- Ariarne Titmus has been named a Melbourne Cup ambassador
- The swimmer won her third and fourth gold medals in Paris
- Titmus grew up riding horses on her family’s property
Ariarne Titmus has been criticised by the organisation urging Australians not to attend the Melbourne Cup after the Olympic swimming queen voiced her excitement for the racing carnival.
Fresh off the back of her feats in Paris, the four-time Olympic gold medallist and world record holder was appointed as an ambassador for the Melbourne Cup in September.
The 24-year-old grew up riding horses on her family’s property in Tasmania and would go on to compete in dressage and showjumping competitions before pursuing a career in swimming.
‘Horse riding was my first love. I grew up around horses and competed in dressage and show jumping competitions from the age of seven before swimming took centre stage,’ she said to the Victorian Racing Club following the announcement.
Titmus, who became the first Olympian to win back-to-back gold medals in the same event – the 400m freestyle – in Paris added that she was excited to get back to Flemington for this week’s races.
‘There is no place like Flemington on the first Tuesday of November and I can’t wait to get back to Melbourne for Cup Week,’ she said
‘There is no event like it that brings together exceptional sport, fashion and entertainment and I’m looking forward to swapping my swimmers for racewear and enjoying the week with friends.’
Her comments were not received well by the Coalition for the Protection of Racehorses (CPR), an organisation committed to campaigning against the racing industry.
This year’s races will mark the 15th year the animal welfare group will be staging their Nup to the Cup campaign – a movement that urges Australians to forgo the annual festival and instead attend events that raise funds for animal welfare organisations.
Ariarne Titmus (left) has copped backlash over her role as an ambassador for the Melbourne Cup
Animal welfare campaigners Coalition for the Protection of Racehorses called for the Olympic swimmer to ‘reconsider her ambassador role’
Reacting to the news that Titmus would be attending the event as an ambassador, CPR commented on her Facebook page writing: ‘If you truly love horses we ask that you please reconsider your ambassador role for the Cup.
‘Please open your eyes to what’s really going on behind the scenes of the racing industry – we assure you, the suffering and exploitation of racehorses is nothing you want to be associated with #NuptotheCup #horseracingkills.’
It comes as Nup to the Cup campaign director Elio Celotto has also spoken of his disappointment over Titmus’ appointment.
‘We’re very disappointed Ariarne Titmus is their ambassador but I guess they had to find someone. We’re almost at the point where there’s no excuse for not knowing (about the campaign against the Cup),’ Celotto told Yahoo Sport.
‘I am absolutely 100 per cent sure that when Ariarne Titmus and others have signed their contracts, they are fully aware of the backlash they may get. All you can hope is that she might gain an insight into what happens in horse racing and she won’t support it in the future.’
Nup to the Cup are asking people not to attend the Melbourne Cup festival and instead ‘remember and respect the important role that animals play in our world’.
They are urging members of the public to either host their own Nup to the Cup event or attend another event and raise money for organisations who work towards safeguarding animal welfare.
Celotto also spoke on Channel 9’s David Campbell and appeared to show some sympathies to the broadcaster who is a Nup to the Cup advocate but is likely to be working at the event.
Titmus grew up riding horses at her family’s property in Tasmania and was pictured at Flemington earlier this week
She clinched her third and fourth gold medals at the Paris Olympics earlier this summer
‘I doubt he would ever support racing and promote it of his own accord,’ he added.
‘But obviously he’s got a contract, and he has to abide by the terms of the contract. We have spoken to some celebrities over the years who have quietly told us they support us but can’t say or do anything. We don’t hold a grudge against those people.’
