• REGISTER NOW!! Why? Because you can't do much without having been registered!

    At the moment you have limited access to view all discussions - and most importantly, you haven't joined our community. What are you waiting for? Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free so please, join Join Talking Horses here!

Racing will ultimately be banned in the UK?

Said this to my mate other day. Whip Will be gone in next three years. NH racing has no longer than 15 years left, especially in this PC world we live in.
 
Many of us fear this and I think it will come to pass, but hopefully not in my lifetime.
 
Not a chance. More dumming down no doubt, but what government would commit political suicide and ban it.
 
The disdain Rust had for amateurs last week was unreal considering it isn't that long since JT McNamara died.I don't think there will be an outright ban but they could chip away at it helped by the likes of Rust.
 
Dunno, I can see the jumps going within half a century but not the flat.
Remember that National where Dark Ivy was killed, he was a grey which made it more visceral somehow - if that happened now social media would go ******* bananas.
But then again within a week the cunts who's main hobby on those platforms is to be outraged would have something else to be livid about within a week. Tough call.

I always wonder, even though racehorses enjoy better lives than other animals what happens to the one's that don't cut it? Like, let's say Ballydoyle or any big stable have 100+ 2yos and let's say half of them are still in the yard at 3 - where do the other 50 end up?
 
They just need to pay me enough not to punt. That would save the lives of hundreds of racehorses.

Dark Ivy, Winter Rain, Dondieu, Our Conor, Golden Cygnet, Valiramix, Gloria Victis (one old betting-shop buddy thought it was named after a film star), etc etc.

All carrying the dessie death penalty.

Seriously, though, the arguments for racing need to be stronger. I watched the Opening Show debate and they missed the argument completely.

The anti brigade know that sport carries risks. They understand the risks jockeys take. And they understand the top-class care horses get.

Their argument is that humans opt into risk-taking, animals are 'forced' (in their opinion). We need vocal and active pro-racing animal welfare people, vets etc to explain the benefits the horses get from training, racing and competition, how it's good for the breed in the wider sense etc etc.

You don't get many critics of Crufts etc when some dogs are (ore at least used to be) bred not even to breathe clearly. That is cruelty.
 
Euronymous said:
I always wonder, even though racehorses enjoy better lives than other animals what happens to the one's that don't cut it? Like, let's say Ballydoyle or any big stable have 100+ 2yos and let's say half of them are still in the yard at 3 - where do the other 50 end up?
Click to expand...

always been my main concern. the deaths at the track, mainy during big meetings, get all the attention but if that was the only issue i'd have no qualms believing the sport is genuinely worthwhile for the species.
 
Last edited:
Roy Brindleys biography has an account of what happens to greyhounds in America that will not be good enough to make it to the track.
 
Desert Orchid said:
They just need to pay me enough not to punt. That would save the lives of hundreds of racehorses.

Dark Ivy, Winter Rain, Dondieu, Our Conor, Golden Cygnet, Valiramix, Gloria Victis (one old betting-shop buddy thought it was named after a film star), etc etc.

All carrying the dessie death penalty.

Seriously, though, the arguments for racing need to be stronger. I watched the Opening Show debate and they missed the argument completely.

The anti brigade know that sport carries risks. They understand the risks jockeys take. And they understand the top-class care horses get.

Their argument is that humans opt into risk-taking, animals are 'forced' (in their opinion). We need vocal and active pro-racing animal welfare people, vets etc to explain the benefits the horses get from training, racing and competition, how it's good for the breed in the wider sense etc etc.

You don't get many critics of Crufts etc when some dogs are (ore at least used to be) bred not even to breathe clearly. That is cruelty.
Click to expand...

Good point about Crufts, plus the seemingly endless yanking of leads to make them prance round the ring with head up /down whatever - I gave up watching it a few years ago as can't stand it.

We have a couple of ex racers at our yard, Bubbles - aka At The Double and Claude - aka Black Cloud. Bubbles is retired completely after being a show jumper/eventer after his racing career and breaking his pelvis twice. His owner has just paid out £1000 vet bill after I pulled him in one night as didn't think he was 'right' and found to have a high temperature. Claude is a happy hacker and is more molly coddled than my boy, which is hard to believe to be honest. One who left recently was Robbie, who was at Channon's but never raced and has 'issues' - history between Channon and us very sketchy but not in a good way when taken on, still a youngster and a happy hacker with a view to do some show jumping. One woman at the yard who still thinks it's okay to ride a 26 year old cob......thinks horse racing is 'cruel' and 'they all end up in Egypt'...........I had a vigorous discussion with her many moons ago about that's not true (!) but it's not 'cruel' and most racehorses are some of the best looked after animals in the world. Yes there are exceptions, there always will be - the main issue is after they retire and owners while they are racing have to take responsibility. Maybe a percentage of winnings can be put aside as a charity to try and support ex racers?I know it wouldn't cover all of them and some yards/owners do take them on and /or try and find good homes for them, a lot of average horses end up at sales such as Ascot - Godolphin and Coolmore have offerings there on a regular basis.
I am currently trying to find out what has happened to a brother of my mare who ran last May and is now 11 - trainer not answering my offer to rehome him if he needs it. He may not need it but they could at least answer.
 
