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22 May 23
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The Jockey Club has lodged an application for a high court injunction against what it describes as Animal Rising's "explicit threat" to disrupt the Betfred Derby festival at Epsom.
The Jockey Club says it has offered the group – which was briefly successful in getting protesters on to the track ahead of the Grand National and has also staged attempts to disrupt racing at Ayr and Doncaster – a prominent place to stage a peaceful demonstration near the entrance to Epsom. If successful, the injunction seeks to prohibit individuals from entering on to the racetrack and carrying out other acts with the intention of disrupting the races.
Animal Rising has widely publicised its intention to try to disrupt the Derby meeting and the dossier supporting the Jockey Club’s application for a court injunction includes 118 pages of social media posts made by the organisation advertising its activity and encouraging people to sign up for action.
The injunction cites the racecourse, the parade ring and the route the horses take between the two and seeks to prevent unauthorised persons from entering any of those areas, or from throwing any object into them, with the aim of disrupting racing.
The application for an injunction includes details of the £70,000 plus VAT cost incurred by the Jockey Club in providing additional security at Aintree before the Grand National, while the group expects to spend £150,000 on measures at Epsom.
Chief executive Nevin Truesdale said the Jockey Club’s prime consideration was to protect the horses, jockeys and other racing staff as well as their paying customers.
“In planning for the Derby festival, our number-one priority will always be to ensure that the safety of all our equine and human participants and the thousands of racegoers who join us at Epsom Downs is not compromised," said Truesdale.
The scene at Epsom on Derby day 2011 when the hill was much busier
"Our number-one priority will always be to ensure that the safety of all our equine and human participants and the thousands of racegoers who join us at Epsom Downs is not compromised"
Credit: Mark Cranham
“We respect everyone’s right to peaceful and lawful protest and with that in mind have offered Animal Rising a space for this purpose directly outside the racecourse during the Derby festival. However, Animal Rising have made it explicitly clear that they intend to breach security and access the track itself in an attempt to stop racing taking place. It is our duty and obligation to do everything we can to protect everyone’s safety and prevent a repeat of the illegal and reckless protests we saw at Aintree in April.”
Truesdale added: “As such the decision to apply for an injunction is a course of action we have been forced to take and is the result of careful consideration following consultation with Surrey Police and a number of stakeholders. If successful, this would be just one of a range of robust security measures we are implementing to ensure the event can go ahead safely.
“We are proud to stage the Derby festival and hope that the thousands of people who look forward to attending over the two days and the millions more watching at home and around the world are able to enjoy what is not only an important event for the sport but an iconic moment in the British summer and a celebration of the thoroughbred.”
A witness statement from the Jockey Club's Amy Starkey details the minutes of a meeting held with leaders of Animal Rising after the group had contacted Epsom to tell them of their intention to mobilise 1,000 people for the Derby.
The meeting took place on May 11 in London and was attended by the Jockey Club's regional head of veterinary services Simon Knapp, and the BHA's head of corporate affairs Greg Swift.
Animal Rising's co-founder Dan Kidby gave details of a two-strand approach whereby activists would stage a peaceful demonstration to highlight their cause, in conjunction with "non-violent disruption" with the aim of preventing the Derby taking place.
Starkey's submission to the court cites Animal Rising's "transparency" in highlighting their determination to disrupt the Derby, before adding: "We make no apology for having to consider every option available to us to ensure that the event goes ahead safely."
The Jockey Club says it has offered the group – which was briefly successful in getting protesters on to the track ahead of the Grand National and has also staged attempts to disrupt racing at Ayr and Doncaster – a prominent place to stage a peaceful demonstration near the entrance to Epsom. If successful, the injunction seeks to prohibit individuals from entering on to the racetrack and carrying out other acts with the intention of disrupting the races.
Animal Rising has widely publicised its intention to try to disrupt the Derby meeting and the dossier supporting the Jockey Club’s application for a court injunction includes 118 pages of social media posts made by the organisation advertising its activity and encouraging people to sign up for action.
The injunction cites the racecourse, the parade ring and the route the horses take between the two and seeks to prevent unauthorised persons from entering any of those areas, or from throwing any object into them, with the aim of disrupting racing.
