Investigation into horse deaths at Sedgefield Racecourse
THE British Horseracing Authority (BHA) is investigating why so many horses have died at Sedgefield racecourse in the last year.
The Stockton-on-Tees course has suffered 12 deaths in 18 meetings.
On Tuesday 25 March Star Of The Desert became the 12th horse to die, bringing Sedgefield’s fatal and long-term injury rate above the national average.
BHA spokesman Owen Byrne told H&H: “We are carrying out a review of the fatalities at Sedgefield, as we do on any occasion where there are multiple fatalities on one day or at the same meeting.”
The BHA will review each horse’s racecourse veterinary record and career profile and feedback from the relevant vets and officials.
“This will enable us to assess whether there were any common factors among the incidents that can be addressed,” explained Mr Byrne.
A spokesman for Sedgefield racecourse said: “Horse racing can be dangerous. None the less, every racecourse undertakes rigorous measures to ensure that the risk is minimised.
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“Occasionally and despite a total commitment to safety, incidents may occur.
This does not reflect upon the racecourse’s commitment toward or its ability to stage horse racing in anything other than as safe an environment as possible.”
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A graduate of Exeter University, Amy joined our news team from Redpin Publishing in 2008 as news writer. She was promoted to deputy news editor in May 2013 and became news editor in April 2015. She left Horse & Hound in March 2016 to take up an editorial position in Dubai.