Another victim of horse racing: 11-year-old Irish horse Articulum lost his life at Tramore racecourse at the weekend.
The Racing Post reported that the horse “suffered a fatal injury after the last fence” during the race on Sunday (18 April 2021) https://racingpost.com/news/mullins-lands-treble-as-bapaume-books-punchestown-festival-spot/485192
Footage of the race shows the horse hitting the fence and limping on the other side, with the race commentator saying that the doomed horse “blundered and unseated [jockey] Kevin Brouder”. See race footage at https://www.facebook.com/AnimalWelfareWatch/videos/602424960717551/
Articulum was destroyed and the jockey was on another horse half an hour later in the next race at Tramore.
Irish horses are not only dying in Ireland but many also lose their lives in the UK. So far this year, at least 35 have died at UK races. In 2020, at least 61 Irish horses died at races there.
Animal Aid’s Race Horse Death Watch website shows that the victims include horses who collapsed and died and others who were destroyed after suffering broken legs https://www.horsedeathwatch.com/
ACTION ALERT
Don’t bet on horse and greyhound racing or attend racing events.
Since 2001, the Irish Government has granted €1,461,991,713 – €1.46 BILLION – of scarce public funds to horse and greyhound racing. That’s €1,169 million for horse racing and €292 million for greyhound racing. Much of the funding goes into prizemoney.
Contact Taoiseach Micheal Martin, Tanaiste Leo Varadkar and Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe and demand an end to state funding to these two gambling activities which cause suffering and death to animals and damage Ireland’s international image. Tell them to redirect the funds to the many deserving charities, health/homeless/environmental groups, sports clubs, animal rescue centres, etc crying out for funding.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin
Email: micheal.martin@oireachtas.ie; info@fiannafail.ie
Phone: +353 (0)1–618 4350 or +353 (0)21-432 0088
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michealmartintd/
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/@MichealMartinTD
Tanaiste Leo Varadkar
Telephone: +353 (0)1-640 3133
Email: leo.varadkar@oireachtas.ie; finegael@finegael.ie
Tweet to: http://www.twitter.com/@LeoVaradkar
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LeoVaradkar
Paschal Donohoe TD
Minister for Finance
Email: paschal.donohoe@oireachtas.ie; minister@per.gov.ie
Tel: 01 6045810
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PaschalDonohoe/
Tweet to @Paschald
SAMPLE LETTER
(If you have time, please write your own personal letter)
Dear Deputy,
I am writing to urge you to please oppose any further funding to horse and greyhound racing.
The Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund has channelled €1,461,991,713 of scarce public funds into the gambling activities over the past two decades.
Much of the money given to horse racing ends up as prize money in the pockets of wealthy horse owners and trainers, while the funding for greyhound racing continues despite revelations about obscene cruelty and killing and calls for a ban.
If you saw the “RTE Investigates: Greyhounds running for their lives” documentary, you will understand why there should be absolutely no support given to this shameful industry. The programme revealed that around 6,000 greyhounds are killed every year simply because they are not fast enough to win. We were shown horrifying scenes of greyhounds being delivered to knackeries to be shot in the head. One dog was seen writhing on the ground in agony as his merciless owner drove away https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYTb2qBjlMM
The programme also highlighted the illegal practice of doping dogs to make them run faster or slower to influence the outcomes of races. Also shown were greyhounds with their ears chopped off or burned with acid (to remove identity tattoos before being dumped) and the hellholes that await Irish greyhounds exported to China and Pakistan.
A RED C opinion poll commissioned by the Irish Council Against Blood Sports and Greyhound Action Ireland shows that two out of every three Irish adults want the government to stop funding greyhound racing [66% Agree, 16% Disagree, 18% Don’t Know] Petitions urging the government to stop the funding have attracted over 400,000 signatures.
It is COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE that public funds have been pumped into horse and greyhound racing. It is time for this to be stopped and for the money to be redirected to the many deserving charities, health/homeless/environmental groups, sports clubs, animal rescue centres, etc crying out for funding.
Thank you. I look forward to your positive response.
Yours sincerely,
[Name/Address]
Email the letter to all Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, Green Party, Sinn Fein and Labour Party TDs.
