2011/09: Should jumps racing be banned in Australia?
What they said...
'It is hard to fathom how the Baillieu Government cannot see the blindingly obvious: jumps racing is a deadly and dangerous blood sport'
Glenys Oogjes, Executive Director of Animals Australia
'It's the biggest carnival we have outside the spring and brings a lot of dollars and jobs to the district'
Denis Napthine, Victoria's Racing Minister
The issue at a glance
On May 5, 2011, seven spectators were taken to hospital after a riderless horse leapt a fence and into the crowd during the Warrnambool Jumps Racing Carnival.
A two-year-old girl suffered a fractured collarbone, while an 80-year-old woman was given shoulder and hip x-rays and a 12-year-old girl x-rays on her foot.
Six of the eight horses competing did not complete the 5500m course over 33 fences.
Two days before, on May 3, 2011, a horse had to be put down and its unconscious jockey taken to hospital. Two other horses fell during the race and were injured.
The poor start to the Warrnambool Jumps Racing Carnival has led to renewed calls from animal activists and others to have jumps racing banned in Australia. To this point in 2011, five horses have died in Victoria and South Australia.
The Victorian Racing Minister, Denis Napthine, has promised there will be an investigation into the incident in which spectators were injured.
The South Australian Greens announced they would be introducing a motion into the State parliament to refer jumps racing in South Australia to the state's Animal Welfare Advisory Committee (AWAC) following the events in Warrnambool.
Background
(The following is edited from information supplied about Australian jumps racing in the Wikipedia entry titled 'Steeplechase'. The full entry can be read at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steeplechase)
Australia has a long history of jumps racing which was introduced by British settlers. In the 20th century the northern states of Queensland and New South Wales phased out all jumps racing. Tasmania ceased jumps racing as of April 2007 due to economic unfeasibility.
The jumping season in Australia normally takes place from March until August (some minor races are held either side of these months). Horses used for steeplechasing are primarily former flat racing horses, rather than horses specifically bred for jumping. There is an emphasis on safety in Australia which has led to a reduction in the size of obstacles. As jumps races take place at flat racing meetings there is also a need for portable jumps. Most chasing occurs on steeple lanes but also includes parts of the main flat racing track. From Easter to May the major distance races occur. The Great Eastern Steeplechase is held on Easter Monday at Oakbank, South Australia drawing crowds of over 100,000. The Grand Annual, which has the most fences of any steeplechase in the world, is held in May at Warrnambool.
Each state holds its own Grand National race; the most prestigious is the VRC Grand National at Flemington run in the winter. The jumping season culminates with the set weights and penalties Hiskens Steeple run at Moonee Valley.
Jumps racing was set to end in Victoria after the 2010 season. In September 2010, having satisfied a limit on the maximum number of deaths among starting horses, hurdle racing was granted a three year extension by Racing Victoria. A decision regarding steeplechase was postponed until October 2010 when a program for the 2011 season only was granted.
Jumps racing has been phased out in all states in Australia except for Victoria and South Australia. This was the result of a federal senate select committee inquiry into animal welfare in 1991, which concluded that jumps racing should be phased out on the grounds of cruelty. The NSW government banned jumps racing in 1997.
Jumps racing is opposed in Australia by many groups including the animal rights organisations the RSPCA Australia, Animals Australia, and Animal Liberation (South Australia), and by political parties such as The Greens.
Internet information
On November 3, 2011, the Liberal/National Coalition, while still in opposition issued a press release indicating that, if elected, it could commit $2 million to the Warrnambool Jumps Racing Carnival.
The full text of this press release can be found at http://www.denisnapthine.com.au/page.php?id=271
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is Australia's oldest animal welfare and lobby group. It has a long-term opposition to jumps racing.
