I’ll open this now in advance of the latest racing exposé tonight on the BBC. It feels like years I’ve been railing against what seems the sole defence of the racing authorities “We all love our horses so much we give them sun lamps and swimming pools and massages, blah, blah, blah” And what happens to these treats when horses move from asset to liability? There was never going to be an answer to that, and all we will hear every time it’s trotted out in future is, what about Panorama? A train crash strategy when this particular train could be seen approaching from a long, long way off.
I’m dreading the programme and the ensuing media onslaught, Joe.
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I see it’s 30 minutes . Obviously will be a sophisticated and even handed presentation .
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I am sure that there are heads of state (and not all located in the Middle East) who routinely butcher horses that do not come up to scratch.
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I read a preview of it…seems to deal with horses sent from Ireland to abattoirs in UK…a certain Irish trainer, currently banned for 6 months following the “unfortunate incident on the gallops”, is interviewed on the programme …. It does not sound good!!
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A fair programme, I thought. I doubt racing can be proud of the fact that 7,000 racehorses leave the sport every year and that the BHA provides £1.4m for their aftercare – £200 a horse, for life.
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