SAD DEATH NOT A GOOD REASON TO STOP RACING

The death of a horse at the Melbourne Cup yesterday was a sad end to a magnificent race. The horse Anthony van Dyck, ridden by jockey Hugh Bowman, was the seventh racehorse to break down during the Melbourne Cup since 2013.

The five-year-old, one of the prerace favourites, was euthanised after sustaining a fractured fetlock at the 400m mark.

While sad, the death of the horse should not be a reason to stop horse racing in this country.

While many in the community will disagree with that sentiment, racing is an industry we can’t do without as we come out of the COVID-19 lockdown.

The industry has soldiered on during the pandemic, keeping people employed and boosting the nation’s economy.

Animal activists gathered in protest outside the gates of Flemington in fury over the death of the horse.

It followed a gathering at the racecourse, with protesters holding signs reading “you bet they die” and “nup to the cup”.

“These are not accidents, these are inevitable incidents that can’t be avoided, because racehorses are pushed too far and too often,” Coalition for the Protection of Racehorses spokesman Elio Celotto said. “On average, one horse is killed on Australian racetracks every three days.

“The death of Anthony Van Dyke means seven deaths in eight years in the Melbourne Cup.”

Animal Justice Party MP Andy Meddick went further, saying he was “sickened” by the death of the horse.

“Melbourne Cup is beginning to feel like Groundhog Day,” he said.

“Almost every year, a horse breaks down and is killed.”

There is no denying the arguments have merit; no one wants to see horses die on the track.

But the industry is one we cannot afford to lose.

Horses and humans have worked together for millennia.

Racing strengthens the human values of hard work, persistence and patience and, in the main, horses are treated very well and are loved by their owners, trainers and jockeys.