- Jump racing is banned in all Australian states except Victoria
- Regional meeting saw brutal day of falls with a rider in critical condition
- Has revived calls for Victoria to outlaw jump racing
Three dead horses and a critically injured jockey at a single race meeting have led to fresh calls for jump races to be banned in the last state in Australia to hold them.
Two jockeys sustained injuries, one critically, and three horses were euthanized during six races at the Grand National Jumps Day in Ballarat on Sunday.
Lee Horner, 34, initially went to a local hospital with a head injury before being transferred to the Royal Melbourne Hospital.
He was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) after suffering a head injury during the Grand National Steeplechase.
Horner sustained a bruise on the brain after falling from his mount, Sky Hero, on the race’s final lap. The incident also involved Mighty Oasis and Horner’s stablemate Bell Ex One, ridden by Will Gordon.
Horner and Gordon were injured after Sky Hero and Bell Ex One tangled with Mighty Oasis, which fell when it failed to clear the 10th obstacle.
The Victorian Jockeys Association (VJA) gave an update on Horner’s condition Sunday night, with more details expected on Monday.
Meanwhile, Gordon was taken to Ballarat Base Hospital with a suspected shoulder injury. As of Monday morning, there were no further updates on Gordon’s condition.
Mighty Oasis suffered a serious injury and was euthanized, as reported by stewards. Chris McCarthy, the jockey of Mighty Oasis, was uninjured, but Horner and Gordon required hospitalisation.
Sky Hero and Bell Ex One were both found to be lame in the off foreleg, according to stewards.
The ill-fated final race concluded a tragic day in Ballarat after two horses had already died. Maserartie Bay and Buffalo Bill both faltered less than halfway through their races.
Jumps jockey Lee Horner is in a critical condition with a bruise on his brain after a fall at Ballarat on Sunday
Jockey Will Gordon was also hospitalised while his mount Mighty Oasis was euthanised
They sustained serious injuries and were euthanised. The incidents were referred to Racing Victoria vets and the Jumps Review Panel.
The events sparked calls from activist groups against jumps racing to ban the sport.
‘Maserartie Bay, Buffalo Bill & Mighty Oasis all killed in the final #jumpsracing meet of the season at Ballarat today,’ an X account named Ban Jumps Racing posted.
‘THREE DEAD HORSES IN ONE MEETING!!!!!!!!!!! Utterly disgusting and by far the most dangerous season we’ve had in a few years. #banjumpsracing.’
Another account posted, ‘Three horses died #jumpsracing in #Ballarat today. Horses are not meant to go over jumps at speed. #banjumpsracing.’
According to data from activist group Coalition for the Protection of Racehorses, in 2023, 1 in 38 jumps horses were killed on track. On top of that, 1 in 10 of all jumps horses fell, with many suffering severe injuries.
Victoria remains the only state in Australia where jumps racing is allowed.
At the end of 2009, due to a significant number of deaths and injuries among jumps horses in Victoria, Racing Victoria announced that the 2010 jumps racing season would be the last.
However, the decision was reversed seven weeks later due to pressure from the racing industry, allowing jumps racing to continue.
In South Australia, after years of campaigning by the Coalition for the Protection of Racehorses and Animal Liberation South Australia, jumps racing was outlawed in 2022.
Australian Jumps Racing Association chairman and owner Sandy McGregor has recently defended the sport, stating that new technology has significantly reduced falls, injuries, and deaths.
