The Cheltenham Festival is facing a backlash from everyone who loves horses

WARNING: THIS ARTICLE CONTAINS CONTENT THAT MAY UPSET THE READER
A campaign on social media is taking aim at the Cheltenham Festival of horse racing. Its message is a clear one: #YouBetTheyDie. And it’s timely as two horses were killed on day one.
You bet they die. And they do
#YouBetTheyDie originated from a campaign against greyhound racing. It has some stark facts about horse racing:
Yet again @BBCRadio4 discussed #horseracing extensively on the @BBCr4today – will they mention the horses killed at Cheltenham in the morning?#YouBetTheyDie
The pro racing #BBC disgust me pic.twitter.com/lvpTBC8DU5— You Bet They Die (@YouBetTheyDie) March 14, 2018
So amid the Cheltenham Festival, people have been using the hashtag to highlight their concerns over horse racing:
Read on...
Two horses have already died on day one of the #CheltenhamFestival
Mossback and Report to Base both only 6 years old were put down after falls.
RETWEET if you agree that the cruelty suffered by these horses must stop.#YouBetTheyDiehttps://t.co/vReB6L72Y1 pic.twitter.com/8QHwkbwjgw— Labour Animal Rights (@LabourAnimalRG) March 15, 2018
I know! Panic! Broken leg, He'll have to be put down. Oh, no – it's OK. That's just the horses. Phew. #YouBetTheyDie #CheltenhamFestival pic.twitter.com/Cwqa9AGJvH
— Madeleine Anderson (@TheAgentMaddi) March 15, 2018
Broken backs, heart attacks, broken legs, bolt gun in the head: just another day at the races?. 2 horses died @CheltenhamRaces day 1 yesterday. Please sign & share petition for new independent body to stop horseracing suffering #YouBetTheyDie https://t.co/Y7MZcFIXu2 pic.twitter.com/Am4AuqfsEE
— HSI United Kingdom (@HSIUKorg) March 14, 2018
As the campaign group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) noted, four horses died during the 2017 Cheltenham Festival. 12 died at the course across the whole year. It says of horse racing:
Horses used in races are subjected to painful whipping in order to force them to run faster and jump higher than they naturally would. The stress on their bodies can lead to debilitating medical conditions, including bleeding lungs and gastric ulcers. Many are first raced when they are too young and haven’t fully developed, increasing the risk of injury and illness.
A short film from the group Animal Aid perhaps sums the situation up best:
Telling of society?
But these kinds of images don’t seem to put people off: attendance at race courses in 2015 stood [pdf, p6] at 6.1 million, up over 5% year-on-year. But as one social media user pointed out:
When you bet on horse racing you’re funding the torture and death of these animals and placing your own temporary entertainment above their lives #youbettheydie https://t.co/AulRmjBP3v
— Katie Pearce (@KatieeePearce) March 16, 2018
It is perhaps of little wonder that we live in a society where homeless people are allowed to die on our streets, and disabled people are subject to “grave” and “systematic” violations of their human rights. Because when we allow animals to be treated in this manner, how can we expect much better for others that the establishment class deem to be below them?
Get Involved!
– Sign the petition to introduce a new, regulatory body for horse racing.
– Support Animal Aid.
Featured image via Anneka Svenska/YouTube
We need your help to keep speaking the truth
Every story that you have come to us with; each injustice you have asked us to investigate; every campaign we have fought; each of your unheard voices we amplified; we do this for you. We are making a difference on your behalf.
Our fight is your fight. You’ve supported our collective struggle every time you gave us a like; and every time you shared our work across social media. Now we need you to support us with a monthly donation.
We have published nearly 2,000 articles and over 50 films in 2021. And we want to do this and more in 2022 but we don’t have enough money to go on at this pace. So, if you value our work and want us to continue then please join us and be part of The Canary family.
In return, you get:
* Advert free reading experience
* Quarterly group video call with the Editor-in-Chief
* Behind the scenes monthly e-newsletter
* 20% discount in our shop
Almost all of our spending goes to the people who make The Canary’s content. So your contribution directly supports our writers and enables us to continue to do what we do: speaking truth, powered by you. We have weathered many attempts to shut us down and silence our vital opposition to an increasingly fascist government and right-wing mainstream media.
With your help we can continue:
* Holding political and state power to account
* Advocating for the people the system marginalises
* Being a media outlet that upholds the highest standards
* Campaigning on the issues others won’t
* Putting your lives central to everything we do
We are a drop of truth in an ocean of deceit. But we can’t do this without your support. So please, can you help us continue the fight?