From last week’s harness rulings (all emphases mine):
Cumberland (ME), Jul 12: “Alex Richardson, who is the trainer of Dancethebigdance N, took the horse back onto the track and trained a mile after being scratched lame from the 6th race.” Again, he took his lame horse back onto the track for training. For this, Richardson received a $250 fine and a five-day suspension. Justice served?
Among the many whipping violations, these…
Pocono (PA), Jul 8: “While driving #7 Kingpin Hanover, Anthony Napolitano did whip after the finish of the race and caused visible injury to the horse – raised welts.” Fine: $250.
Running Aces (MN), Jul 11: “Brady Jenson did use the whip while staying in the boundaries of MN Rules, but #6 Sweet Young Thing did have marks while being examined in the Test Barn. Due to these mitigating factors the penalty has been reduced.” Fine: $250.
Jackson Fair (OH), Jul 12: “Driver Alex Hawk is hereby fined the sum of $750 for violation of the OSRC whipping rule – excessive, indiscriminate, visibly injurious, or abusive use of the whip – while driving [2-year-old] Fear Miss America.” Then this: “The fine will be reduced to $500 if this ruling is not appealed.”
And this from Iowa, Jun 23: “Driver/trainer Lee Patrick Herron is fined $1,000, or $500 if not appealed, for causing injury to [3-year-old] Cobra’s Spy with excessive whipping in the barn and barn area.” Needless to say, it was not appealed, so Herron, who once again “caused injury with excessive whipping in the barn and barn area,” was merely fined $500.
And finally this from Bangor (ME), Jul 7: “While driving #3 So Rock N’ Rollin, Bruce Ranger did not give his horse time to respond to his previous commands with his urging tool. Mr. Ranger has been fined $300 for this infraction.”
The whip as “urging tool.” What more is there to say.
As people who find this gross mistreatment of horses for racing and wagering absolutely abhorrent, there needs to be videos available for the public at large to see the perpetrators inflicting the whipping abuse on the horses just as the video of Charlotte Dujardin surfaced four years after the fact.
A video of the actual abuse definitely “shines a light” on the Animal Cruelty and violations of Animal Welfare within the equine racing industry.
With videos of the perpetrators who should be banned from having any contact with horses, there is a greater chance that these die-hard abusers of horses will be subject to more serious consequences than a fine of less than $1,000 USD.