Its arguments on this issue can be found at http://www.rspcavic.org/campaigns_news/campaigns_jumps_racing.htm
Animals Australia is an animal rights group opposed to horse racing in general and jumps racing in particular. Its arguments in relation to this issue can be found at http://www.animalsaustralia.org/issues/horse_racing.php#toc6 and http://www.animalsaustralia.org/issues/horse_racing.php#toc6http://www.animalsaustralia.org/take_action/jumps-racing-safe-for-no-one/
Victorian Advocates for Animals Inc. is a volunteer association that actively campaigns against cruelty to animals. It is another animal welfare group opposed to jumps racing. Its position on the issue can be found at http://www.vafa.org.au/Index.asp?pagename=CAMPAIGNS&site=1&siteid=1675
Racing Victoria has a Jumps Review Panel which will review all jumps races and trials in 2011 and comment on the performance of each horse.
The trial qualifications and race comments can be found at http://www.racingvictoria.net.au/jumpsracing/trialcomments.aspx
Though intended to ensure that only appropriate horses are put over the jumps, its utility is open to question. Shine the Armour, which died in a jumps race at Warrnambool on May 3, 2011, had previously been rated at 'Qualified Q11 Hurdles. Led. Jumped well.'
On May 4, 2010, The Punch published an opinion piece by Ben Asgari titled, 'Jumps racing knockers are misinformed'. The piece is a defence of jumps racing. It can be found at http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/Punch-jumps-racing-knockers-are-misinformed/
On May 5, 2011, the South Australian Greens announced they would be introducing a motion into State parliament to refer jumps racing in South Australia to the state's Animal Welfare Advisory Committee (AWAC) following the events in Warrnambool.
The Greens media release can be found at http://tammy.sa.greens.org.au/mr.php?mr=932
On May 6, 2011, Radio National's PM included a report on Racing Victoria's decision to allow jumps racing to continue despite the injuries to spectators and a horse's death at the Warrnambool Carnival. The full text of this report, which includes interviews, can be found at http://www.abc.net.au/pm/content/2011/s3210134.htm
On May 6, 2011, the ABC's Lateline included a report on the spectator injuries that occurred during the Warrnambool Grand Annual Steeplechase. The report includes comments from a range of stakeholders. The full text of the report can be found at http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/content/2011/s3210340.htm
On May 10, 2011, Mike Sharkie published an online comment titled, 'How do you defend a problem like jumps racing?'
Mike Sharkie is a leading Melbourne based form analyst and racing journalist. His comment, while acknowledging there are problems with jumps racing is a defence of the sport. Sharkie suggest a number of reforms and argues for a change in how the issue is generally debated.
The full text of this comment can be found at http://www.theshark.com.au/news/2011/05/10/how-do-you-defend-a-problem-like-jumps-racing-
Arguments against jumps racing's retention in Australia
1. Jumps racing is dangerous for horses, jockeys and spectators.
Opponents of jumps racing stress its dangers. Animals Australia claims, 'Jumps racing is a cruel and dangerous "sport" in which horses are forced to jump metre-high fences at high speed. It's 10 - 20 times more dangerous to horses than flat racing, and many of the injuries sustained during jumps races can be horrific.'
Critics have noted that three horses have already died in jumps races in Victoria since the 2011 jumps racing season commenced in April. An additional three horses have died in South Australia this year, the only other state where jumps racing continues.
The 2011 Grand Annual Steeplechase in Warrnambool saw only two of the race's eight starters actually finished the course. Many jockeys fell. A riderless horse leapt over a two-metre high brush fence and into a crowd of spectators standing just outside the boundary of the course. Seven people were left injured. Among the injured were a two-year-old boy and 80-year-old woman.
Glenys Oogjes, Executive Director of Animals Australia has stated, 'It is hard to fathom how the Baillieu Government cannot see the blindingly obvious: jumps racing is a deadly and dangerous blood sport. This preventable accident demonstrated again that jumps racing not only puts horses at unacceptable risk, but also jockeys and even spectators.'