Sir Mark Prescott has written a history of coursing in Britain; ninety years ago it was the most popular spectator sport in the land, now it is no more.
Racing has depended on royalty, industrialists and other super wealthy people investing huge sums in horses to sustain horse racing as we know it.
With the passage of time the new wealthy are less and less inclined to invest their excess cash ; Prince Fahad apart there is little by way of young money at the moment. Saving the planet , veganism , sexual neutrality is where it is at and social media morality re any "wrongdoing " can finish people off overnight .
Thus a social media campaign negative to some of our more "colourful" owners could sent them underground as quickly.
All I can conclude is that i am glad to be the age I am having witnessed probably some of the greatest racing in the history of the sport ; five American triple Crown winners, European stayers conquering Australia, Australian sprinters conquering Europe, Breeders Cups, Cheltenham and Aintree before it was sanitised and point to points which were still local, drawing huge crowds from all walks of life.
By the way Nationwide RTE Ones' local interest programme was at Liscarroll p2p yesterday to witness great racing and a great crowd of spectators.
The bookies' ring was vibrant and we had a few impressive performances from locally trained horses.
Keep an eye out for it.
 
Thanks for all the replies. The nightmare scenario, ultimately out of our control, the favourite jumps the last in the National, is coasting home to a 20 length victory, the camera zooms in and a horror break like befell Sir Erec occurs. You can bet your life at least one newspaper, a whole host of celebrities, politicians looking to make the headlines and a huge swathe of social media will be screaming for the race to be banned, the thin edge of the wedge.
 
Simon Nott said:
Thanks for all the replies. The nightmare scenario, ultimately out of our control, the favourite jumps the last in the National, is coasting home to a 20 length victory, the camera zooms in and a horror break like befell Sir Erec occurs. You can bet your life at least one newspaper, a whole host of celebrities, politicians looking to make the headlines and a huge swathe of social media will be screaming for the race to be banned, the thin edge of the wedge.
Click to expand...

It won't take that much - but yes a repeat of Many Clouds, but at Aintree, and it's done for. We've had a few years now of no death nationals, and each year there's pats on the backs and "safest grand national ever". When the inevitable happens, especially if it's 2 or 3 in the same year, then the only place to go is reducing the field and then when that doesn't work, reducing the distance.

Look at what's happened to Greyhound racing in the last 20 years.

I give the National 5-10 years, Jump racing generally - as suggested previously, 15 seems about right.

Society will look back on racing the same way as cockerel (oh come on swear filter!) fighting and bear baiting.

Nothing we can do about it.

Is there the same feeling in the air in Ireland?
 
Last edited:
In Ireland we're on the same slippery slope. One factor is the decline of the Old Testament notion of a hierarchy among God's creatures, with humans at the top. Another is the loss of contact by most people with working animals and settings. Nowadays animals are only experienced as pets, which in many households means they are given the same priority as the human members. I was brought up to respect andshow affection to animals, but we were also discouraged from being overly sentimental.

There was always a clear distinction to be made between the importance of human and other lives but many people nowadays will allow no such difference. Once they have reached that point, it is inevitable they will want to start banning sports involving animals.

For now the rural population and culture is still more important in relative terms in Ireland than in the UK, so the process of alienation from livestock and working animals is not yet as far advanced.

Coursing and fox hunting still go on, but defending such activities is getting harder. I should add that I would not be a fan of either, but nor would I ban them.
 
Last edited:
The anti racing brigade should really focus on the cruelty towards animals that are consumed by humans first if they want a more equal globe for all creatures to live within

The conditions faced by animals farmed for meat will exceed any cruelty a racehorse receives in its life.

They are thoroughbreds after all - bred to race
 
In this world full of so many stupid people anything can happen

But the best way to defend this sport we love is to face this animalist and left wing groups and not to try to be politically correct


The ban of the whip would be stupid and horses in UK and ireland are treated much better than people in Cuba or Venezuela
 
Those who don’t like/understand horse racing are unlikely to be appeased whatever’s said or done so continued attempts to do so are probably a waste of time and effort

Nick Rust’s recent comments linking NH racing with blood sports are less than helpful


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Double J said:
Said this to my mate other day. Whip Will be gone in next three years. NH racing has no longer than 15 years left, especially in this PC world we live in.
Click to expand...

There is more chance of my pal Marble picking 2 winners in the same day :lol:

Let's say the banned the whip and our young apprentices one day to be champion jockeys head to the Arc or the Breeders or even to Ireland the lack of experience would be a huge disadvantage.....some might not even want to use our jockeys for that reason

Won't happen can't happen
 

Recent Blog Posts

Back
Top