I received the following email yesterday:
“I attended the 2024 Haskell and have to share something. I’ve been going to Monmouth Park my whole life. Horseracing is in my blood and has been the only connection I feel to my late grandpa, who passed when I was one. Years ago when I first encountered protestors, I brushed it off as if I knew something they didn’t. Over the years I’ve grown more understanding of the opposing view and have supported aftercare programs and accounts dedicated to tracking down horses that ‘vanish.’ But still I bet and enjoyed the races.
“But as I was leaving the Haskell, I walked by the protestors and a young man in bright pink pants went up to each protestor, pointed at them and yelled ‘you’re a loser.’ In that moment, I knew I am on the wrong side. I was disgusted by his behavior and apologized for him to a protestor. The protestors were professional and took the abuse without matching his aggression. I just had to reach out. Thank you to the protestors for taking the risk to stand up for something. I will definitely be making a change to not support this industry any longer.” – Connor S.
Our protest at the Haskell was led, as usual, by Joe and Christina Silva. A from-the-bottom-of-our-hearts thank you to them, and to all who stood for the horses Saturday, including the wonderful youngsters below. And thank you, Connor. Emails like yours are what help to keep us going.
Thank you, Conner, for your revealing post. It does seem that some people visit horse racing tracks for years and years. And as a regular protester at Del Mar race track near San Diego, I have watched the attendees come by our group for years now. We laugh their at their silly outfits and hats and often see the same people each weekend that we go to protest always hoping that some day they will see that horse racing is exploitation of the beautiful innocent horses that have no choice in running for their lives. Del Mar’s summer meet just started last Saturday and already 2 horses have been killed and 2 others were vanned off. We always hope that our presence and messages will make attendees think twice about what they are doing to perpetuate this industry of horses being drugged, whipped and raced to death. It does my heart good to see your message of hope for a day when people will no longer feel the need to bet on these innocent sentient beings who deserve the right to just be a horse.
Conner, I also had an “epiphany” back in 2021 when I could no longer ignore the rampant cheating and abuse which I now see occurs on a regular basis in horse racing.
Like you, I was a dyed-in-the-wool horse racing fan, and along with several of my buddies – I was a very big bettor – we would bet thousands of dollars on the races which we attended every day, often buying in with $5K and $6K ‘Pick 6′ tickets. Yes, we often won. But once the “first-to-last payouts’ and the government subsides stepped, in racing changed, and not for the better.
Those days are gone for me. I no longer follow the sport I loved so much, and which was a very big part of my life. Yes, I also “pooh-poohed” the protestors I would often see on the big days at Saratoga and Belmont Park, thinking to myself ( and, no, I was never rude or confrontational) “please- just go get a life!”
But I was wrong. Research and logical conclusions on my part only proved that the protestors were right – the abuse of the horses is ongoing, and for anyone who loves animals – absolutely horrid, to say the least..
Top trainer Bob Baffert’s suspension for illegal doping of his charges – and his subsequent suspension from Churchill Downs after his Kentucky Derby winner was disqualified – was the straw that broke the camel’s back for me. No more racing, no more betting on horses. I now take all my action to the casinos where no sentient being is hurt, maimed, abused or killed when I play blackjack, poker, slot machines or craps.
Do I miss it? Sure I do, and I’d be lying if I said no. But I can no longer condone or partake in a sport which regularly heaps horrific violence on sentient beings.
As Ms. Arciello stated, it is, and can be a soul crushing job, and both she and Mr. Battuello should be lauded for the tireless work that they do on a daily basis.
-Joe
People often ask me how we do what we do every day. Seeing the deaths, experiencing the sadness daily. I would be lying if I said it’s not soul-crushing. Our drive is fueled by the knowledge of the horses suffering, by the fact that if we weren’t doing this work it would continue, and by the people who join us every day to fight for them – the protesters, blog readers, volunteers, supporters, everyone who thinks about and loves the horses every day. The positivity we maintain is from knowing we are on the right side of this fight, and that our collective actions do make change in real time as we see here on this page today.
If this one person, Connor, after experiencing a peaceful protest following a day at the track, took the time to visit our website and then decided to make a life-altering change and tell us about it, who knows how many more were reached that we don’t know about?
If anyone ever feels hopeless in this fight, remember this post today. It’s uplifting and inspiring at this moment, and it’s also fuel to keep going. To continue to hold the horses in our hearts and to work every day to ensure a future where they are free from cruelty and living lives they truly deserve. Activism works. Thank you, Joe and Christina, for passing your compassion on to others and being effective voices for the horses.
For the horses,
Nicole Arciello
Executive Director
Horseracing Wrongs
Connor S., Thank you for your most dignified response. It’s interesting to note that you knew that racehorses ‘vanish’ and yet it took what it took for you to realize that horseracing is absolute cruelty to horses and that giving voice to the horses is the right thing to do. Thank you for making the commitment to stop supporting the cruelty to the horses.
Thank you to ALL for doing what’s right!