Three horses died at the May 2009 Warrnambool racing carnival, leading to a temporary halt to jumps racing. Racing was later resumed, and one horse was killed at Warrnambool last May.
Racing Victoria has set fall rates (3% of starters) and death rates (0.65% of starters) as benchmarks for the continuance of jumps racing. Even prior to the latest deaths in the 2011 season statistics were triple those imposed limits.
2. The general community is opposed to jumps racing
Opponents of jumps racing argue that the sport no longer has popular support. They note that a series of recent polls has shown that a majority of people wish to see the sport banned.
On May 5, 2011, Daniel Clarke wrote on Pen and Paper, a leading Australian sports blog, 'The public also believe that the sport must end with recent statistics gathered by polling company AusPolls, showing that 65 per cent of Victorians believed that deaths and injuries to horses were not an acceptable price to pay for the continuation of jumps racing.'
Similarly, a Herald Sun online poll conducted in April, 2011, asking if jumps racing should be banned received more than 400 responses, with 68 per cent saying it should.
Lawrence Pope, a spokesperson for Victorian Advocates for Animals has noted in regard to these recent polls, 'The Victorian public wants this public cruelty to animals to be abolished.'
Opponents of jumps racing claim it is inappropriate that a sport which the majority of the electorate clearly opposes continues to receive government subsidies. The Greens have stated, 'Jumps racing, despite widespread community opposition, continues to receive substantial financial and other support from both the Liberal/National Coalition, and the Labor party.
The RSPCA's Internet site includes the following opinion, 'Our new government is wasting $2 million of tax payers money on this "sport". We consider this a poor investment, when this money could be put to better use, rather than funding more jumps racing horse deaths. If the government wants to look after the Warrnambool electorate, they could use this $2 million dollars to fund 50 grade two nurses, 38 graduate teachers or even seven CFA fire trucks.'
3. Horses are coerced into jumps racing
It has been claimed that it is unethical to require horses to race in hazardous circumstances. The argument put is that this is an unnatural activity that horses would not normally perform and that they only race because they are compelled to do so.
On May 5, 2011, Daniel Clarke wrote on Pen and Paper, a leading Australian sports blog, 'After viewing the footage [of the 2011 Warrnambool Grand Annual Steeplechase], it's obvious that the stress which the horses are placed under is extreme and despite hours upon hours of training, the whip and hurdles to jump are simply not natural for the horses. It's easy to see why they bolt.
Just last year, Racing Victoria chief, Rob Hines, went on record and said that, "Jumps Racing was no more gruesome than Ultimate Fighting (UFC)"... Here in lies the problem. The two sports simply can not be compared due to the fundamental fact that humans have a choice and make a conscious decision to enter a ring, knowing full-well they are likely to get the daylights punched out of them, whilst these innocent horses have no say in the matter.'
The RSPCA's Internet site includes the following comment in relation to the views of Victorian Racing Minister, Denis Napthine, 'His personal opinions have led his interviews with quotes like some horses "smile when they see a jump". We doubt Shine the Amour was smiling as he was forced into the hurdle that ended his life.'
In a response to the issue published on the ABC's site on November 27, 2009, it was noted, 'Jumps racing, and, for that matter, equestrian jumping is totally unnatural for a horse, and places their lives at risk every time. Proponents will argue that a horse jumps naturally, but show me a horse in the wild that is running around jumping things by choice. For that matter, horses would all be jumping out of their paddocks if it was a natural thing for them to do.'
4. Jumps racing is inherently dangerous and the various attempted reforms have not altered this
Opponents of jumps racing claim that the sport is intrinsically hazardous and that attempts at reform will, therefore, not prevent horses being killed.
On October 10, 2009, Lawrence Pope, the president of Victorian Advocates for Animals wrote, 'The 2008 review by retired judge David Jones produced a 200-page slab with multiple reforms to "fix" jumps racing. The result? The 2009 season has so far seen 10 horses die on Victorian...
