Animal protection group Farm Transparency Project has hit back at claims made today by Racing NSW in response to new evidence of the ongoing slaughter of NSW racehorses. The racing body has distanced themselves from responsibility, suggesting that only a handful of the identified horses were in breach of Racing Rule LR114, despite many of the horses coming directly from the industry’s own breeders.

Rule LR114 states that “any person that is in charge of or has in his or her possession, control or custody of any [eligible, unnamed or named] horses is not to euthanize or destroy a horse”, and that “where a decision has been made to retire a horse, or not to commence racing an Eligible Horse, and that horse has been domiciled in NSW for the majority of its life… the horse is not to be, directly or indirectly, sent to an abattoir, knackery, or similarly disposed of.”

Farm Transparency Project’s Executive Director, Chris Delforce: “Almost all of these horses are clear breaches of the Racing NSW rules – yet they’re now trying to backpedal and claim that breeders are exempt, despite no such exemption being mentioned in the rules. Breeders are an obviously integral part of horse racing – without horses being bred, there are no horses being raced. It’s ridiculous that they’re trying to wipe their hands of this. Even Gerry Harvey admitted that the sending of his horses to slaughter at a knackery was in breach of the rules. But instead of showing any shred of integrity, V’landys has the gall to suggest that the weekly slaughter of thoroughbreds in NSW is somehow a sign of the rules working.”

“We’re disappointed, but not surprised, that they’re refusing to be held accountable despite the overwhelming evidence of direct industry involvement in this slaughter. I can’t imagine this looks great to their dwindling supporter base. We’d welcome an opportunity to debate this tired rhetoric publicly – and we challenge Peter V’landys to step up instead of yet again trying to shift the blame elsewhere.”

Footage: www.farmtransparency.org/campaigns/finish-line-part2/videos
Photos and additional information: www.farmtransparency.org/campaigns/finish-line-part2