A number of jockeys who whipped their horses during the annual Santa Marija horse race in Victoria could face fines or possible court action.
A spokesman for the Animal Welfare Department said the police and race organisers had been informed prior to the event no whipping would be allowed. The majority of the horse owners followed the instructions, however there were a few jockeys who did not, he added.
The department would “apply the law against those who abused”, the spokesman said.
Readers contacted this paper, saying jockeys in one particular race blatantly ignored the instructions. “I can assure you that in this race, whips were used, and their noise still resounds in my head. Our children were as shocked as we were,” Claire Azzopardi said.
Ms Azzopardi said a number of safety concerns raised in the past also appeared to have been ignored, particularly the lack of physical separation between the horses and spectators.
“As surreal as it may sound, for some races, a van preceded the horses at top speed, sounding the horn to get people out of the way. It is a second Paqpaqli disaster waiting to happen unless someone intervenes, sooner rather than later,” Ms Azzopardi said. She was referring to last year’s accident when a luxury car ploughed into the crowd during a charity show.
Safety concerns for both the spectators and horses have long been raised during the annual traditional race.
The races date back to 1587, when they were held to encourage people to rear horses and similar animals that could be used to defend the island during an attack.
Nowadays, they are organised by the Leone Philharmonic Society and are partly funded by the government.
When concerns about the animals’ welfare were raised last year by the Animal Rights Group, race organisers insisted that owners loved their horses as if they were their own children and that the organisers monitored the riders to make sure there was no animal cruelty.
The races were held on slippery tarmac at the hottest time of the day with little, if any, protective barriers to ensure public safety, Animal Rights Group spokeswoman Myriam Kirmond told this newspaper.
The Animal Welfare Commissioner has also proposed that the races be held in the morning, but to no avail.