In December last year, Racing Minister Rob Hulls said: ''The industry has been put on notice that the events of 2008 jumps racing season cannot be repeated.'' Well, they have been repeated, so what now?'
On May 5, 2011, Daniel Clarke wrote on Pen and Paper, a leading Australian sports blog, 'In total, a staggering 39 horses have lost their lives since 2007 at Victorian jump racing meets and since 2001, there have been three separate reviews into jumps racing (2001, 2005 and 2008). Each review has seen several safety changes implemented which have made little or no difference to the fall and fatality rate. It appears that the real purpose of these reviews is to buy some time in a vain hope that either the deaths and falls will reduce to what they consider an acceptable level or to wear down the jumps racing opponents.'
5. There are other options for retired racehorses than jumps racing
Opponents of jumps racing say it is not a matter of retired racehorses being slaughtered for pet food if they are not able to go into jumps racing. These critics claim that there are other options for these horses.
Bill Saunders is a horse trainer who retrains racehorses, including jumpers, so they can be resold as riding horses. He sees this rather than jumps racing as the ethical way of extending a horse's career.
Mr Saunders has stated, 'In my mind the whole point of the exercise is to lift the horse's value well beyond its meat value. I'm talking in the thousands of dollars rather than the hundreds of dollars. And as soon as you get a horse that's considerably worth more alive than dead, then the chances are it is going to stay alive.'
6. The small-scale economic benefit of a minority is being put before animal welfare
It has been claimed that the Victorian Racing minister, Denis Napthine is not impartial. Critics assert that as Warrnambool is part of his electorate he is seeking to protect the economic benefits the jumps carnival brings to the town.
The RSPCA Victoria has stated, 'Our Racing Minister, Denis Napthine is biased. He is the MP for the Warrnambool electorate and despite having a veterinary background, he is pro jumps racing.'
Animals Australia has stated, 'There's clearly a conflict of interest here and what we really need is somebody independent to look at it.'
Critics have further claimed that the economic advantages gained through jumps racing are being over-estimated.
The RSPCA's Internet site claims, 'Research conducted by the RSPCA on the importance of jumps racing at Warrnambool tells a different story. Most people enjoy the carnival, but weren't particular interested in the actual jumps racing. Only one food and beverage venue in town seemed to be doing a busy trade and the crowds didn't show themselves until the local public holiday - indicating it is locals attending the event and not huge crowds of jumps supporters.'
The RSPCA has further commented, 'With our new government using tax-payer dollars to provide an additional $2 million dollars to the "sport", we are ashamed that our new leaders are focused on incentivising international competitors and boosting prize money.'
According to this line of argument, jumps racing is in economic decline and therefore it would be relatively easy to simply end it. Instead, the current government is seeking to boost it and thus increase Warrnambool's economic dependence upon it.
Arguments supporting jumps racing's retention in Australia
1. Jumps horses only jump because they wish to
Supporters of jumps racing argue it is not cruel. They state that jumping is a natural activity for many horses and one they enjoy.
Victoria's Racing Minister, Denis Napthine, is a veterinarian. He has stated that horses cannot be made to jump. He has claimed, 'You might get a nice, big horse and think this looks like a jumper. But they shy at the jumps, they just won't go, so you don't persist.
Others smile when they see a jump and go for it. Whether it's a pony, equestrian, show or racehorse, some love jumping, some aren't interested.'
Horse trainers Jack and Paula Curtis have stated, 'When presented correctly, horses enjoy free jumping, and become quite playful doing it.'
On April 27, 2011, the following observation was posted on horseforum.com as part of a discussion on training horses, 'All horses have the natural born ability to jump, and most horses are capable of jumping with a rider without any sort of training...'
2. Horses jumping the barrier into spectators is a freak accident
Supporters of jumps racing claim that the recent incident at Warrnambool in which a horse jumped the side barrier and injured spectators is not typical of the sport. They argue that such an occurrence is a freak accident and therefore no conclusions can be drawn from it.
