Welsh first minister Rhun ap Iorwerth swerved a question about the future of horse racing in Wales following the ban on greyhound racing.
On 17 March, The Senedd (Welsh parliament) voted to end greyhound racing. The ban will come into effect at some point between 1 April 2027 and 1 April 2030. The following day, members of the Scottish parliament voted in favour of a ban in Scotland.
On 1 July, Reform UK Senedd member (MS) Cai Parry-Jones raised the topic during first minister’s questions.
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“First minister, your party supported the banning of greyhound racing in Wales, as a result, it will be fully banned in Wales as early as next April. I am seriously concerned that Plaid Cymru’s thirst for banning British cultural sports will not stop here,” he said.
“Plaid Cymru MP Liz Saville [Roberts] said a few months ago that Grand National-style horse racing should be banned. First minister, horse racing is not only a cultural part of our British identity, but an economic one – generating hundreds of millions of pounds for Wales, supporting jobs from stables to tracks to bars at the races. Will you confirm to the Senedd today that you will not be moving to ban horse racing with jumps here in Wales?”
Mr Ap Iorwerth responded, saying: “I’m afraid I have to correct the member, the vote on greyhound racing was a free vote, and I believe it was for most parties in the last Senedd.”
Responding to the exchange, a British Horseracing Authority (BHA) spokesperson told H&H the BHA “has been active in the Senedd for a number of years, running a cross party group and engaging with the Welsh Government on behalf of the industry”.
“The industry has invested over £63m since 2000 in equine welfare initiatives, which have helped deliver genuine progress, and politicians from across the political spectrum were previously on the record in the last Senedd praising the high standards of equine welfare in the sport,” added the spokesperson.
“The Welsh horseracing sector continues to be an economic and sporting success story for the Welsh nation and it is worthy of Government support.”
In March, the BHA was quoted as saying that at every stage, both governments have been keen to stress that there is no connection between these bills and the future of the horseracing industry in Scotland and Wales.
At the time, World Horse Welfare chief executive Roly Owers told H&H: “We know that society is increasingly questioning how we involve animals in our lives in so many different ways, from pets, to livestock, to animals involved in sport, and the greyhound ban in Wales and Scotland is another timely reminder about what the consequences can be if a sport loses public trust.
“Equally, it is well recognised that maintaining trust is one the key drivers of public acceptance and this can be strengthened by genuine, ongoing and evidence-led actions to improve safety and welfare. So this must remain a strategic priority for horse sport, along with being transparent and accountable for the actions undertaken. In this way sport will truly be putting the horse first, which should help avoid future restrictions and provide for a more sustainable future.”
