Paul Bittar at World Horse Wefare / about Grand National.

[Gingertipster]

Sorry to start another thread on the Grand National welfare issue, just didn’t believe it fitted with the "sponsership" thread.

Found this on youtube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9RcuKaT … sults_main

Paul Bittar and others answering the question:
How do we best balance protecting horse welfare with maintaining the excitement of the Grand National?

Please watch the whole video 1 and indeed all the other videos in this package are well worth watching if you’re at all interested in horse welfare in general. Other subjects tackled included Travellers/Gypsy horses, debatable dressage training methods, horse diseases and Breeding (both racing and non-racing). Brough Scott also did an interesting talk on welfare inside and outside racing.

Encouraging there was far less criticism of the Grand National than you might expect. Thankfully, certainly against treating/thinking of animals as humans.

It was however, disappointing to hear the RSPCA’s David Muir’s naive statement (at the end of the first question). Thinking the small number of horses finishing the National is such a big negative. Surely it is good that these days jockeys pull up when their chance of finishing in the money has gone? Seems to me the RSPCA are far more negative about racing than the WHW.

I used to be a member of WHW (when known as ILPH) and am considering returning. Although I’d like conformation of their stance on racing and the Grand National before doing so. Encouraging Betfair sponsered the WHW "forum"

There were even calls for WHW members not to be too concerned by the Grand National… Including by WHW President the Princess Royal in a plea at the end of her talk, "do not let us be too hyjacked by issues like the Grand National, when there are actually bigger issues of equine welfare out there for us to deal with".

Value Is Everything

[flogger]

I still don’t think Paul would fair good here. For the past few months, his skills are degrading. Maybe it’s just me but that’s the way I look at it.

http://imagicon.info/cat/10-3/icon_smile.gif

[yeats]

It was however, disappointing to hear the RSPCA’s David Muir’s naive statement (at the end of the first question). Thinking the small number of horses finishing the National is such a big negative. Surely it is good that these days jockeys pull up when their chance of finishing in the money has gone? Seems to me the RSPCA are far more negative about racing than the WHW.

[/quote)

Think the word "clueless" would be more appropriate than the word "negative".

Note, Sir Peter O’Sullevan’s Charitable Trust contributes to 6 animal charities including WHW but not the RSPCA. I would never contribute to the RSPCA.

[ricky lake]

Bittar is a house keeper , in 5 yrs time he will b e CEO of another company , the BHA is just another stint to add to his Cv

Good luck to him though , he is probably a good guy , and deserves to do well

Racing wont be the main benefactor , although in fairness he will try his best , under its present structure , its impossible for any one person to get all of the splinter groups to pull together

Can we have the Jockey club back please , at least they understand the game , and can tell all the splinter groups to get stuffed

imo

Ricky

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