They maintain that such events occur very rarely and that no conclusions can be drawn from them about the safety of the small.
Racing Victoria's chief executive officer, Mr Bob Hinze, has claimed, 'I don't think that yesterday's event was symptomatic of jumps racing. It was a really freakish accident and although I do accept it's more likely to happen in jumps racing where you have more riderless horses, of course we have, in the past, had the odd occasion where this has occurred in flat racing.'
Mr Hinze has gone on to state, 'I don't think this warrants a ban. I think that would be a knee-jerk reaction to a genuinely freakish accident. We have motor racing where cars clear the barriers and sometimes kill spectators and we don't immediately call for a ban of motor racing.'
The Victorian Racing Minister, Mr Denis Napthine has similarly stated, 'It was quite an unprecedented freak incident and it needs to be put in that context.'
3. It should be possible to protect spectators without banning jumps racing
The Victorian Racing Minister, Denis Napthine, has argued that riderless horses are a potential safety hazard in any race and that the issue is how to deal with them in a way that guarantees spectator safety. Mr Napthine believes this should be able to be done without banning jumps racing.
The Victorian Racing Minister has told Racing Victoria to investigate and report back to him with recommendations to improve spectator safety. Mr Napthine has stressed this has nothing to do with the cruelty controversy.
Mr Napthine has stated, 'This is an issue of spectator safety at a racing event in Victoria. It is an issue about separating horses, whether they are riderless or whether they've got riders, from the spectators and we're conducting an investigation into this freakish incident.
Our concerns are with the injured people and their families and we want to make sure that spectators, who go to the races, wherever they watch the races, can do so safely in Victoria.'
Racing Victoria's chief executive officer, Rob Hines, has indicated that safety at the course will be reviewed immediately.
Mr Hines stated, 'You take the precautions, you would have thought an eight-foot fence on the boundary of the course was sufficient.
We will have to investigate talking to the local council on whether that road should be closed to the general public in future.'
John Wheeler, the New Zealand owner-trainer of the horse which jumped into the crowd, has said that spectators should be placed further back from the action.
4. Jumps racing extends horses' lives.
It is claimed that jumps racing gives horses a chance at a second career after they have been retired from flat racing. It is argued that without this many horses that were not valuable as breeding animals would simply be sold for pet food.
On May 4, 2011, an online response to a report on jumps racing was published in the Sydney Morning Herald. The comment read, 'Jumps racing provides a continuation of care and life for horses that would otherwise be mainly neglected after their flat racing careers.
Horses are not specifically bred in Australia for jumps racing like they are in the likes of UK and Ireland. These ex flat horses are loved and well cared for by their owners in almost all cases and the alternative for them after flat racing is normally a lot worse so why not extend their life?'
In an opinion piece published in The Punch on May 4, 2011, Ben Asgari stated, 'It is ... no secret that the majority of jumpers are unwanted flat gallopers that are either too old or too slow to race over the shorter flat races. Many of these horses were destined for the knackery.
Thanks to their owners, many of these horses will be rewarded for their efforts over the jumps with a well deserved retirement paddock - a point the media and protestors never fail to overlook.'
5. Jumps racing is important to major country carnivals which help rural economies
Supporters of jumps racing argue that it is vital to the country racing carnivals where it occurs and further that these carnivals make a valuable contribution to the economies of some country towns.
Victoria's Racing Minister, Denis Napthine, has stated that Warrnambool's famous three-day carnival in May would not be viable without jumps racing. Mr Napthine repeated his view that the spectacle of jumps racing was the major reason the carnival continued to flourish, despite its detractors.
Mr Napthine believes that without the jumps, Warrnambool would become a Sunday cup meeting. He stated, 'There's no way without jumps Warrnambool would survive three days, it's an absolute nonsense to say otherwise...The mix of good flat racing and quality jumps racing makes it unique and special.
