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Wild conspiracy theory emerges over leaked horse cruelty video

<p>The equestrian world continues to reel after <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/finance/legal/leaked-footage-shows-olympic-star-s-horrific-animal-abuse" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a controversial video surfaced</a> showing British dressage star Charlotte Dujardin whipping a horse 24 times, described by critics as "like a circus elephant".</p> <p>However, the timing of the video's release, just days before the Olympics, has led to allegations of sabotage from within the British dressage community.</p> <p>In a statement to members, British Dressage Chief Jason Brautigam condemned Dujardin's actions as "completely unacceptable" but expressed skepticism about the motives behind the leak. "I do find claims that this was done to 'save dressage' somewhat disingenuous, given that it was timed to cause maximum damage to our sport," Brautigam wrote. He urged members to be kind to Dujardin, acknowledging the human element in the controversy.</p> <p>Madeline Hall, a former dressage correspondent for <em>Horse & Hound</em> magazine, echoed Brautigam's sentiments. Speaking to <em>The Daily Mail</em>, Hall remarked, "The timing of this video days before the Olympics smells of sabotage. To me, it is suspect."</p> <p>The video's release has led to significant fallout for Dujardin, including the loss of sponsorships and a tarnished reputation, jeopardising her chance to become Britain's most decorated female Olympian.</p> <p>The identity of the individual who leaked the video remains unknown, though the complainant's lawyer, Stephan Wensing from the Netherlands, has refused to comment on the matter. Wensing's involvement has fuelled speculation, given the historic rivalry between the British and Dutch equestrian teams.</p> <p>The Dutch team, which Dujardin defeated at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, have quickly distanced themselves from the incident. A spokesperson for the Netherlands team stated, "We regret the expulsion of our fellow athlete but also condemn the training method used by Dujardin in the video. This has no place in our equestrian sports, where the welfare of the horse comes first."</p> <p>As the dressage community grapples with the scandal, Brautigam reminded people of the need for a compassionate response. "Charlotte Dujardin has done the right thing by <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/travel/travel-trouble/no-excuse-olympic-legend-quits-days-before-paris-games-commence" target="_blank" rel="noopener">accepting responsibility and expressing remorse</a>," he said. "While we do not condone her behaviour, we must remember that there is also a human element to this – and, regardless of what has happened, she still deserves our understanding."</p> <p>Dujardin, who was a favourite for a Damehood if she secured a medal in Paris, now faces an uncertain future in her sport. The dressage community continues to debate the ethical and competitive implications of the video, with calls for increased focus on the welfare of horses and the integrity of the sport.</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram / Good Morning Britain</em></p>

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Leaked footage shows Olympic star's horrific animal abuse

<p>The extent of dressage star Charlotte Dujardin's "error of judgement" has been revealed, just hours after she made the snap decision to withdraw from the Olympics just days before its commencement. </p> <p>The British dressage star, who is a three-time gold medallist and the joint most-decorated British female Olympian, withdrew and accepted a provisional six-month ban when coming clean about her acts of <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/travel/travel-trouble/no-excuse-olympic-legend-quits-days-before-paris-games-commence" target="_blank" rel="noopener">animal abuse</a> in the lead up to the Paris Games. </p> <p>Just hours after announcing her withdrawal from the equestrian events, a disturbing video of a training session began to circulate, in which she is alleged to have beaten a horse with a long whip 24 times in one minute.</p> <p>The video, first released by <em>Good Morning Britain</em>, was taken four years ago and allegedly showed the 39-year-old mistreating a horse when trying to get the animal to slowly trot during a lesson with a young student. </p> <p>With the trainee rider mounted on the horse, Dujardin can allegedly be seen whipping the horse’s legs repeatedly.</p> <p>The video has outraged many, with hundreds of people taking to social media to voice their shock and horror at the acts. </p> <p>Leading British social commentator David Kurten wrote on X, “The cruel abuse of this horse by Charlotte Dujardin is horrific and a stain on our nation."</p> <p>“Two urgent questions need answers: Did she whip horses regularly? Are dozens or hundreds of other dressage horses regularly whipped and abused by other trainers?”</p> <p>Former editor of Horse and Hound Lucy Higginson also added, “It has profoundly shocked everybody in the equestrian world.”</p> <p>The video was sent anonymously to the International Federation for Equestrian Sports (FEI), who made the choice to suspend Dujardin just days before the Paris Olympics are set to begin. </p> <p>“The FEI has officially announced the provisional suspension of British Dressage athlete Charlotte Dujardin effective immediately from the date of notification, 23 July 2024,” it said in a statement.</p> <p>“This decision renders her ineligible to participate in the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympic Games or any other events under the jurisdiction of the FEI.”</p> <p>“According to the information received, the footage was allegedly taken several years ago during a training session conducted by Ms Dujardin at a private stable,” the organisation said.</p> <p>The governing body said Dujardin had confirmed she was depicted in the video and had acknowledged that her conduct was “inappropriate”.</p> <p>“Charlotte Dujardin requested to be provisionally suspended pending the outcome of the investigations and voluntarily withdrew from the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and also confirmed that she will not participate in any competitions pending the outcome of the FEI’s investigation,” it said.</p> <p>“The FEI condemns any conduct contrary to the welfare of horses and has robust rules in place to address such behaviour.”</p> <p>When announcing her withdrawal from the Games, Dujardin said she made an "error of judgement", saying there was "no excuse" for her behaviour. </p> <p>She wrote in a statement on Instagram, “What happened was completely out of character and does not reflect how I train my horses or coach my pupils, however there is no excuse. I am deeply ashamed and should have set a better example in that moment.”</p> <p><em>Image credits: Instagram / Good Morning Britain</em></p>

