Right: Photos such as this one of an injured jockey with his dying mount at Warrnambool reignited the controversy surrounding Australian jumps racing.
Arguments in favour of jumps racing
1. Reforms are being made to reduce the risk to horses and jockeys
A whole range of safety measures have been put in place to ensure that jumps racing is as safe as possible. Robert Smerdon, the trainer of reigning champion jumper Some Are Bent, has explained that the hurdles and steeples in use today are much safer because they are made primarily of nylon brush and enable a racehorse to jump through rather than over the obstacle.
On July 1, 2008, The Australian Jumps Racing Association (AJRA) presented a nine-point plan to Racing Victoria Ltd officials suggesting means of further improving safety.
The AJRA's recommendations included that the white sighter line on all jumps be repainted and made wider; that RVL amend its track preparation policy to make all tracks used for jumps racing no firmer than a dead four; that stewards consider a wider range of issues when assessing jumps racing incidents and racing matters; that riders' skill courses be expanded and more coaching of riders be undertaken and that workshops be conducted for trainers.
Tha AJRA also recommended that additional jumps be added in an attempt to slow the pace of races; that jumps be located next to the inside fence, rather than the outside; that the wings marking the approach to jumps be set at the same angle on all courses and that jockeys be given more encouragement to retire horses from races when they are out of contention.
Referring to the plan to repaint the sighter lines and make them wider jumps trainer, Robbie Laing has stated, 'The sighter lines are very important; they've doubled the size of them and repainted them and they've all jumped faultless today. Horses don't have the best eyesight and some of the jockeys said the white lines had all but gone...'
2. Further reforms are going to be put in place
Racing Victoria's board has unanimously resolved to continue with jumps racing in the state. A number of reforms will be introduced to make the sport safer for horses and jockeys. Many will be implemented immediately.
Strand starts are to be trialled in consultation with the Victorian Jockeys Association.
All horses are to be schooled in the presence of Stewards from June 1 before being permitted to participate in trials for the first time.
New strict qualifying conditions for entry into premium jumps races with prize money of $A70,000 or more will be adopted from June 1 with the following policy: 'A condition of entry for this race requires horses to carry a jumps rating of at least 115. The horse must also have either won a jumps race or been placed 1st, 2nd, 3rd or 4th in a jumps race other that a maiden jumps race. All entries are subject to AR50.'
There will be ongoing education of jumps riders regarding race tempo and their obligations under racing rules to retire a fatigued horse and the strict enforcement of the rule and imposition of appropriate penalties for any contraventions including suspension.
The current final obstacle in all jumps races are to be removed - the currently placed second last obstacle becomes the last.
Protocols and standards are to be implemented to conduct heart-rate checks of all horses after they complete their final qualification trial to ensure they are fit to race;
Races beyond 3600 metres are to be programmed to provide lead up races to feature jumps events including increasing the distance of the hurdle race scheduled for 25 July 2009 at Moonee Valley from 3200 metres to 3700 metres and the creation of a new 4000 metre race in the lead up to the Warrnambool Grand Annual.
Those in the industry claim that jumps horses are well treated. Amy Johnston, whose Mornington-based family has been involved in jumps racing for generations has stated that concerns about the horses' welfare were 'ill-founded'.
Ms Johnston has stated, 'They are the most well-looked after animals and those people (animal activists) are better off spending their time elsewhere.'
3. Jumps racing is an important source of employment for jockeys
It has been claimed that many jockeys rely on jumps racing for their livelihoods. The Australian Jumps Racing Association warned of a 'massive class action' against Racing Victoria Limited if it closed down the sport.
It has been claimed that even the short term ban implemented in May 2009 had an impact on jockeys' livelihoods. Three former Coastal jockeys lost their livelihoods when jumps racing was suspended in Victoria after three horse deaths in two days at the Warrnambool carnival.
If it becomes a permanent ban, leading hurdles hoop Adam Trinder, rising star Trent Wells and ex- Devonport jockey Gerrad Gilmour have all stated they fear their careers will be cut short.
Trent Wells moved to Melbourne in 2008 following a ban on hurdles in Tasmania. He has stated, 'You ask any hurdles jockey and they are very dejected and don't know where their future is going.'
4. Jumps racing prevents retired race horses being put down
It has been claimed that Victoria has more thoroughbred horses than it has a need for and that retired race horses are likely to be put down if they cannot be raced over jumps.
Responding to a comment piece by Robert Merkel, Paul Norton stated, 'I think the issue of jumps racing also needs to be looked at in the context of the high level of what's known as "horse wastage". The number of thoroughbred horses bred in Australia each year is far in excess of the number which will eventually go on to race with some success (in part because the really big bucks are associated with breeding horses rather than racing them); a large percentage of those which don't make it to, or on, the track can't be gainfully employed in other occupations such as show jumping or riding schools, and those that can't be gainfully employed make for more expensive, land-intensive and labour-intensive pets than many people can afford.
This leads us to the question of what are the practical alternatives for those horses that are currently being raced over the jumps that are more humane and sustainable than both jumps racing and the knackery.'
One jumps trainer has actually claimed that he would have no choice but to put his horses down if jumps racing were banned in Victoria.
Warrnambool horse trainer David Londregan has seven horses and has claimed he would be forced to have half of them put down. Mr Londregan has stated that a ban would destroy his livelihood.
Mr Lodregan has claimed,'I'm going to have to shoot my horses and I will, well I'm threatening to send a head or two around the countryside to the powers to be, just to remind them what damage they are doing to our horses.'
Australian Jumps Racing Association president Rodney Rae has questioned the future of the around 250 horses that enter jumping each year should the sport be banned. Mr Rae has stated, 'Without jumping the majority of these horses are destined for the knackery and mistreatment.'
5. Jumps racing is important to the economies of rural communities and contributes to the livelihoods of many Victorians
It has been claimed that jumps racing is important to rural economies and contributes to the livelihoods of many Victorians.
Australian Jumps Racing Association president Rodney Rae has said the livelihood of 2,500 Victorian jumps horse owners would be directly at stake were jumps racing to be banned.
Mr Rae said more than 1000 trainers while vets, ferriers and feed merchants would be affected by any ban. Mr Rae further claimed the industry injected up to $30 million into the Warrnambool economy alone through jumps racing.
Amy Johnston, whose Mornington-based family has been involved in jumps racing for generations, said the industry 'means everything to me. My grandfather is a Hall of Fame trainer and his legacy, I've wanted to carry it on myself. I've grown up with jumping. It's paid for my education. It's part of my family.'