'Four young horses die for money with 'sizzling performance on a hot day' - really?'

With the likelihood of hot weather and the continuation of horse racing, I am writing to highlight the death of so many horses, and with Salisbury Racecourse I would remind them and likely punters of what happened at Newton Abbot Racecourse on June 25.

Most people were horrified at the death of four horses on one day at Newton Abbot Race Course. But it is not unusual. Statistics show that (pro rata) one horse dies every day of the year at Race meetings held throughout the country.  365 healthy horses pushed to their limit.

Yet the British Horseracing Association pumps out it’s PR on how well they are looked after and how sad it is when just one horse dies. But you can see the denial in all this inaccurate reporting.

Take a look at the report on Newton Abbot’s Racecourse website and find out how it went on Tuesday, June 24. More than an average day in the killing calendar of racehorses.

The opening paragraph on their website highlights ‘sizzling performances on one of the hottest days of the year”.  It goes on to comment on particularly good performances and how excellently some trainers’ horses have performed.

But there is NO MENTION of the four young horses that met their death through racing at your course. The ill-fated ‘Happy Helen’ collapsed and died as her heart gave out. Other casualties were a broken back, a broken leg and one that was pulled up and euthanised on site.

Unbelievable that their picture of a sunlit racecourse and a description of a successful day made no mention or regret at the disasters.  It confirms my belief that racing is a business that has blood on its hands, all in the name of money.

I am writing a number of letters to support the campaign to have this cruel ‘sport’ stopped.

I hope others will do so too.  It is no fun day for racehorses nor is the aftermath of being sent to a slaughterhouse when their career is over or they’re not successful.

Celia Marker,

Pennington Road, West Moors Ferndown

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