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Escaped race horse shocks commuters at suburban train station

<p>An escaped race horse has been spotted at a suburban Sydney train station, bamboozling confused commuters. </p> <p>CCTV footage captured the moment a retired racehorse wandered into Warwick Farm train station around midnight on Friday, as confused commuters hid from the animal. </p> <p>Sydney Trains CEO Matt Longland said they were alerted to the unexpected passenger, and notified train drivers to keep a look out for a passenger that was "horsing around".</p> <p>“Thankfully we were able to warn our train drivers to take extra care to look out for animals on the tracks” Longland said.</p> <p>“A train stopped at the station, (but) didn’t open its doors.”</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C5mXYfHSINA/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C5mXYfHSINA/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by 7NEWS Australia (@7newsaustralia)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>After pacing the platform for almost 30 minutes, the horse was reunited with its owner, top Australian horse racing trainer Annabel Neasham.</p> <p>“Unfortunately, we had an intruder break-in to one of our stables,” Neasham said. “In the meantime, he managed to let our stable pony out.”</p> <p>“(Our) horse is back at home, none the wiser, not even a scratch on him.”</p> <p>Stable hand Keith Morrison said it was “highly unusual” that the horse ended up on the platform and left him with unanswered questions.</p> <p>“I still want to know how it got up the stairs and onto the platform — it didn’t use the lift!”</p> <p>Langland said Sydney Trains were giving the horse, now affectionately nicknamed “Mr Red” by train staff, a “stern warning” for “failing to tap-on at the station”.</p> <p>"It's not every day you see a horse on the platform, but that's what we saw at Warwick Farm," NSW Transport Minister Jo Haylen said.</p> <p>She said the horse was a well-behaved passenger, adding, "It kept its hooves behind the yellow line, which is a good thing."</p> <p><em>Image credits: 7News </em></p>

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A horse died on the set of The Rings of Power: more needs to be done to ensure the welfare of horses used in entertainment