Fianna Fáil TDs
john.mcguinness@oireachtas.ie; niamh.smyth@oireachtas.ie; brendan.smith@oireachtas.ie; aindrias.moynihan@oireachtas.ie; michael.moynihan.td@oireachtas.ie; micheal.martin@oireachtas.ie; michael.mcgrath@oireachtas.ie; Charlie.McConalogue@oireachtas.ie; sean.haughey@oireachtas.ie; jim.ocallaghan@oireachtas.ie; darragh.obrien@oireachtas.ie; jack@jackchambers.ie; anne.rabbitte@oireachtas.ie; eamon.ocuiv@oireachtas.ie; james.lawless@oireachtas.ie; sean.ofearghail@oireachtas.ie; sean.fleming@oireachtas.ie; barry.cowen@oireachtas.ie; willie.odea@oireachtas.ie; niall.collins@oireachtas.ie; Robert.Troy@oireachtas.ie; dara.calleary@oireachtas.ie; thomas.byrne@oireachtas.ie; marc.macsharry@oireachtas.ie; jackie.cahill@oireachtas.ie; mary.butler@oireachtas.ie; james.browne@oireachtas.ie; jennifer.murnaneoconnor@oireachtas.ie; cathal.crowe@oireachtas.ie; james.oconnor@oireachtas.ie; padraig.osullivan@oireachtas.ie; christopher.osullivan@oireachtas.ie; paul.mcauliffe@oireachtas.ie; john.lahart@oireachtas.ie; cormac@cormacdevlin.ie; normafoley1@eircom.net; joe.flaherty@oireachtas.ie; Stephen.Donnelly@oireachtas.ie
Fine Gael TDs
JohnPaul.Phelan@oireachtas.ie; Heather.Humphreys@oireachtas.ie; joe.carey@oireachtas.ie; david.stanton@oir.ie; colm.burke@oireachtas.ie; michael.creed@oireachtas.ie; Simon.Coveney@oireachtas.ie; joe.mchugh@oireachtas.ie; richard.bruton@oireachtas.ie; Eoghan.Murphy@oireachtas.ie; Paschal.Donohoe@oireachtas.ie; Alan.Farrell@oireachtas.ie; emer.higgins@oireachtas.ie; neale.richmond@oireachtas.ie; josepha.madigan@oireachtas.ie; colm.brophy@oireachtas.ie; leo.varadkar@oireachtas.ie; jennifer.carrollmacneill@oireachtas.ie; Ciaran.Cannon@oireachtas.ie; hildegarde.naughton@oireachtas.ie; Brendan.Griffin@oireachtas.ie; bernard.durkan@oireachtas.ie; Martin.Heydon@oireachtas.ie; charles.flanagan@oireachtas.ie; kieran.odonnell@oireachtas.ie; Patrick.O’Donovan@oireachtas.ie; peter.burke@oireachtas.ie; fergus.odowd@oireachtas.ie; alan.dillon@oireachtas.ie; michael.ring@oireachtas.ie; helen.mcentee@oireachtas.ie; damien.english@oireachtas.ie; frank.feighan@oireachtas.ie; paul.kehoe@oireachtas.ie; Simon.Harris@oireachtas.ie
Green Party TDs
Eamon.Ryan@greenparty.ie; catherine.martin@oireachtas.ie; patrick.costello@oireachtas.ie; francisnoel.duffy@oireachtas.ie; neasa.hourigan@oireachtas.ie; brian.leddin@oireachtas.ie; steven.matthews@oireachtas.ie; malcolm.noonan@oireachtas.ie; joe.obrien@oireachtas.ie; marc.ocathasaigh@oireachtas.ie; roderic.ogorman@oireachtas.ie;
ossian.smyth@oireachtas.ie
Sinn Fein TDs
john.brady@oireachtas.ie; pat.buckley@oireachtas.ie; Sean.Crowe@oireachtas.ie; david.cullinane@oireachtas.ie; Pearse.Doherty@oireachtas.ie; dessie.ellis@oir.ie; kathleen.funchion@oireachtas.ie; martinkennysf@gmail.com; MaryLou.McDonald@oireachtas.ie; denise.mitchell@oireachtas.ie; imelda.munster@oireachtas.ie; eoin.obroin@oireachtas.ie; donnchadh.olaoghaire@oireachtas.ie; aengus.osnodaigh@oireachtas.ie; louiseoreillysf@gmail.com; maurice.quinlivan@oireachtas.ie; Brian.Stanley@oireachtas.ie; mark.ward@oireachtas.ie; chris.andrews@oireachtas.ie; martin.browne@oireachtas.ie; matt.carthy@oireachtas.ie; sorca.clarke@oireachtas.ie; roseconwaywalsh@eircom.net; reada.cronin@oireachtas.ie; pa.daly@oireachtas.ie; paul.donnelly@oireachtas.ie; mairead.farrell@oireachtas.ie; thomas.gould@oireachtas.ie; johnny.guirke@oireachtas.ie; claire.kerrane@oireachtas.ie; padraig.maclochlainn@oir.ie; johnny.mythen@oireachtas.ie; ruairi.omurchu@oireachtas.ie; darren.orourke@oireachtas.ie; patriciaryan975@gmail.com; pauline.tully@oireachtas.ie; vwynne@gmail.com
Labour Party TDs
sean.sherlock@oireachtas.ie; aodhan.oriordain@oireachtas.ie; duncan.smith@oireachtas.ie; gerald.nash@oireachtas.ie; Alan.Kelly@oireachtas.ie; brendan.howlin@oireachtas.ie
Please sign and share the petition
Irish Government: Stop Giving Millions of Euro to Cruel Greyhound Racing
