UK Racehorses being Shipped To French Meat Yards
Posted by on Jun 30, 2010 in Rescues | 13 commentsWhilst monitoring the French ‘rescue’ forums over here, we saw to our dismay a racehorse from the UK, Corran Ard, at risk of going for meat.
On checking his details on the Racing Post site, we discovered that his last run on the 26th of March this year, was less than a month before his arrival on the site on the 20th of April.
His most recent trainer, Tim Vaughan, was promptly contacted and a series of emails ensued between us and the trainer’s assistant Mark Gichero, who assured us he was doing what he could to find out why the horse had ended up there.
Suddenly, on the 27th of April, the horse was taken off the site as no longer available. We then received an email from Mark Gichero saying that he had been in touch with his contacts in France who had assured him the horse would be found a home via them.
In the interim, after doing more research, we found other UK ex racers on that site from the same region of the UK. We alerted the BHA to the fact, and they have passed the details to their investigations team.
Imagine then, our surprise and horror when the horse reappeared on the website on the 15th of June, now at a lower price and in imminent danger of going to the abattoir.
We decided there was no time to waste. To ensure that the horse was given every chance of a future, but also very much to highlight the fact that this cross channel trade in unwanted UK horses and ponies to French dealing/meat yards is happening, we contacted the newspapers in the UK.
They in turn contacted Mark Gichero, who was understandably horrified that the horse had resurfaced back in the same place. After some discussion, Mark asked us how he could help to get the horse out of there, and generously funded his purchase price and transport costs. Corran Ard was collected on Monday 28th of June by ERF and now has his future secured with us.
He is a beautiful, sensitive horse who was obviously shell-shocked at the immediate change in his circumstances. Going from 5* treatment in a racing yard to being on the meat trail must have been bewildering and terrifying for him.
He will take some careful rehabilitation, he has been neglected to the extent that he was still wearing his racing plates when we collected him, over three months after his last race. Luckily, the attention being lavished on him was quickly accepted as his due, and the spark is back in his eye. The physical recovery will sadly take much longer.
You can read the Newspaper story in Wales Online.
We’ll update his progress in a couple of days. But just for the moment, here he is after a bath having a pick of grass.
Hurrah huurrah, well done for spotting this fellow and taking the time to get him out of the mess he was in.
We will keep an eye on his future having taken on french racers abandoned to the same fate.
Sending a paypal payment to help to start covering some of his costs.
Well done everyone and particulalry the english owner who helped funbd his rescue.
Happy times ahead.
good on you!
Well done, ERF, poor boy……hope he’s happier now!
Well spotted and very well done!
Good work and well done to you all
Toni
Thank goodness there are people like you out there to look out for this sort of thing.
Well done for helping him!
Keep up the good work!
A job well done
And he won five races for his owner!!!!!!!!!!
I have such respect for you and only wish I could do something to help,what a horible story but I understant this situation is happening not just to the faild racehorse but to winners…what a nast lot humanbeings can be.
Well done to you all at ERF for saving this the life of this young horse and wish you all the best with your future rescues.
Very well done to ERF. I myself have 2 ex-racehorses both of which retired from racing after giving their all and now live full and happy lives – thats what should have happened to this boy and it should have been ensured by those who gave him away. Thank you once again to ERF I am so very pleased that he was found – this very beautiful chap won a lot and gave a lot for his owners… No horse should end up on a french plate… or any plate for that matter!!!
Poor show to the previous owner for letting him slip into such a horrible net and a big well done to ERF for the rescue – I would like to see more pictures of this chap as he recovers as he looks beautiful and I’m hoping that someone will be kind enough to give him a good home for the rest of his years!
Well done – fabulous work!