Cheltenham horse deaths spark protests

Animal welfare campaigners have lashed out at organisers of the Cheltenham Festival following the deaths of five horses in the opening two days of racing. The British Horse Racing Authority (BHA) has vowed to launch a thorough investigation after two horses, Abergavenny and Featherbed Lane, were put down following falls in the Coral Cup Handicap Hurdle on Wednesday. However, the grim equine toll has appalled animal welfare groups, who have decried Cheltenham as the most dangerous course in British racing. The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) said the deaths represented the "unacceptable face of horse racing". "Any death on any racecourse simply cannot be justified," said RSPCA equine consultant David Muir, who has been based at Cheltenham throughout the festival. "The RSPCA is here at the festival to ensure that if any lessons can be learned from these deaths, we will lobby the British Horse Racing Authority for chances to save horses in the future." Abergavenny was put down after fracturing an elbow while Featherbed Lane was euthanised after breaking a leg. Wednesday's deaths followed the losses of Scotsirish, Garde Champetre and Educated Evans on Tuesday. Animal welfare activists complain that the unique nature of Cheltenham puts horses competing at the festival under too much pressure, citing the frenzied atmosphere generated by large crowds and packed cards that make it difficult for horses to judge their jumps properly. Andrew Tyler, a director of the Animal Aid charity, described the festival as a "bloody and unforgiving event". Tyler said Wednesday's race, which saw the demise of Featherbed Lane and Abergavenny, had highlighted the alleged dangers of the festival. "It featured an insanely crowded field of 28 runners, who would have found it difficult to position themselves safely when approaching the numerous obstacles," Tyler said in a statement. "Adding to the risk was the noisy, frenetic festival atmosphere in which the horses have to race. Cheltenham has now killed 38 horses since 2000. Calling it a sporting event is a travesty." The BHA said in a statement that the festival deaths would be fully investigated. "Like most competitive sports, racing carries risks," the BHA said. "No one wants to see valuable and valued racehorses injured so it is regrettable that several horses have now suffered accidents where the injury was not treatable and so euthanasia was the proper and humane option. "As with every equine injury or fatality, detailed data will be collated by the BHA, examining the type of injury in question and the context in which it took place. "Our long-term focus is to identify significant trends and robustly analyse the risk. Racecourses, horse racing trainers and the sport's regulator are not complacent about these risks and recognise there is always more to do to further reduce these risks."