It's the biggest carnival we have outside the spring and brings a lot of dollars and jobs to the district.'
A sports writer, Michael Lynch, has stated, 'I believe that, given the size of the industry, the number of horses involved and the sporting and economic benefits it brings to many rural parts of Victoria, society should be prepared to accept a certain degree of wastage.'
In an opinion piece published in The Punch on May 4, 2011, Ben Asgari stated, 'As long as the sport continues to meet the strict KPIs, Racing Victoria administrators owe it to the participants whose livelihoods depend on jumps racing to not bow to the vocal and pushy minority groups.'
6. Jumps racing is being reformed and could be reformed further
It has been claimed that the injury and death rate among jumps horses appears to be declining and could be reduced further if other reforms were made.
In an opinion piece published in The Punch on May 4, 2011, Ben Asgari stated, 'Since the decision at the beginning of the 2010 season to return to the use of a larger, more solid jump, there have only been three jumps related deaths.
While three deaths are regrettable and an ideal number would be zero, it is a significant improvement on the number of deaths that occurred in previous seasons when a smaller style of jump was used.'
Melbourne racing journalist, Mike Sharkie, has further stated, 'The changes brought about at the end of 2010 have already had a positive impact - fall and fatality rates have been reduced, horses that are struggling during races have been eased out of races, obstacles have been improved, but the argument from anti-jumps groups is that "it doesn't matter, horses are still dying and falls are still occurring".
Yes, they are, but not in the numbers of previous years, and the changes made to the sport in 2010 will not fix everything overnight. The racing industry needs to make more of this point. The initial impact of the changes mentioned above has been excellent, and as the season progresses we will see better results again.'
It has also been argued that the wrong type of horse is often involved in jumps racing. Those who hold this view believe that horses more specifically suited to jumps racing should be used. Mike Sharkie has stated, 'For far too long the stigma around jumps racing has been that it is the last chance for failed flat horses - this is a huge part of the problem! Like flat racing, there should be rules and restrictions regarding the type and quality of horse allowed to contest a jumps race or even enter training for a jumps campaign. The quality of jumps horses needs to be improved and RVL could enforce restrictions like these as a step towards that goal.'
Further implications
In September 2010, having satisfied a limit on the maximum number of deaths among starting horses, hurdle racing was granted a three year extension by Racing Victoria.
The Racing Victoria Limited Board determined that there would be a three year program of hurdle racing subject to meeting a Key Performance Indicator (KPI) of no more than 0.65% of fatalities per starters. This will be measured as a rolling three year average at the end of the 2012 and 2013 seasons. Two more deaths this season would push the figures outside that allowable under the KPI; however, given that measurements are not being formally taken and reviewed until the end of 2012 it would appear that jumps racing is safe up to that time.
The Victorian Racing Minster, Denis Napthine, has clearly indicated his support for the sport. On November 3, 2010, prior to his government's election, Denis Napthine's office issued a media release stating, 'A Liberal-Nationals Coalition would boost funding for jumps racing in Victoria by $2 million... Jumps racing is exciting and spectacular. It plays an important part in Victorian racing, especially during the winter.'
The Coalition's policy appears to be to secure the future of jumps racing via increased government funding to go, in part, towards increased prize money, so that the event becomes more attractive to overseas' competitors. The Government wants to lift the profile of the sport, including increasing the quality of the horses that compete.
Some commentators have argued that an improved field, made up of better horses, would reduce the accident and fatality rate. This would appear to be the Government's hope.
The Baillieu Government is clearly aware of the current and potential boost to rural economies, especially the Warrnambool economy, that jumps racing represents. While still shadow minister, Denis Napthine stated, 'The May Grand Annual Carnival is worth many millions of dollars to this region each year...
The Coalition jumps racing policy not only secures the future of this great event, but provides an opportunity to make it even bigger and better by taking it onto the international stage.'
