Horse racing in spotlight as Wales bans greyhound sport

The ban on greyhound racing in Wales, announced recently, will hopefully be followed by a horse racing ban, opponents of the sport have said.

Photo by Richard Bell on Unsplash

Last month, Wales’ Deputy First Minister with responsibility for Rural Affairs, Huw Irranca-Davies, announced that Wales will be the first country in the UK to ban greyhound racing.

He said in the Senedd: “I believe that now is the right time to move to ban greyhound racing in Wales.

“We are proud to be the first nation in the UK to do this.

“I want a ban to come into force as soon as practicably possible. There will be work to do in ensuring the dogs, their owners, and those involved in the industry around the racetrack, can wind down from this activity while still protecting the welfare of dogs currently within the industry, the local community and the local economy.”

The Progressive Veterinary Association, which opposes the racing of both greyhounds and horses, welcomed the move, saying: “Greyhound racing has no place in civil society and is clearly on the way out.”

And they added: “Hopefully, horse racing will eventually follow suit.”

But the British Horseracing Authority insisted that the industry is a “sporting, cultural and economic asset to the Welsh nation” and hailed its work on horse welfare.

A spokesperson for the British Horseracing Authority said: “We are proud of our record on horse welfare and the improvements the sport has made to the safety of our horses, with more than £56 million invested by the industry into veterinary research and education in the past 20 years. The BHA firmly believes that when animal sport is well regulated it brings unrivalled quality of life and high standards of care for the animals involved.

“The BHA co-ordinates an active Cross Party Group for Horseracing in the Senedd and will continue to use the group’s expertise as we work to ensure that horseracing retains its high level of political support in Wales.

“Our industry is a sporting, cultural and economic asset to the Welsh nation and we believe the Welsh Government recognises that contribution.”