If you regularly read this blog, you know I often come down hard on the New York Times’ consistently inept coverage of food and farmed animal issues. But wow, I have never seen any article so masterfully expose the indefensible cruelties of horse racing as the piece the Times just printed.
Why do we keep giving thoroughbred horse racing a pass? Is it the tradition? The millions upon millions invested in the betting?
Why isn’t there more pressure to put the sport of kings under the umbrella of animal cruelty?
The sport is at least as inhumane as greyhound racing and only a couple of steps removed from animal fighting.
And the author, William C. Rhoden, is only getting warmed up. Later he writes:
Within the racing industry, Eight Belles was a tragic but glorious casualty. The industry is in denial: racing grinds up horses, and we dress up the sport with large hats, mint juleps and string bands.
Why do we refuse to put the brutal game of racing in the realm of mistreatment of animals? At what point do we at least raise the question about the efficacy of thousand-pound horses racing at full throttle on spindly legs?
This is bullfighting.
Hats off to the Times for printing such a courageous and spot-on analysis. Bravo! Link.
