UCC college students vote to ban promotion of horse race times
College students at College Higher education Cork (UCC) have voted to ban the advertising of university student race times, with the UCC Students’ Union (UCCSU) and to no lengthier condone or endorse events involving horse racing or betting on animals.
It follows a motion, handed by the UCC Student Council, which was brought ahead as a result of a petition by the UCC Vegan Modern society.
Although the UCCSU has not orgnaised or promoted a college student race working day event in recent yrs considering that the onset of the covid pandemic, it is understood the promotion of an party might have been on the cards for up coming year.
The motion handed by learners argued that the horse racing marketplace “knowingly and willingly partakes in the mistreatment and abuse of animals”.
By advertising pupil race days, by extension the UCCSU would be advertising and marketing gambling and betting, it extra.
Horse Racing Ireland (HRI), the national authority for thoroughbred racing in Ireland, receives “huge subsidies” from the Federal government, far more than €72m for 2023, the motion argued.
“The horse racing market gets substantial grants from the Authorities and consequently does not will need the financial assist of UCC Students’ Union and the college students it signifies,” the movement stated.
As gambling is a “serious issue” that can lead to prolonged-expression issues and supports an “industry that allows animal abuse”, the students’ union should not endorse these activities, it included.
UCC university student welfare officer Alannah O’Connor mentioned she considered the ban on horse racing would be a well-known shift amongst most students.
“Obviously, there is a cohort who love it and see it as a working day out, but for a more substantial cohort of pupils, they see the mistreatment of animals, and it is an party centred on gambling,” she explained.
Beforehand, college students voted for UCCSU to conclusion affiliations with greyhound racing functions and ban the promotion of such occasions, she included.
The passing of the movement usually means it is now official UCCSU coverage to place a ban on it becoming included, managing, or supporting activities that involve horse racing or betting on animals, including a ban on employing amenities belonging to HRI or any other horse racing facility.
A spokesman for HRI stated it has viewed offered-out pupil race days in latest weeks at Cork Racecourse, Limerick Racecourse, and Leopardstown.
“The good results of these scholar times arrives off the back of related times at Galway, Sligo, and Down Royal racecourses, as properly as noticeably younger attendees at each and every racing festival,” he mentioned.
Ireland is renowned the environment in excess of for its breeding and racing of the pretty very best of thoroughbred horses, he included.
“Co Cork is a person of the counties most associated with that heritage, and Horse Racing Eire would be additional than delighted to organize a go to to a secure or stud for students from UCC who want to see up near the excellent treatment and notice horses receive in our planet-class marketplace,” he reported.
