BHA declines invitation to TV debate with animal rights group

14 June 2023 , 14:33

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Animal rising protesters outside the gates at Aintree (Image: PA)

British racing chiefs have turned down an invitation to a televised debate with an animal rights group saying they don’t want to give anymore more airtime to its extreme views.

After causing disruption at Aintree, which led to the Grand National being delayed in April, Animal Rising vowed to take similar action at race meetings throughout the summer.

During the Derby meeting at Epsom this month, where there was a much smaller gathering of supporters, a man was arrested after running onto the track just after the Classic race had started.

Now Animal Rising has offered to cease its activity if the sport agrees to take part in a one-hour debate about the morals of horseracing on a national broadcast outlet.

The British Horseracing Authority has declined the offer, describing it as 'coercion'.

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Racing representatives have already engaged in debates on television with Animal Rising spokespeople.

Over £100,000 has been spent on additional security at Ascot ahead of next week’s five-day Royal Ascot meeting to protect the event from any similar disruption

BHA chief executive Julie Harrington called on Animal Rising to “end their reckless acts against a sport legally enjoyed by millions of people every year.”

She said: “At a press conference today, Animal Rising said they will cease their protest activity this summer if British racing agrees to take part in a public debate about “the morals of horseracing”.

"We will never allow British horseracing to be coerced into any activity by threats of protests.

"Animal Rising have shown by their reckless actions at the Epsom Derby that their public promises cannot be trusted.

"They have demonstrated they are prepared to commit reckless and potentially unlawful acts and to directly threaten the safety of horses and people to generate publicity around their wider aims. These aims include the end of all use of animals by human beings.

"Spokespeople for the sport have already taken part in well over an hour of televised debate since April.

"Throughout those debates, the message was clear – that British racing is a sport which is proud of its welfare record, which provides an unparalleled quality of life for the 20,000 horses that compete each year, and which constantly works to minimise the levels of avoidable risk."

Jon Lees