<p>The recent <a href="https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/rings-of-power-horse-death-lord-of-the-rings-peta-1235564884/">death of a horse</a> on the set of Amazon’s <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7631058/">The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power</a> is the latest incident raising questions about how humans use horses for entertainment and sport.</p> <p>While a statement from producers said the horses’s cardiac arrest occurred before the day’s filming began, animal rights activists PETA used the death to call on all screen producers to replace on-set horses with CGI and mechanical rig alternatives.</p> <p>The incident feeds into growing public concern about horse welfare on film and TV sets, at the track and in equestrian sports.</p> <p>But improving horse welfare is about more than just reputation repair – too often it’s about survival for horses and humans.</p> <h2>Horse welfare in film and TV</h2> <p>The riding of a horse over a cliff to its death for the movie Jesse James (1939) led to the establishment of <a href="https://humanehollywood.org/about-us/">American Humane</a>, which now oversees around 100,000 animals on more than 1,000 productions each year.</p> <p>While things have improved since the early days of film and television, deaths and mistreatment of horses still occur.</p> <p>In 1987, on the set of <a href="https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/118307194">The Man From Snowy River II</a>, a seriously injured horse was killed using the blunt end of an axe.</p> <p>More recently, the high-profile series <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/the-real-story-behind-hbos-cancellation-of-luck">Luck</a>, starring Dustin Hoffman, was cancelled following the deaths of three horses.</p> <h2>The good and bad of unprecedented global exposure</h2> <p>In 2021, the Tokyo Olympics beamed to a global audience the excessive <a href="https://7news.com.au/sport/olympics/peta-calls-for-abusive-equestrian-events-to-be-axed-from-olympics-c-3703388">whipping and punching</a> of modern pentathlon horse Saint Boy and show jumper Kilkenny’s <a href="https://www.chronofhorse.com/article/kilkenny-suffers-nosebleed-during-olympic-individual-final">spectacular nosebleed</a> during the controversial show jumping program.</p> <p>While the bleed must have been obvious, officials did not intervene to stop the ride.</p> <p>Confronting images, and the perceived failure of organisers to protect the horses involved, brought into clear and global focus the indisputable welfare issues faced by horses competing at the elite level.</p> <p>The global outcry led to <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-9892093/Name-price-Kaley-Cuoco-offers-buy-horse-cruelly-punched-Olympics.html">actress Kaley Cuoco offering to buy Saint Boy</a> and the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/nov/02/modern-pentathlon-votes-to-ditch-horse-riding-after-tokyo-olympic-turmoil">withdrawal of the equestrian phase from modern pentathlon</a>.</p> <h2>Risk to humans and horses</h2> <p>Horse welfare does not just impact animals.</p> <p>Since the 1840s, 873 jockeys are known to have <a href="https://www.thoroughbredracing.com/articles/2062/facts-and-figures-jockey-fatalities-australia/">died in race falls</a> in Australia.</p> <p>Internationally, the sport of eventing (where competitors complete three phases: dressage, show jumping and cross-country) reported 38 rider and 65 horse fatalities during or after competition between 2007-15.</p> <p>Riding horses is considered one of the most <a href="https://beva.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/evj.13934">dangerous of all sporting pursuits</a>, and the deaths of riders and jockeys, usually from falls, are common.</p> <p>Public concern about risk to horses and humans through horse racing and equestrian sports, as well as screen production, also <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/12/15/1987">threaten these industries’ social licence</a>.</p> <h2>Better horse welfare is related to better rider safety</h2> <p>Our research offers hope for the horse industry and for those passionate about riding horses.</p> <p>Last year, we <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0168159121003269">published a paper</a> demonstrating the link between horse welfare and rider safety. We asked riders how they cared for their horses and how their horses behaved when ridden – for example, we wanted to know how often horses were bucking or rearing.</p> <p>From this information, we calculated a relative welfare score for each horse. We also asked riders about their accidents and injuries.</p> <p>After analysing the data from over 400 riders, we found the higher the horse welfare score, the fewer accidents and injuries a rider reported.</p> <p>In a <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/08927936.2023.2176589">subsequent study</a>, we found horses with better welfare scores are more enjoyable to ride, most likely because they perform better and riders feel more in control, creating a win-win for horses and riders.</p> <h2>Good horse welfare means more than good health</h2> <p>Often good welfare is thought of in terms of an animal being healthy.</p> <p>While this is part of good welfare, good health alone is not enough – especially for a horse competing at the elite level or taking part in a film.</p> <p>Horses are <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0168159117300710?casa_token=5E77h_TYKGEAAAAA:EUBGz7BTnACvpvB_3iYM-urXpBxJbS95G0-05yMRJEbMTg_SEeb_VnSoVgn35su8_aNOZEpSqctL">neophobes</a> – this means they find new things frightening – so most horses are likely to find a movie set or travelling to a new location stressful. The most up-to-date <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/10/10/1870/htm">understanding of welfare</a> tells us that stress and poor mental health means poor animal welfare.</p> <p>When a horse is stressed or in pain they <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0168159117300692">behave in a very predictable way</a> – they run away, panic, kick out or buck and rear.</p> <p>Yet, anecdotally and in the media, people seeing a horse behaving in this way often claim the horse is crazy, unpredictable or just plain mean.</p> <p>More likely, an “unpredictable” horse is suffering from poor welfare.</p> <p>As part of our research program, we have developed a <a href="https://hub.rspca.org.au/attachments/88">new framework</a> to help horse owners identify aspects of their care and training that diminish horse welfare.</p> <p>This information can be used to make modifications to improve horse welfare, and, importantly, can be applied to horses in any equine sector, including racing, sport and film and television.</p> <h2>Investing in the future of horses in entertainment and sport</h2> <p>Although a veterinarian assessed the recent horse death on the set of The Rings of Power as “unlikely to be associated with the horse’s participation in the film”, more can be done to protect horses and the industry.</p> <p>In Australia, <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/11/7/1986">no specific standard exists for the use of animals</a> in filmed media, and each state and territory has differing risk management guidelines.</p> <p>An opportunity now exists for the industry to set a new standard for horse care and training.</p> <p>An easily executable first step for the industry could be to insist a scientifically trained and credentialed equine behaviour expert be involved in the recruitment and supervision of horse actors and their trainers at all stages of production.</p> <p>This would ensure horse actors are appropriately trained to be on set and that horses are trained using the most up-to-date ethical methods.</p> <p>Horse behaviour experts could also help in scene design to minimise horses’ exposure to stressful situations and identify tasks that are incompatible with good horse welfare.</p> <p>If these suggestions were to be adopted, the film and television industry would be setting the benchmark for horse welfare – and pressure other horse industries to follow suit.</p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/a-horse-died-on-the-set-of-the-rings-of-power-more-needs-to-be-done-to-ensure-the-welfare-of-horses-used-in-entertainment-202939" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.</em></p> <p><em>Images: The Rings of Power / Amazon</em></p>

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Don’t look a GIF horse in the mouth: Short, shareable animations have been delighting humans for centuries