The application for an injunction includes details of the £70,000 plus VAT cost incurred by the Jockey Club in providing additional security at Aintree before the Grand National, while the group expects to spend £150,000 on measures at Epsom.
Chief executive Nevin Truesdale said the Jockey Club’s prime consideration was to protect the horses, jockeys and other racing staff as well as their paying customers.
“In planning for the Derby festival, our number-one priority will always be to ensure that the safety of all our equine and human participants and the thousands of racegoers who join us at Epsom Downs is not compromised," said Truesdale.
The scene at Epsom on Derby day 2011 when the hill was much busier
"Our number-one priority will always be to ensure that the safety of all our equine and human participants and the thousands of racegoers who join us at Epsom Downs is not compromised"
Credit: Mark Cranham
“We respect everyone’s right to peaceful and lawful protest and with that in mind have offered Animal Rising a space for this purpose directly outside the racecourse during the Derby festival. However, Animal Rising have made it explicitly clear that they intend to breach security and access the track itself in an attempt to stop racing taking place. It is our duty and obligation to do everything we can to protect everyone’s safety and prevent a repeat of the illegal and reckless protests we saw at Aintree in April.”
Truesdale added: “As such the decision to apply for an injunction is a course of action we have been forced to take and is the result of careful consideration following consultation with Surrey Police and a number of stakeholders. If successful, this would be just one of a range of robust security measures we are implementing to ensure the event can go ahead safely.
“We are proud to stage the Derby festival and hope that the thousands of people who look forward to attending over the two days and the millions more watching at home and around the world are able to enjoy what is not only an important event for the sport but an iconic moment in the British summer and a celebration of the thoroughbred.”
A witness statement from the Jockey Club's Amy Starkey details the minutes of a meeting held with leaders of Animal Rising after the group had contacted Epsom to tell them of their intention to mobilise 1,000 people for the Derby.
The meeting took place on May 11 in London and was attended by the Jockey Club's regional head of veterinary services Simon Knapp, and the BHA's head of corporate affairs Greg Swift.
Animal Rising's co-founder Dan Kidby gave details of a two-strand approach whereby activists would stage a peaceful demonstration to highlight their cause, in conjunction with "non-violent disruption" with the aim of preventing the Derby taking place.
Starkey's submission to the court cites Animal Rising's "transparency" in highlighting their determination to disrupt the Derby, before adding: "We make no apology for having to consider every option available to us to ensure that the event goes ahead safely."
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Most of these idiots wouldn't know one end of a horse from the other!
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problem is the centre of the course isn't it? Security getting into enclosures should be sufficient to find implements (but not to prevent incursions on the track) but there is so much open ground. You can simply walk onto the course by the road near Tattenham Corner Station. I wish them well in this effort but.... I still fear some disruption.
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'Hope you enjoyed the doughnuts' - behind the scenes at the surreal Jockey Club-Animal Rising meeting
Desert Crown (Richard Kingscote) wins the DerbyEpsom 4.6.22 Pic: Edward Whitaker Desert Crown: last year's Derby winner Credit: Edward Whitaker The Jockey Club's decision to seek a high court injunction against disruptive protests at the Derby next week followed a meeting with representatives from Animal Rising where the two parties shared doughnuts. The get-together on May 11, which took place in a coworking space close to the BHA's headquarters in High Holborn, was organised after Animal Rising wrote to the Jockey Club to announce their plans to disrupt the Derby and suggest they "all get around the table in an effort to understand one another a bit better". The communications and other evidence were made available as part of witness statements from Jockey Club chief executive Nevin Truesdale and Amy Starkey, the group's east region managing director, who attended the meeting with colleagues Stuart Williamson (chief corporate affairs officer) Simon Knapp (vet), and the BHA's director of communications and corporate affairs Greg Swift. Dan Kidby of Animal Rising was in attendance with fellow activist Kerri Waters, who later that night sent an email to those involved, thanking them for the meeting and signing off with the line: "Hope you enjoyed the doughnuts!" It took Williamson under half an hour to reply, saying: "Many thanks to you and Dan for taking the time to meet with us today and for the doughnuts." 