Posted on the 28th October 2018
On Friday 26 October, eight-year-old Havana Beat fell at a downhill hurdle at the notorious deathtrap racecourse. His injuries were so severe that he had to be destroyed. Animal Aid believes that this highlights the shocking failings of the British Horseracing Authority (BHA).
Alarmingly, the BHA has recently finished a review (not yet public) into the six deaths at the Cheltenham Festival Meeting in March this year. However, on October 24 the Racing Post reported a comment from the BHA’s media manager Robin Mounsey stating that: ‘With regards to this weekend’s fixture, alterations are not required to the layout or structure of the course.’ His comment is disturbing to say the least, in that no layout or structural changes have been made in light of the extreme numbers of horses killed at the racecourse. Animal Aid, therefore, has little faith in their forthcoming review.
Says Animal Aid’s Horse Racing Consultant, Dene Stansall:
‘Animal Aid has no confidence in the BHA as the welfare regulator for race horses. The death of Havana Beat is evidence of this, as is the overall loss of horses’ lives in racing which is phenomenal in terms of sheer numbers – and especially at Cheltenham. The quicker the BHA is removed from this role the better it will be for horses. Animal Aid will vigorously continue to work for this outcome.’
Editors’ notes:
It is with great sadness that we learnt of the death of Professor Benjamin Zephaniah. A wonderful friend and compassionate voice for all animals, Benjamin was an amazing supporter of Animal Aid for many decades....
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