<p>They are a popular feature of social media and text messaging in 2022, but many people are surprised to discover short sharable animations or videos, like GIFs have been around in digital format for 35 years, but in analogue for nearly two centuries.</p> <p>Today many have become internet memes, added for emphasis, and mostly played on continuous loop.</p> <p><strong>GIFs (short for Graphics Interchange Format)</strong></p> <p>Steve Wilhite, a computer scientist working at CompuServe is <a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/brief-history-gif-early-internet-innovation-ubiquitous-relic-180963543/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">acknowledged as the creator</a> of the Graphics Interchange Format, or GIF in 1987.</p> <p>A GIF is a small image file that can support short animations or videos. GIFs work by stringing together several frames or images into a single file, which plays like a short clip.</p> <p>Compressed they are small file sizes; GIFs are easily shared on email and social media.  </p> <p>While most can share in the delight of a well-chosen GIF, there is a long-running heated disagreement over how to pronounce the acronym, tracked <a href="https://time.com/5791028/how-to-pronounce-gif/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">by Time</a> (this COSMOS journalist had been pronouncing GIF with a hard ‘g’, while Wilhite apparently preferred the softer version, like ‘JIF’). </p> <p>But long before the GIF there were various forms of short sharable animation made in analogue. Here we flick through a few.</p> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-photo is-provider-giphy wp-block-embed-giphy"> <div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> <div class="entry-content-asset"> <div class="embed-wrapper"> <div class="inner"><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/08/giphy1.gif" alt="" width="500" height="337" /></div> </div> </div> </div><figcaption>Ghost GIF / Credit: Matthias Brown</figcaption></figure> <p><strong>Thaumatropes (from the Greek for ‘wonder turner’)</strong></p> <p>Dating back as early as 1827, a thaumatrope is a two-sided disc which creates a simple animation when spun.</p> <p>The device is a disc with different but related pictures on each side and strings attached at opposite ends. When those strings are wound up tightly, and then released, the disc spins creating a simple animation. </p> <p>While the idea was described and popularised by John Ayrton Paris, the inventor of this wonder turner is not known. </p> <p><strong>Phenakistoscopes (from the Greek for ‘deceitful viewer’)</strong></p> <div class="newsletter-box"> <div id="wpcf7-f6-p202287-o1" class="wpcf7" dir="ltr" lang="en-US" role="form"> <form class="wpcf7-form mailchimp-ext-0.5.62 spai-bg-prepared init" action="/technology/computing/dont-look-a-gif-horse-in-the-mouth/#wpcf7-f6-p202287-o1" method="post" novalidate="novalidate" data-status="init"> <p style="display: none !important;"><span class="wpcf7-form-control-wrap referer-page"><input class="wpcf7-form-control wpcf7-text referer-page" name="referer-page" type="hidden" value="https://cosmosmagazine.com/technology/" data-value="https://cosmosmagazine.com/technology/" aria-invalid="false" /></span></p> <p><!-- Chimpmail extension by Renzo Johnson --></form> </div> </div> <p>In 1832 an analogue form of the modern GIF was made by spinning a circular card on its centre. </p> <p>In that year, two scientists Joseph Plateau from Belgium and Simon von Stampfer from Austria independently created looping animations called phenakistoscopes.</p> <p>The phenakistoscope creates the illusion of moving images by slicing the circle into segments and placing a sequential image at slightly shifting locations within each slice, using vector graphics. Each slice of the circle acts like a frame in an animation. Between each slice is a black radial slit.</p> <p>When the circle is spun on its centre, and its reflection viewed using a mirror, the effect creates the illusion of smoothly moving images like a short, repeating video. </p> <p><strong>Zoetropes (from the Greek for ‘life turn’)</strong></p> <p>Two years later, mathematician William Horner <a href="https://collections.museumsvictoria.com.au/articles/2908" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">created the zoetrope</a>, an idea based on the phenakistoscope but able to be viewed by more than one person at a time.</p> <p>A larger cylinder like a drum has slits cut into the sides for viewing. Strips of sequential images spin inside the cylinder so that the viewer sees one after the other.</p> <p>The technology was popularised by American business magnate, game pioneer and publisher, Milton Bradley in 1866 who sold zoetropes as a toy with replaceable picture strips.</p> <p>Several animation studios have built three-dimensional versions of the zoetrope using sequentially posed figurines instead of pictures. Visitors to the Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI) in Melbourne can experience a <a href="https://www.acmi.net.au/stories-and-ideas/acmis-cuphead-zoetrope-cool/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">3D zoetrope</a> of video game character <em>Cuphead</em>. Meanwhile visitors to the <a href="https://www.ghibli-museum.jp/en/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Ghibli Museum</a> in Tokyo, can see a zoetrope of skipping and running totoros built using figurines from the Studio Ghibli movie <em>My Neighbour Totoro.</em></p> <p><strong>Find out more about phenakistoscopes and GIFs on the 2022 SCINEMA International Science Film Festival</strong></p> <p>For more on the history and science of the phenakistoscope (and instructions on how to make one) watch the 2022 SCINEMA International Science Film festival entry, <em>Animated GIFS: Celebrating Scientific Genius</em>, by <a href="https://scinema.org.au/register" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">registering</a> to view it for free on the SCINEMA website. </p> <p>Follow the prompts on the email you receive and you’ll find <em>Animated GIFS: Celebrating Scientific Genius</em> in the Animation / Experimental playlist. You can watch all the films until August 31 2022 when the festival ends. </p> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-photo is-provider-giphy wp-block-embed-giphy"> <div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> <div class="entry-content-asset"> <div class="embed-wrapper"> <div class="inner"><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/08/giphy-1.gif" alt="" width="480" height="480" /></div> </div> </div> </div><figcaption>GIF based on a phenakistoscope / Credit: Sanni Lahtinen on GIPHY</figcaption></figure> <p><!-- Start of tracking content syndication. Please do not remove this section as it allows us to keep track of republished articles --></p> <p><img id="cosmos-post-tracker" style="opacity: 0; height: 1px!important; width: 1px!important; border: 0!important; position: absolute!important; z-index: -1!important;" src="https://syndication.cosmosmagazine.com/?id=202287&title=Don%26%238217%3Bt+look+a+GIF+horse+in+the+mouth%3A+short%2C+shareable+animations+have+been+delighting+humans+for+centuries" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><!-- End of tracking content syndication --></p> <div id="contributors"> <p><em><a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/technology/computing/dont-look-a-gif-horse-in-the-mouth/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">This article</a> was originally published on <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cosmos Magazine</a> and was written by <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/contributor/petra-stock" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Petra Stock</a>. Petra Stock has a degree in environmental engineering and a Masters in Journalism from University of Melbourne. She has previously worked as a climate and energy analyst.</em></p> <p><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p> </div>

