44 Reasons Not to Watch Cheltenham
When horses are forced to race over this deliberately hazardous course at breakneck pace, they often sustain horrific injuries. They may suffer heart attacks, bleed from their lungs, or develop painful ulcers and other health problems.
Those who survive will likely be forced to keep racing, and if they don’t eventually die on the track, many are abandoned, neglected, or sold for slaughter when they can no longer compete.
Since 2007, 44 horses have died during the festival – we’ve seen one death this year already. Here are the names of all the victims – 44 compelling reasons why you should never attend, watch, or bet on the Cheltenham Festival:
- Copper Gone West
- Sir Erec
- Invitation Only
- Ballyward
- North Hill Harvey
- Dresden
- Some Plan
- Melrose Boy
- Sandsend
- Report To Base
- Mossback
- Current Event
- Hadrian’s Approach
- Toe The Line
- Consul De Thaix
- Long Dog
- Montdragon
- Niceonefrankie
- No More Heroes
- The Govaness
- Pont Alexandre
- Rezorbi
- Rolling Star
- Theatre Queen
- Captain Cutter
- Raya Star
- Akdam
- Stack The Deck
- Our Conor
- Matuhi
- Abergavenny
- Featherbed Lane
- Scotsirish
- Garde Champetre
- Educated Evans
- Lush Life
- Izita Star
- Fairyland
- Citizen Vic
- Casey Jones
- Clarified
- Whispered Promises
- Swift Thyne
- Little Brick
What You Can Do
Never ever attend the Cheltenham Festival. Don’t buy into claims that owners love their horses – since they’re putting the health and lives of the animals at risk, it’s clear that what they truly love is money and glory. Don’t line their pockets with it by attending the event or betting on a horse.
Sadly, Cheltenham is one of numerous racing events that take the lives of approximately 200 horses across the UK every year.
Just as ITV broadcasts Cheltenham, the channel continues to show the Grand National, despite growing public awareness of the suffering of horses in the racing industry. Please send a message to ITV Chair Sir Peter Bazalgette and ask him to take this cruel event off our screens.