The Racing Minister appears to view the poor start to the 2011 jumps racing season as a temporary obstacle to be overcome, rather than a marker that the sport is doomed. He has indicated that his government is committed to continuing the sport through to 2013 and appears to believe that by this time the KPIs will be acceptable. He has also categorised the spectator injuries as an atypical occurrence which could occur at any horse racing event and therefore not a problem peculiar to jumps racing.
South Australia may take action on the issue earlier than Victoria. On May 5, 2011, the South Australian Greens announced they would be introducing a motion into State parliament to refer jumps racing in South Australia to the state's Animal Welfare Advisory Committee (AWAC) following the events in Warrnambool where only two of the eight starters finished the course and a number of spectators were injured.
It remains to be seen whether the Victorian Greens attempt similar action. The Victorian Racing Minister has repeatedly claimed the matter is outside his jurisdiction as jumps racing in his state is under the control of the independent authority, Racing Victoria.
However, the pressure from animal welfare groups will remain constant. If an improved field does not result in reduced fatalities and if the Victorian KPIs are not at acceptable levels by 2012, it will be very difficult for Racing Victoria to allow it to continue.
Newspaper items used in the compilation of this issue outline
The Age: April 7, 2011, page 15, comment by Andrew Lemon, `Moonee Valley signing its death warrant with land sale'.
http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/society-and-culture/moonee-valley-signing-its-death-warrant-20110406-1d4eg.html
Herald-Sun: April 5, 2011, page 15, news item (photos) by Stewart and McMahon, `Race season crashes at the first hurdle'.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/more-news/warrnambool-fatal-reignites-jumps-racing-debate/story-fn7x8me2-1226033643807
The Age: April 5, 2011, page 2, news item (photos) by Andrew Eddy, `Horse death sets back jumps racing'.
http://www.theage.com.au/sport/horseracing/horse-death-sets-back-jumps-racing-20110404-1cypf.html
The Australian: April 19, 2011, page 3, news item (photos) by David Nason, `Anti-jumps lobby targets iconic meet'.
http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport/oakbank-racing-club-under-fire-for-racehorse-deaths/story-e6frecj3-1226041331556
The Age: May 4, 2011, page 19, comment by Michael Lynch, `Go jump: keep the horses on course'.
http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/society-and-culture/go-jump-keep-the-horses-on-course-20110503-1e6xt.html
The Age: May 4, 2011, page 5, news item (photo) by Andrew Eddy, `Death at carnival prompts calls for halt to jumping'.
http://www.theage.com.au/sport/horseracing/death-at-carnival-prompts-calls-for-halt-to-jumping-20110503-1e6wm.html
The Age: May 9, 2011, page 4, news item (photo) by Mary Alexander, `"Next thing I knew, this horse landed on us"'.
http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/next-thing-i-knew-this-horse-landed-on-us-20110508-1eeb4.html
The Australian: May 7, 2011, page 5, news item (photos) by Stephen Lunn, `Jumper takes racing a great leap backwards'.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/jumper-takes-racing-a-great-leap-backwards/story-e6frg6nf-1226051426613
Herald-Sun: May 6, 2011, page 5, comment by Adrian Dunn, `Don't get jumpy over freak incident'.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/superracing/dont-get-jumpy-over-freak-incident/story-fn67siys-1226050760813
The Australian: May 6, 2011, page 3, news item (photo) by P Kogoy, `Seven hurt as horse ploughs into punters'.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/seven-hurt-as-horse-ploughs-into-punters/story-e6frg6nf-1226050759099
The Age: May 6, 2011, page 1, news item (photos) by A Eddy, `A bad day at the races: seven hurt as horse leaps into crowd'.
http://www.theage.com.au/sport/horseracing/a-bad-day-at-the-races-seven-hurt-as-horse-leaps-into-crowd-20110505-1eabr.html