Following a recent column in the Racing Post by Lee Mottershead about the relationship between racing and the hunting community, Tim Bonner the Countryside Alliance's Chief Executive has written a public response.
In his column, Mr. Mottershead argued that racing should move away from its hunting roots.
Sir,
Lee Mottershead's comment on Cheltenham Countryside Day, hunting and the Countryside Alliance was as predictable as it was trite, but there are two points worth making in response. The first, relatively minor, one is that jump racing is called 'National Hunt' racing for a reason. It was borne of the hunting field and whilst times change denying the roots of the sport would be no more credible than denying the founding principles of a political party or a newspaper.
The second, and more important, is that in criticising trail hunting and other rural activities in a racing paper he is throwing large stones in a small greenhouse. I write as a lover of all racing, especially the winter game, but if we are to deny the reality that horses die and are injured taking part in an activity that is carried out purely for human enjoyment and commercial gain then we are not facing an absolute truth. Of course horse welfare is paramount and no one wants accidents to happen, but they do and public attitudes are shaped by outcomes, not just motivation. The idea that racing can somehow separate itself from the rest of the animal rights agenda is for the birds and however little Mr Mottershead might care about the future of "country sports" the future of those activities does have a direct bearing on the future of racing.
Ten years ago, despite all the good work done by Aintree on horse welfare, the incoming Chief Executive of the RSPCA buoyed by a radical takeover of that organisation called the Grand National "the unacceptable face of racing". The Times reported that the new radical RSPCA "had enough targets to fill Noah's ark" including racing, but it was the Countryside Alliance which stood up to that agenda. We saw off that Chief Executive, forced a complete overhaul of the RSPCA's governance and returned the organisation to a moderate and sensible footing where it does not hold an ideological opposition to horse racing. Mr Mottershead might not like it, and he might not care, but the ivory tower he preaches from is held up by our work.
Yours
Tim Bonner
Chief Executive
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