4 horses euthanized in 4 days in steeplechase racing in Australia

4 horses die in 4 days in steeplechase racing

MELBOURNE, Australia — Four horses had to be euthanized in four days from injuries suffered in steeplechase races in Victoria state, renewing calls for the races to be banned.

Lawrence Pope, president of the Victorian Advocates for Animals, called on state Racing Minister Rob Hulls to stop the races — also referred to as “jumps.”

The deaths bring jumps racing under greater scrutiny as the industry prepares for the Warrnambool May Racing Carnival, which starts next week.

The race meeting features the Dominant Grand Annual Steeplechase, which consists of 33 jumps over roughly 6,000 yards. It is the longest thoroughbred race in Australia and reportedly has the most jumps of any horse race in the world.