Technology

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"Stop slapping him!": Carriage horse collapses in busy street

<p dir="ltr">The horrifying moment a carriage horse breaks down in the middle of a busy New York City street has angered animal activists.</p> <p dir="ltr">Heartbreaking footage shows the horse's knees buckling, possibly due to the weight of the carriage it's been pulling all day in the heat, when it fell to the ground. </p> <p dir="ltr">The driver could be seen shouting multiple times at the horse, known as Ryder, to “get up” and slapping it to get up. </p> <p dir="ltr">“What if I slapped you around like that, bro?” one person can be heard saying. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Stop slapping him,” another woman called out.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I’m trying to get him up, alright,” the driver said, as he once again whipped the horse with the reins.</p> <p dir="ltr">The driver then removed the carriage with the help of an onlooker as police arrived and sprayed Ryder with water. </p> <p dir="ltr">Ryder then attempted to get up several times but failed until an adrenaline shot was administered.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">BREAKING: This horse COLLAPSED while pulling a carriage in NYC, likely from heat exhaustion, and has been down for over an hour.</p> <p>Horses don’t belong in big cities where they’re put in constant danger because of cars, humans, weather, and more. <a href="https://t.co/vXBVRJRjPB">pic.twitter.com/vXBVRJRjPB</a></p> <p>— PETA (@peta) <a href="https://twitter.com/peta/status/1557504250359361537?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 10, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">After an hour or so, the horse was back on its feet and was taken to an unknown location to be looked at. </p> <p dir="ltr">Tony Utano, President of Transport Workers Union Local 100 slammed those who attacked the driver for jumping to conclusions saying the horse, Ryder, was suffering from EPM. </p> <p dir="ltr">“We thank everyone for their concern about Ryder, one of the beloved Central Park carriage horses,” he said. </p> <p dir="ltr">“The veterinarian believes Ryder has EPM, a neurological disease caused by possum droppings. </p> <p dir="ltr">“This is another example why people shouldn't rush to judgement about our horses or the blue-collar men and women who choose to work with them and care for them.”</p> <p dir="ltr">However, this did not stop animal rights group PETA from calling out the practice, which constantly puts horses in danger.</p> <p dir="ltr">“This horse COLLAPSED while pulling a carriage in NYC, likely from heat exhaustion, and has been down for over an hour,” PETA wrote.  </p> <p dir="ltr">“Horses don’t belong in big cities where they’re put in constant danger because of cars, humans, weather, and more.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Many other supporters have called for the ban of carriage horses to be replaced with electric vehicles. </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Twitter</em></p>

Family & Pets

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Tourist cops earful from member of Queen’s Guard

<p dir="ltr">A tourist has learned the hard way to not interfere with the Queen’s guards, after she copped an earful from a guard for grabbing his horse’s reins.</p> <p dir="ltr">During a recent trip to London, the woman went to pose for a photo next to the guard and his horse when her hand went to reach towards the animal, drawing the guard’s attention.</p> <p dir="ltr">When she then touched the reins, he reacted by yelling with authority from atop his horse.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Stand back from the Queen’s lifeguard, don’t touch the reins!” he yells.</p> <p dir="ltr">A clip of the incident was shared by the woman’s step-son Ethan on <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@phigs_/video/7116598758816763141?is_from_webapp=1&amp;sender_device=pc&amp;web_id=7112642336690570754" target="_blank" rel="noopener">TikTok</a>, with the caption, “We will never return to London after this incident” and text across the footage reading, “Queens Guard Verbally Attacks My Step mum [sic]”.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-d6005c55-7fff-02e7-69ff-48d842020c82"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">Though Ethan commented the guard as a “rather angry little man”, a large number of commenters sided with the guard, arguing that he has an important job to do and that working animals like his horse shouldn’t be touched while on duty.</p> <p dir="ltr"><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/07/queen-guard-horse.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="360" /></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: TikTok</em></p> <p dir="ltr">“It’s not Disney they are working horses and serving army,” one person said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Serves her right, you aren’t allowed to touch the guard,” another wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">“They have a job, just don’t go near them,” a third added.</p> <p dir="ltr">British followers were particularly quick to defend his actions and respond to their decision not to return to London.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The whole of London is so upset that you won’t be returning we’re all begging you to come back,” one person said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Every British person I know knows you don’t touch them, or is she one of them ones that would put her hand in the blender,” another wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">As some commenters pointed out, the horse’s reins are connected to the animal’s mouth - which is quite sensitive - and tugging on the reins could spook the animal, causing it to bite her or unseat the guard.</p> <p dir="ltr">Others compared interfering with or touching the guard and his horse to doing the same to a guide dog, while <em><a href="https://honey.nine.com.au/royals/queens-guard-member-yells-at-tourist-for-touching-horse-reins-tiktok/98f85c75-54a9-4b5e-a9a7-146c4a6699a8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">9Honey</a></em> royal reporter Natalie Oliveri explained that as a rule, you shouldn’t touch animals that are on-duty.</p> <p dir="ltr">"Also, as a general rule tourists should be respectful of any member of Her Majesty's guard while they are on duty – they are there for an important reason and no one should try to interfere with that,” Oliveri said.</p> <p dir="ltr">She explained that it’s also best not to speak to members of the Queen’s Guard while they’re on duty, and that you shouldn’t expect a response from them.</p> <p dir="ltr">"If you would like a photo, perhaps it's best to stand at a respectable distance and never interfere with their job,” she added.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-f70ace45-7fff-42a5-8c43-e349bd54bbfc"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: TikTok</em></p>

