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@Ex_Rubylight
“However, it is important to note that this incident is not one of cruelty to animals in the strict sense nor on the basis of the evidence we have received from the An Garda Siochana and from Sharon Power CEO and Co- Founder of Irish Horse Welfare is it an animal welfare issue. Also, it has not been suggested to the Committee that the horses in Mr Elliott’s care are maintained and looked after other than to the highest standards. This is confirmed by the witnesses we have heard from including the veterinary evidence and in our view Mr Elliott’s success is testament to the care and attention he has provided to his horses.”Probably why.
Twitter: Jackh1092
Hindsight is 20/20 so make the most of it!Totally agree with Tonge’s post- just a total whitewash. If Elliott can be in the yard then he can just carry on training as normal, and Foster can turn up a couple of times a week or whatever the minimum requirement is (c.f. Luke Comer), drink tea and admire the scenery, collect her paycheque and leave. Is there even anything legally to stop them from getting Foster to charge the owners €10/horse/week “training fees” while Gordon Elliott Racing charges €490/horse/week “livery fees”? Or to stop them from setting up a third company called “S
lneezy Elliott Racing” that the training fees and trainer’s winning percentage get funnelled into then divvied up however they fancy? Bah.If this had been followed by something along the lines of “but we have thoroughly investigated the other very serious allegations that are widespread on social media and found them to be without foundation – and here are our findings”, that would be OK but they didn’t.
Yep. They took the easy way out of accepting the “isolated moment of madness” line with nothing to suggest they are even interested in investigating the working culture at the yard and finding out whether employees were pressured into going along with and shutting up about things they didn’t agree with. As a PP has pointed out, also no reference to Gordon’s “absentminded 2 minute phonecall” bullshittery. How did that go down at the hearing, I wonder? Did he say, “Well, what happened was, my phone rang and…” “DO YOU THINK WE FLOATED ACROSS THE CURRAGH IN A BUBBLE BOY??” “No miss” “It was a lie, wasn’t it Elliott?” “Yes miss” “Right, we’ll hear no more about it. ‘I must not disgrace the school’- write it out 100 times, and you’re not going on the school trip to Prestbury Park. Dismissed. ”I notice that the BBC news website has covered the story , but won’t allow comments. I have no doubt why.
This is a thoroughly embarrassing moment for the sport , I am afraid.Two things we all have to accept.
1. This hearing was strictly about the photograph and nothing else. No matter what might come gainst him in the near future. And of course, it was never a welfare issue. Not that the Irish wouldn’t care about that….
2. He had luck or time on his side. It would have been a totally different story had this picture been published in October with most of his superstars a few gallops short of their seasonal reappearance.
What I’d like to know is what happens with the transferred horses like the ones from CPS. Can’t imagine HDB or WPM saying “Okay Gordon, we won a few races at Cheltenham with them, please take them back.”
It’s something the Thompsons would never do, I guess. But you couldn’t be 100% sure.
Ruby are you just plain ignorant?
Also, we “all” have to accept nothing from your over the top view.
Twitter: Jackh1092
Hindsight is 20/20 so make the most of it!- Total Posts 2553
Shows how stale this forum has become; this seems to be the only thread anyone’s interested in
it was never a welfare issue. Not that the Irish wouldn’t care about that….
Should we all be xenophobic now, Father?
We are not a homogeneous horse beating mass, Ruby.
Bit offensive, that.this seems to be the only thread anyone’s interested in
That’s because it’s not just about Gordon Elliott.
I never said that, just made clear that welfare was never an issue at this hearing. Certainly the Irish care as much as British about their horses.
It is also a fact that a 5 million a year operation got away pretty cheap with no fine imposed.
No doubt he had luck on his side with all horses properly prepared and ready for Cheltenham. It would have hurt him a lot more had this happened a week before Envoi Allen’s chasing debut.
- Total Posts 2553
Very true, greenasgrass, fair point.
Oh, OK, fair enough. I don’t think Cheveley Park will go back…and I hope those 8 horses win all round themselves next season. And that HdB gains even more momentum and top quality horses and becomes Willie’s nearest challenger for the Irish trainer’s title and Cheltenham festival top trainer. Seems a decent chap.
Fully agree with you about HDB. He was always the number three force in Ireland. Just hope he finally gets closer to number two. WPM is impossible to beat.
This issue is bigger than Elliott or even Irish racing.
People go racing for a variety of racing and many casual racegoers attend for the purely social aspect – Office Do, girls night out, whatever.
It only takes one member of the group to say they are no longer comfortable with the idea and they all go off and do something else instead.
A day/evening at the races is just one of a number of recreational/leisure choices for them.
The BHA CEO takes it seriously – the ongoing Sheikh Mohammed situation too.
I sense a change in both the BHA and the RP in reporting about its former founding owner.
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It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"While the reaction has been rightly and understandably negative, I am slightly surprised the media has not made more of it.
When I first saw the picture last Sunday, I expected there to be all sorts of terrible publicity. With the exception of the “Daily Mail”, I think the coverage has been fairly responsible (at least what I have seen).
Maybe it is a sign of the extraordinary times we are living through and the news agenda is focused elsewhere.
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