My Melbourne Cup sentiments changing as the years pass by
What was acceptable 10 years ago may not be acceptable today
‘Nup to the Cup” . . . it’s the catch cry gaining momentum across Australia and would seem is gaining traction across New Zealand as well.
Today is “the day that stops a nation” in Australia aka the iconic Melbourne Cup race day.
Growing up in Australia, I remember the Melbourne Cup being the one day where people from around the country would gather in front of their TV to watch the famous/infamous horse race (depending on which side of the pendulum you swing).
I remember the excitement of the day, people dressing in fancy clothes at work or in the classroom, making small bets (or large) on their top picks, in the hopes of striking the trifecta.
As a child of the 1980s and 90s, I admittedly loved this race that fell on the first Tuesday of November and distinctly remember it being one of the most iconic days in our nation’s history.
As a country that hasn’t historically celebrated its rich
indigenous culture (which unfortunately still hasn’t improved much) Australians have always clung tightly to anything that might foster some sense of history, belonging or tradition.
The Melbourne Cup has therefore provided a way to bring people together since 1861 and it was in fact Timaru-born race horse, Phar Lap, that lifted the race to new heights in 1930.
According to the National Museum of Australia, Phar Lap became “a ray of sunshine during the lean years of the Great Depression” and created a sense of national pride at a very difficult time.
It’s interesting, however, that as I’ve gotten older, my feelings around the cup have changed.
That’s probably because I’ve become more conscious of what this type of event represents and how
out of alignment it is with my values.
This is backed up by the Nup to the Cup movement, which says, “until relatively recently, most people were oblivious to the negative impact of horse racing on horses and the community. Life, culture, our morals, and understanding are forever changing. What was acceptable 10 years ago may not be acceptable today. This is certainly the case with horse racing for many different reasons”.
On one level, it’s a huge endorsement of gambling which, as we all know, is a huge problem not only in Australia, but in every country around the world.
The day is also basically just an excuse to get blind drunk (in Australia at least) where scenes of men and women passed out around the rubbish-filled arena are broadcast across the nation. Not exactly good role modelling for our young people.
There is also a lot more awareness around the devastating impact this type of race can have on the health and wellbeing of the animals involved.
According to the Nup to the Cup website, on average, one horse is killed on Australian racetracks every 2.5 days from racing related injuries — and these are just the deaths we learn of. Plenty more happen in training and trials, or when injured horses are taken from the track to be later killed behind the scenes. In addition, more than 10,000 horses vanish from the industry each year, most ending up in knackeries or slaughterhouses — known by the industry as “wastage”. Finally, tongue ties, bits, spurs and whips are standard racing implements, causing horses fear, pain and distress.
This issue, just like with what we’re experiencing with climate change, is fast becoming a bigger part of our consciousness and people are becoming more aware of the way we not only treat each other, but also animals and the planet.
So while I don’t love horse racing and believe we can all enjoy things, i.e. gambling, consuming alcohol, etc in moderation, I wouldn’t be surprised if these kinds of events start to appeal less and less to our future generations.