Travel Trouble

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Wee-lly bad idea sees horse test positive to caffeine

<p dir="ltr">Winning racehorse Explosive Miss has tested positive to caffeine, but it’s not because the racer has been enjoying some pre-race beverages.</p> <p dir="ltr">The horse tested positive to a random post-race drug test for the substance, which is prohibited in racing, though her trainer, avid coffee-drinker Clinton Isdale, had no idea how it could have happened, as reported by the <em><a href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/caffeine-in-trainers-urine-causes-horse-to-fail-post-race-drug-test/NX2UXT52SUDQVPOJ5DO3YA6D5M/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NZ Herald</a></em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">Mr Isdale told the Racing Integrity Board that he had no idea caffeine ended up in Explosive Miss’ system, but said he would drink roughly three cups of coffee a day and then urinate in the same corner of the stables, behind the horse stalls, every morning.</p> <p dir="ltr">After testing soil samples from the spot, investigators confirmed that caffeine was present.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It is believed that the probable cause of Explosive Miss’ positive has been via contamination by Mr Isdale urinating in the corner of the stables by the stall,” the board said in its decision.</p> <p dir="ltr">As a result, Mr Isdale had to forfeit the $15,000 prize from his horse’s win and had to pay a $2000 fine.</p> <p dir="ltr">Mr Isdale, who has no previous charges for prohibited substances, told the board he was truly remorseful for his actions.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I am a hardworking young trainer in the industry and have worked tirelessly to get to this position in racing,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I’m truly sorry this happened and take full responsibility and have thoroughly improved my stable practice so nothing like this happens again.”</p> <p dir="ltr">This isn’t the first case of horses testing positive to caffeine thanks to their trainers, with a similar case resulting in a trainer being fined $2,000 in March last year after it was found they had also been urinating in the corner of the horse’s stall.</p> <p dir="ltr">Caffeine is banned in horse racing because it’s purported to give animals an edge, with the Equestrian Sports NZ website warning trainers to “be aware when drinking soft drinks around your horse, or eating snacks such as biscuits or chocolate bars as caffeine is a common positive test result”.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-c054e756-7fff-d935-129e-5e4801cf1b39"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

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Teacher sacked for punching and kicking horse has gone into hiding

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><em>Content warning: This article contains mentions and depictions of animal abuse.</em></span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A UK school teacher </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.news.com.au/technology/science/animals/teacher-sacked-over-shocking-horse-video-in-the-uk/news-story/a098daeb99f46976d6e4363050ce4658" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">has been fired</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> after footage emerged of her seeming to kick and hit a distressed horse.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The graphic footage shows Sarah Moulds striking the white pony after it ran out onto the road in the UK’s East Midlands, </span><em><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/17099018/rider-kicks-punches-horse-teacher-sacked/" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Sun</span></a></em> <span style="font-weight: 400;">reports.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Following the circulation of the footage, it was revealed that the 37-year-old woman from Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire was being probed by the RSPCA.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Mowbray Education Trust also said Ms Moulds has been suspended during a formal investigation.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">However, the trust has said the mother-of-two has officially been dismissed from her roles as a teacher at Somerby Primary School and as a director of the Knossington &amp; Somerby Pre-School in Leicestershire.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I can confirm that Sarah Mould’s employment with the trust has been terminated,” Paul Maddox, chief operating officer of the trust, told the </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-leicestershire-59728476" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">BBC</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“As a trust we are committed to ensuring the best standard of education for all of our young people and we look forward to continuing this throughout the 2021/22 academic year and beyond.”</span></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">Yesterday we filmed a <a href="https://twitter.com/CottesmoreHunt?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CottesmoreHunt</a> rider kicking and punching her horse in the face.<br />Watched on by lackeys Will Ashmore and son Ed.<br />Violence running through their veins.<a href="https://twitter.com/RSPCA_official?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RSPCA_official</a> <a href="https://t.co/s37BlR4Hv3">pic.twitter.com/s37BlR4Hv3</a></p> — Hertfordshire Hunt Saboteurs (@HertsHuntSabs) <a href="https://twitter.com/HertsHuntSabs/status/1457304240079228929?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 7, 2021</a></blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The footage was shared last month by Hertfordshire Hunt Saboteurs, an anti-hunting group, who were monitoring the hunting event at the time.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The woman alleged to be Ms Moulds was seen acting aggressively towards the horse, after it ran towards her when another young rider lost control of it while trying to lead it onto a trailer.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">She was filmed kicking and hitting the horse before pulling it into the horse trailer.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ms Moulds is believed to belong to the Cottesmore Hunt, a foxhound hunting group based in Rutland.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">At the time, she was surrounded by other members.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">After the incident, Cottesmore Hunt reportedly said it did not condone the actions depicted in the video “under any circumstances”.</span></p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CWBYBdUKiaN/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CWBYBdUKiaN/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by The Cottesmore Hunt (@cottesmorehuntofficial)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The RSPCA was contacted by multiple people after the clip was posted online, and later issued a statement.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“This footage is really upsetting. We will always look into complaints made to us about animal welfare.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A spokesman from the Hunting Office in the UK said: “The Hunting Office expects the highest level of animal welfare at all times - both on and off the hunting field - and condemns the actions taken by this individual, who is not a member of the hunting associations.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Members of the public also condemned the woman online, labelling her behaviour as unacceptable.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“As a horsewoman myself, nothing makes me angrier than seeing such footage as this. It is shameful. There is absolutely no excuse for this behaviour,” one person wrote.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“No matter how frustrated you are, no matter if you’ve had a bad day. Horses are so sensitive. What a way to make them head shy.”</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: @HertsHuntSabs (Twitter)</span></em></p>

