World Horse Welfare statement on 2019 Cheltenham Festival
Our statement in response to the horse fatalities at the 2019 Cheltenham Festival.
Posted on 15/03/2019

The death of three horses this week, which can never be simply accepted as a byproduct of the sport, are a sad and salutary reminder of the scale of the challenge that remains in reducing the risks to equine welfare at Cheltenham.
The recommendations of the BHA’s Cheltenham Review were never going to be a magic wand but significant investment will have to be maintained to achieve the Review’s longer term aims, most especially developing the predictive risk model in jump racing. During the Review we raised specific issues about the involvement of amateurs in the Festival, and Tuesday’s outcome has only heightened our concerns for urgent changes to be made.
However we applaud the BHA for the robust action they took in the aftermath of the National Hunt Chase, as protecting equine welfare always has to trump any competitive or commercial influences.
World Horse Welfare statement
Topics
Related News

Statement on BBC Panorama programme – The Dark Side of Horse Racing
Joint statement from BHS, Blue Cross, Bransby Horses, Horse World, Redwings, RSPCA and World Horse Welfare.

Chief Executive Roly Owers honoured with OBE for services to equine welfare
Roly Owers, World Horse Welfare Chief Executive is honoured with OBE at Buckingham Palace
Recommended Blog Posts

We catch up with Cadbury and his rehomer on National Chocolate Day
The sweetest rescue pony makes the most of his second chance with rehomer Lucy.

Laminitis: what is it, why do horses get it, and how is it treated?
Head of UK Support Sam Chubbock explains what laminitis is, what causes it and how it can be treated.

Meet some of our often-unsung heroes on Groom Appreciation Day – Kathryn at Hall Farm
"It can be quite the emotional rollercoaster, ranging from the joy of a horse being rehomed to the perfect long-term home, to the pain of seeing a severely neglected foal lose its battle to live."
Enjoy reading stories like this?
Join over 55,000 other horse lovers and sign up for our email newsletter

Join over 55,000 other horse lovers and sign up for our email newsletter
Sign me up now