- This topic has 6 replies, 5 voices, and was last updated 3 years, 2 months ago by
.
- Posts
“Shannon claimed that she had protested to Scott about one, Imitation, being covered too soon after the mare had lost a foal and that repeated attempts to cover her with the stud’s resident sire Rajj led to her collapsing. She then alleged that the mare was dragged across the yard by a mini-digger before being hung from a sling in a failed attempt to save her.
The article presented a picture of widespread neglect and an associated high fatality rate among Scott’s mares, along with allegations of carcasses being buried on the land instead of being disposed of correctly.”
Wronguns the lot of them.
Sounds like they’ve washed their hands of it and left it all to the Dept of Ag who will hopefully throw the book at him. But it also merited a hearing, proper public naming and shaming and a fine from the IHRB rather than being quietly swept under the carpet. Maybe the Dept of Ag deal with the welfare bit… but the case also brings racing into disrepute which is very much within the IHRB’s remit. They make much of the fact that losing his licence is such a big deal- it isn’t, he was an unsuccessful small time trainer whose main owner was disgusted by the whole business, so losing the licence doesn’t make much material difference. And he should definitely have been “fired” from holding it instead of being allowed to “resign”.
Another Forum has a thread where several articles have been reproduced from the Irish press – absolutely shocking and well done to the bold lady employee for standing up and ensuring this was brought out into the open as it appears many likely knew what was happening (or at the very least least had heard successions of rumours that matched up) but chose to keep quiet.
About half an hour in: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0850jXnFV7gzdvxILf4nBx?si=NmhPjW6oS3K6Ti9CUnxMYQ&nd=1
Thanks for posting that Louise. It was an illuminating listen, if also a thoroughly disheartening and sickening one. I don’t think that much of the disdainful comment made about racing was fair, but when cases such as Scott’s and Mahon’s are treated so leniently it is easy to see why the sport as a whole gets tarred.
The IHRB need to be seen to coming down like an absolute ton of bricks on such people. Regardless of what the Department of Agriculture do, the IHRB’s weak handling of the case does racing and the horses in its care a huge disservice.
Thanks Louise. Jeez listening to that the IHRB should have gone through him for a shortcut. Also, if Paul Kimmage is sharpening his pencil to write about racing again- look out. He’s an excellent investigative journalist. If he finds any more Stephen Mahons or Homer Scotts, the usual “isolated case…one bad apple…” stuff won’t wash.
Even with time restraints they really have dissected this case and it paints a sorry tale of the sport. There is a point in the broadcast when – I think it’s Hugh Farrelly – states something similar to , “ Those in racing like to laud their equine heroes and go into mourning when one of their stars suffers a fatal injury – but what of all those who don’t make enough money for their connections ? Is it a case of being taken around the back of the stable block and a bullet put into the head ?”
I doubt Ed and the team will have anything to say about this on Saturday morning. They never did visit the wastage issue again after promising to in light of the Panorama programme. I have also noticed that their propaganda feature ‘ Home Schooling’ has included an increasing number of horses in their twenties of late, no doubt trying to convey the impression that it is the norm for the majority of ex racehorses live a life of bliss after their careers have ended.
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.