Excellent news from Northern California. Not only is it highly unlikely that any of the five county fairs will be whipping horses this summer (and beyond), but Cal Expo is canceling its lease with the harness operation as of May 2 – which will bring to an end over a century and a half of animal abuse and killing there. It will also leave the whole of California harness-free. Excellent, indeed.
The press release from the California Exosition and State Fair Board:
“The California Exposition & State Fair Board has voted to accept the staff recommendation to exercise the option to terminate the lease agreement with Watch and Wager, LLC, officially bringing harness racing operations at Cal Expo to a close at the end of this current season on May 2, 2025.
“The decision to end harness racing operations was not made lightly. Despite longstanding efforts to support and sustain the sport at Cal Expo, the costs of operating and maintaining the facility continue to rise, while the changing landscape for live horse racing in Northern California grows more uncertain. At the height of harness racing at Cal Expo, there were 94 race days. During this current season, the number has dwindled to 39.”
So, Friday, we will happily be able to add to this ever-growing list.
Definitely good news. The landscape for live horseracing is changing for the welfare of the horse first.
More good news! Keep fighting the good fight.
Absolutely Marie ! 🙌
Boycott the NBC Today show on Friday!
They plan to be live the whole time from Churchill Downs.
Tough luck for the people who own and operate Watch and Wager, LLC to have their lease terminated. Who knows what kind of people they are whoever they are…? Is it possible that they are co-mingling with the members of the “Blue ribbon nominating committee” of HISA behind the scenes (?) since they are not outwardly saying their names in their business name and appear to be in it for the money, not because they give a damn about the genuine well-being of any of the horses.
They could manufacture robotic horses to perform as racehorses and get people who love throwing their money away on cheap thrills to bet on which mechanical horse they think could win a rigged race. Who cares that it could be rigged because that happens with live horses all the time. So what is the difference? The difference is that the lives of sentient beings would not be subject to the daily routine mistreatment that is inherent to horse racing.
It’s sickening to think about how the horses that become “Unwanted” due to the owners not being able to stable them and race them in their current location will be sold for whatever money they can get out of them and just unload their liability (money going out for the cost of hay, etc but no money coming in from purses and tax write-offs) to a horse dealer/kill buyer.
Racing is like rodeo in the sense that it’s animal abuse and they can’t support themselves; they depend on sponsors and subsidies to keep their dirty businesses afloat.