https://www.change.org/p/irish-government-stop-giving-millions-of-euro-to-cruel-greyhound-racing
Irish Government grants to horse racing
2001 €47,110,330
2002 €54,452,651
2003 €51,348,800
2004 €53,531,200
2005 €54,680,000
2006 €56,047,000
2007 €58,539,000
2008 €61,028,800
2009 €54,502,000
2010 €47,411,200
2011 €45,830,000
2012 €45,032,000
2013 €44,016,000
2014 €43,376,000
2015 €54,400,000
2016 €59,200,000
2017 €64,000,000
2018 €64,000,000
2019 €67,200,000
2020 €67,200,000
2021 €76,800,000
Total: €1,169 Million (€1.169 Billion)
Irish Government grants to greyhound racing
2001 €11,777,583
2002 €13,613,163
2003 €12,837,200
2004 €13,382,800
2005 €13,670,000
2006 €14,012,000
2007 €14,572,000
2008 €15,257,000
2009 €13,625,600
2010 €11,852,800
2011 €11,460,000
2012 €11,258,000
2013 €11,004,000
2014 €10,844,000
2015 €13,600,000
2016 €14,800,000
2017 €16,000,000
2018 €16,000,000
2019 €16,800,000
2020 €16,800,000
2021 €19,200,000
Total: €292 Million (€0.292 Billion)
Source: Department of Agriculture
If you need support for gambling addiction, please visit
Extern Problem Gambling Project
https://www.problemgambling.ie/
Gamblers Anonymous Ireland
https://www.gamblersanonymous.ie
Irish horses killed during racing in the UK (2021)
Claud And Goldie (IRE), 18 April 2021, Ayr NH, Collapsed and Died After Race
Wetlands (IRE), 18 April 2021, Ayr NH, Fell – Injured – Destroyed
Sweet Adare (IRE), 13 April 2021, Newton Abbot, Broke Hind Leg Pastern – Destroyed
Wargrave (IRE), 06 April 2021, Exeter, Hit Hurdle – Injured – Destroyed
Minella Tara (IRE), 27 March 2021, Newbury NH, Fell – Fractured Knee – Destroyed
Dubai Angel (IRE), 27 March 2021, Newbury NH, Fatally Injured
Time For Champers (IRE), 25 March 2021, Chepstow NH, Fell – Dead
Get Real (IRE), 22 March 2021, Kelso, Broke Foreleg before Jumping Fence – Destroyed
Hollymount Holly (IRE), 22 March 2021, Plumpton, Finished Race Lame – Destroyed
Let There Be Love (IRE), 20 March 2021, Newcastle NH, Collapsed and Died After Race
Stream Lady (IRE), 19 March 2021, Fakenham, Fell – Dead
Cristal Pallas Cat (IRE), 17 March 2021, Kempton AW, Injured Knee – Destroyed
Western Rambler (IRE), 16 March 2021, Sedgefield, Pulled Up – Injured Hind Leg – Destroyed
Coral Lad (IRE), 14 March 2021, Warwick NH, Pulled Up – Fatally Injured
Monsieur D Arque (IRE), 12 March 2021, Sandown NH, Injured at Water Jump – Destroyed
Boa Island (IRE), 08 March 2021, Wetherby, Pulled Up – Fatally Injured
Hoi Polloi (IRE), 05 March 2021, Newbury NH, Hit Hurdle – Injured – Destroyed
Pull Green (IRE), 02 March 2021, Catterick NH, Fell – Fatally Injured
Wudyastopasking (IRE), 01 March 2021, Plumpton, Broke Foreleg – Destroyed
The Conditional (IRE), 21 February 2021, Newbury NH, Pulled Up – Injured – Destroyed
Here Comes Johny (IRE), 21 February 2021, Market Rasen, Broke Near-HInd Leg after Jumping Hurdle – Destroyed
L Ami Serge (IRE), 20 February 2021, Ascot NH, Broke Hind Leg – Destroyed
Sevarano (IRE), 20 February 2021, Ascot NH, Fatal Heart Attack During Race
Rathhill (IRE), 19 February 2021, Kelso, Fell – Dead
West End Woody (IRE), 16 February 2021, Carlisle NH, Fell – Injured – Destroyed
Cape Milano (IRE), 15 February 2021, Warwick NH, Fell – Injured – Destroyed
Stay Humble (IRE), 06 February 2021, Musselburgh NH, Fell – Dead
Lord Halifax (IRE), 05 February 2021, Newcastle AW, Fatally Injured Close to the Finish
Shantaluze (IRE), 02 February 2021, Newcastle AW, Pulled Up – Injured – Destroyed
Embrace The Moment (IRE), 27 January 2021, Kempton AW, Pulled Up – Fatally Injured
Orphiuchus (IRE), 26 January 2021, Wolverhampton, Pulled Up – Fatally Injured
Glass Of Bubbles (IRE), 25 January 2021, Plumpton, Fell – Broke Neck – Dead
Kupa River (IRE), 25 January 2021, Chelmsford, Finished Race – Fatally Injured
Ann Maries Reject (IRE), 19 January 2021, Exeter, Slipped Up On Bend – Injured – Destroyed
Ardlethen (IRE), 16 January 2021, Warwick NH, Brought Down – Injured – Destroyed
