Emma Slawinski calls for boycott as Hms Seahorse joins Cheltenham deaths
Gary and Josh Moore, named as the trainers of the eight-year-old Hansard, were left to absorb the loss after Hansard was euthanised following a fall in the Singer Arkle Challenge Trophy Novices’ Chase. Coverage of the festival also carried the name hms seahorse in a headline saying it ‘could not be saved’, and the League Against Cruel Sports urged the public to boycott the Cheltenham Festival.
Hansard’s fall at Cheltenham Racecourse and the veterinary response
Hansard, described in coverage as an eight-year-old gelding, fell while running on the flat in the second race of the day, the Singer Arkle Challenge Trophy Novices’ Chase. He was quickly dismounted and immediately attended to by a team of expert veterinary professionals. In their assessment, it was concluded that the best course of action for his welfare was to humanely euthanise him, and Cheltenham Racecourse expressed its heartfelt condolences with his connections.
Emma Slawinski, the League Against Cruel Sports, and the tally of 79 deaths
Emma Slawinski, chief executive of the League Against Cruel Sports, called the figures surrounding deaths at the festival “staggering” and said the death of Hansard would sadden animal lovers. The League set out a tally that reaches 79 horses at Cheltenham Racecourse since the year 2000, and it said a horse has died at every single festival in that span. Slawinski called on the public to boycott the Cheltenham Festival by staying away, not betting on the races, or avoiding broadcast coverage and the advertising that accompanies it.
Hms Seahorse in headlines as Cheltenham deaths prompt public demands
Among recent headlines, one named Hms Seahorse and said it “could not be saved, ” framing the story as a second horse death at the festival. Organisers including the Jockey Club said that when Hansard sustained a fatal injury it was followed by immediate veterinary attention and that euthanasia was judged the most humane option. For now, the public response described in coverage is a formal appeal from the League Against Cruel Sports for a boycott and for tighter safety measures in racing, including a ban on the whip and further government action promised for animal welfare.
Hansard’s fall took place on Tuesday, the first day of the festival, and the immediate sporting result in that race saw Kargese take the Singer Arkle Challenge Trophy Novices’ Chase. Coverage named Gary and Josh Moore as Hansard’s trainers, placing the personal loss of connections alongside broader calls for change.
Returning to the trainers, Gary and Josh Moore remain identified in coverage as Hansard’s handlers; the next confirmed development in the public record is the League Against Cruel Sports’ call for a boycott of the Cheltenham Festival and for the government to act on animal welfare promises. That appeal now sits alongside racecourse statements of condolence as the festival continues to be covered in headlines that include hms seahorse.
