CHELTENHAM, England (AP) — The deaths of four horses at the Cheltenham Festival – including one after the prestigious Gold Cup race – highlight the need for better horse care in the racing industry, a leading animal welfare charity said Saturday.
Hansard suffered fatal injuries when stopped during a race on Tuesday, HMS Seahorse and Saint Le Fort died after falls on Wednesday and Friday respectively, while 12-year-old Envoi Allen collapsed and died after competing in a grueling Gold Cup race on Friday.
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The deaths of the four horses bring the number of horses killed in competitive racing in the UK this year to 24, the RSPCA said.
The RSPCA said: “The scale of the death toll once again demonstrates the urgency that lessons must be learned, including the causes of loss of life, decision-making during games and future prevention measures.”
The statement added: “We will continue to work with the industry to advocate for further improvements, including the introduction of stricter safety measures, and improved horse welfare on and off the track. “Given the wealth and expertise of the industry, we remain hopeful that there is still considerable scope for tangible improvements in horse welfare.”
The RSPCA said horses should “take all possible steps to improve their safety and welfare” given the money generated by events such as the Cheltenham Festival and the upcoming Grand National.
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The charity said: “We will continue to work with the racing industry to encourage ongoing improvements in welfare and explore further measures to protect horses from injury and death and promote good welfare throughout their lives.”
James Given, head of horse regulatory safety and welfare at British Horseracing, called the recent deaths devastating and said all deaths would be subject to in-depth examination as part of the regulator’s standard procedure.
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