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A MUST for any racing fan: Immortals of Australian Horse Racing review

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Australia has a long history when it comes to horse racing legends, with the likes of Phar Lap and Makybe Diva taking to the tracks over the years and quickly becoming legends.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Prolific non-fiction author Alan J. Whiticker has brought the stories of two dozen of these racers to life in his latest book </span><em><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.simonandschuster.com.au/books/Immortals-of-Australian-Horse-Racing/Alan-Whiticker/9781925946963" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Immortals of Australian Horse Racing: the Thoroughbreds</span></a></em> <span style="font-weight: 400;">(Gelding Street Press $39.99).</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Immortals</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> features in-depth statistics about each thoroughbred, with historic photos and artwork scattered throughout depicting the horses in action.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7845861/horse-review2.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/c1d0f6663e6141108ec25c94654d7062" /></span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Immortals peppers each racer’s profile with historical photos that any history buff is sure to appreciate. Image: Supplied</span></em></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">He also takes the chance to bust some common myths about these famous horses, while still acknowledging the roles these tall tales play in Australia’s racing mythos.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“[Archer’s] tale has become an important part of the Melbourne Cup mythology and helped make the first dual cups winner immortal,” he writes.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Along with Archer, Whiticker’s pickings include the horses almost everyone will recognise - Phar Lap, Black Caviar, Tulloch, Kingston Town, Winx, Manikato, and Makybe Diva - plus a selection of crowd favourites such as Peter Pan, Might and Power, Gunsynd and Sunline.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">But horses with celebrity status aren’t the only ones to make the cut; Whiticker also includes the lesser-known stories of freakish Vain, ‘super mare’ Wakeful, tragic Dulcify, and underrated Northerly.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7845860/horse-review3.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/2ae98417b1494ab4ac59345586d10baa" /></span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Many have come to (falsely) believe that Archer travelled from Nowra to Melbourne by hoof, but Whiticker points out that this contributes to his immortality. Image: Supplied</span></em></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Whiticker tracks each horse’s story from their birth and their debut on the track to the pitfalls and moments of victory that made them immortal.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Meanwhile, the ‘ranking’ of thoroughbreds also lays out Australia’s racing history from the start of the Melbourne Cup to Winx’s retirement in 2018, and each horse is compared to those that came before and after them.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Though less knowledgeable readers may be daunted by the statistics and racing jargon at first glance, Whiticker compensates for this with his engaging and flowing style of prose.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">All in all, racing fans and history buffs will enjoy the in-depth stories that Whiticker creates, writing as if he were commentating from the sideline.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I trust this book will settle several arguments about the greatest thoroughbreds of all time and no doubt start a few more,” Whiticker writes of his selection.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“One thing is for certain: they are all unforgettable in their own right.”</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Images: Supplied</span></em></p>

Books

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Australia’s best racehorses RANKED by their winnings