'Our sincere plea to you is to cancel the Derby' Further correspondence continued and shared a similarly cordial manner. On Friday Waters wrote to Starkey: "After listening to your points of view last week, it is clear your team is deeply and emotionally invested in the welfare of horses. "I recognise your sincere plea for us to reconsider was rooted in genuine care for every human and horse involved. The same compassion for life means we are bound by conviction to do what is right and stop the race. Our sincere plea to you is to cancel the Derby to eliminate all risk and reconcile our shared desire for a just and peaceful outcome. There really isn’t that much that divides us. "In the knowledge that this situation is both conflictual and unifying, I am wishing your team all the best for the work ahead in the next few weeks and hope this discussion continues." The following day Starkey, striking a pleasant tone too, replied: "I would also like to thank you for your transparency when highlighting Animal Rising’s determination to disrupt the Derby by breaching security and gaining access to the racetrack." However, she added: "As you reference yourself, this course of action is unlawful and compromises the safety of everyone at the event, including equine and human participants, members of the public and yourselves. As such we make no apology for having to consider every option available to us to ensure that the event goes ahead safely. "With this in mind we would like to take this opportunity to repeat our plea to Animal Rising not to engage in any form of protest which significantly risks the safety of yourselves and others, including by seeking to prevent or delay the races. "We will have security measures in place on and around the site and will be working closely with Surrey Police to ensure that any protests which cause disproportionate disruption or risks, are dealt with swiftly and decisively." Read these next: |
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Down near the start is vulnerable as there are just fields to cross
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The last great protest was Emily Davison's who was so stupid that she thought she could place a
sash over the horse's head. These protesters are just as dumb |
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Jcr also reckless in there part in trying to get small independent racecourses closed
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If these people actually cared about the welfare of animals in general terms they would be going for all the puppy farms and caged breeding and rearing dog enterprises which cause so much misery throughout the country to dogs. They don;t though because what they want to bring down is Racing. It is as simple as that.
We live in a very dangerous age where the brainwashing of generation after generation of young people through means of social media is actually a form of coercion with a view to creating a terror threat. Of any description, in any field. At present they want to destroy something which they frankly do not understand, and sadly, don;t want to. Full marks to the Jockey Club for taking the ever present danger very seriously and pro-actively planning its failure/prevention. |
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Personally I think it's a big mistake for the Jockey Club to sit down and negotiate with what is basically a bunch of terrorists. It gives them status and sets a precedent as well as supplying them with what was called the 'oxygen of publicity'. By all means boost security, but don't announce it in a press release!
As for applying for an injunction, can the JC point to any previous example of this being a successful tactic. It certainly hasn't worked with any of the othr groups of nutters going round blocking roads. Might be more useful to get the security team tracking down the people providing the funding for these protests and giving them some unwelcome publicity. |
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^^^ I'm afraid that honcho is quite wrong with his analysis of the aims of the Animal Rising protesters. They actually want to ban the "use" of animals in ALL respects. That would include farming and the puppy breeding he mentions.. Horse racing is just the easiest way of gaining nationwide publicity for their cause.
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Rees -Mogg regularly has activists on his programme. At first I couldn't figure out why but now I
realise he's doing the country a great service. There was one 21 year from Just Stop Oil who ranted on without pausing for breath and whenever the ever calm Mogg tried to ask a question or make a point she just shouted him down. At one point she claimed there are people in Britain freezing to death because of the fuel crisis and that children were starving!. She (I think) was completely irrational. When asked why not run for Parliament if she felt so strongly about the issue, her reply was 'I don't have time for that. I've got a life to live.' This is where Mogg is clever. He gives time on air to these nutters to shoot themselves in both feet and then in the mouth! The public gets to see how bonkers they are . |
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I thought their protest at the grand national was about the severe fences been unfair to horses etc.
The horses running in the Derby are racing against their peers on a perfectly manicured track with luxury stables and all of these horses since they were born have been more looked after than most humans could dream of ! |
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In ireland the biggest cruelty to animals by a country mile occurs by members of the travelling community whipping horses attached to chariots ( sulkies its called) up and down main roads all over Ireland on a daily basis but the WOKE animal activists ignore this because its not cool in their far left bubble plus the travellers would beat the crap out of them if they came near them !
Appleby Fair in England be a good place for this WOKE activists to hold their next protest! |