a jumps race. Horses in Australia have been bred as flat horses,
therefore all they know is speed. Consequently, there is a difficulty in ensuring that horses used in jumps racing are properly qualified for the activity. Jumps racing does not provide horses with a second chance at a racing career. It places their life and welfare in serious jeopardy so that owners and trainers can try to recoup some money.

Displacing horses into the jumps racing industry saves them from the Knackery.

The fact this statement has been made by people in the jumps racing industry indicates that in their eyes, the ultimate destination of a race horse, whether it be following a career in flats racing or jumps, is the Knackery. Jumps racing does not save horses from the Knackery. It places them in an extremely high risk situation where the possibility of injury and death is totally unacceptable. The RSPCA believes all good owners and trainers would have plans in place for the retirement of horses from the racing industry. These plans will need to be put into place earlier. The RSPCA also believes it is also the responsibility of Racing Victoria to implement a program to re-home horses from the industry. Of course, there are also many animal welfare organisations willing to help owners and trainers re-home their horses.

For other ways you can voice your opposition to jumps racing and help put an end to this legalised cruelty, please see panel to the right.
 

> Back to top