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Australia and New Zealand have long histories as the home of many champion racehorses - from Phar Lap and Tulloch to Makybe Diva and Black Caviar.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Over the years these horses have also earned some hefty prizes, with some totalling in the tens of thousands.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Alan Whiticker - a longtime racing fan - has compiled the stories, stats and images of these horses among 24 featured in his new book </span><em><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.simonandschuster.com.au/books/Immortals-of-Australian-Horse-Racing/Alan-Whiticker/9781925946963" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Immortals of Australian Horse Racing</span></a></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">, including their winnings.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Here are the ten of the greatest, ranked by their total winnings (adjusted for </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.rba.gov.au/calculator/annualDecimal.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">inflation</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">).</span></p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height:281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7845418/horses1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/b108deac40cb47fc9439caf034137bf4" /></p> <p><strong>Winx ($26,421,176)</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Winx, the ‘Wonder Mare’, not only collected more than $26 million in her five-year racing career, but also received a swathe of awards and honours. She was Australia’s Champion Racehorse of the Year for four years running, the World’s Top-Ranked Turf Horse in 2017 and 2018, and entered Australia’s Racing Hall of Fame in 2017.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">According to Whiticker, “Winx had a V8 racing motor for a heart”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“And like all champions, her will to win was freakish.”</span></p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height:281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7845419/horses2.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/5bf88fbabc9e4f5ea2921bb9589e48af" /></p> <p><strong>Sunline ($17,149,276)</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The New Zealand-born racer was a popular contender both in her home country and Australia, with many arguing Sunline has been the best horse to come out of New Zealand since Phar Lap.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Between 1998 and 2002, Sunline collected more than $11 million in winnings, equivalent to about $17 million today. She was crowned both the Australian and New Zealand Racehorse of the Year three times, and entered the Hall of Fame in both countries in the early 2000s.</span></p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height:281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7845420/horses3.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/b9f05f6a5a2c4f5e86bad5ba62e8fa92" /></p> <p><strong>Makybe Diva ($14, 526, 685)</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Born in Somerset, England, Makybe Diva went on to win three Melbourne Cups - winning one in the same year that she placed first in the Sydney Cup.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Following her third Melbourne Cup win in 2005, owner Tony Santic declared she was officially retired.</span></p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height:281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7845421/horses4.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/62915e6d93e9451fae240a8f7a8349c3" /></p> <p><strong>Super Impose ($10,973,719)</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The New Zealander has become well-known for winning both the Doncaster and Epsom handicap races twice - and is the only horse that has done so.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">He retired in 1992 with a record $5.6 million in winnings, before going on to live a life of comfort until his death at 22-years-old.</span></p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height:281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7845422/horses5.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/211b76c03b66472c8b298bb9c4b0fff3" /></p> <p><strong>Octagonal ($10,233,179)</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">New-Zealand bred Octagonal, nicknamed ‘The Big O’, came into his own as a three-year-old and secured seven wins across Randwick, Rosehill, Canterbury, and Caulfield in just a year.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In 1997, Octagonal retired with a then-record $5.89 million in prize money, equivalent to $10 million now.</span></p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height:281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7845423/horses6.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/62097a6ebe2a4a6fb528033a20bd7aae" /></p> <p><strong>Better Loosen Up ($9,097,380)</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Better Loosen Up, named after his sire Loosen Up, achieved victory on an international scale with his win in the 1990 Japan Cup. In the same year, he also took the top spot in the Australian Cup and several other stakes races.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Retiring three years later, Better Loosen Up’s winnings totalled $4.77 million.</span></p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height:281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7845424/horses7.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/98f76bda6d0144a29fb74fa5ba81ec90" /></p> <p><strong>Might &amp; Power ($8,489,287)</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Another winner hailing from New Zealand, Might &amp; Power secured his first win in 1997 at Randwick just before he turned three. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Before retiring in 2000, Might &amp; Power earned a hefty $5 million in winnings, which equates to just under $8.5 million today. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">He was also crowned World Champion Stayer in 1998 and has since been entered into the Halls of Fame in both Australia and New Zealand.</span></p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height:281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7845425/horses8.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/10fc9c06acd642759119155ff7f0aeb3" /></p> <p><strong>Black Caviar ($7,953,936)</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Another racehorse with plenty of accolades to her name, Black Caviar also achieved the near-impossible by winning every single one of her races across her four-year career.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Almost four years to the day of her debut at Flemington, it was announced that she would retire to stud, taking $7.9 million in prize money with her.</span></p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height:281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7845426/horses9.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/a9207975e82c4edfbea0d0c24bee12a6" /></p> <p><strong>Phar Lap ($6,659,594)</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">As one of racing history’s most well-known horses, Phar Lap became an icon in Australia and New Zealand and prompted both countries to claim him as their own.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The New-Zealand born racer went on to win 37 of his 51 races, including the Melbourne Cup, and earned £66,738 in winnings that equates to over $6.5 million today.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">His death in 1932 came as a shock to racing fans, with rumours emerging that claimed he was deliberately poisoned ahead of the Agua Caliente Handicap race in Tijuana, Mexico. However, Whiticker posits that his death may have been due to contaminated feed or travel sickness.</span></p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height:281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7845427/horses10.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/af51500da737462ebcaba1da6a9d8e4c" /></p> <p><strong>Carbine ($6,028, 507)</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">According to Whiticker, Carbine was “the 19th century’s giant” of horse racing in Australia. The New Zealand racer not only won the 1890 Melbourne Cup, but also carried a record weight, beat the largest number of racers, and ran the fastest time.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Though he was eventually sold to the Duke of Portland in England, Carbine was considered an icon by Australians.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">By the time he retired in 1891, Carbine had earned 29, 626 in prizes and come first in all but six of his 43 races.</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Images: Supplied</span></em></p>

Money & Banking

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Retired race horses on track to help troubled kids

<p><em>Image: A Current Affair </em></p> <p>New charity ‘Rehab 4 Rehab' is saving the lives of children and retired racehorses on the Mornington Peninsula through a ground-breaking equine therapy program.</p> <p>Children struggling with mental health issues get paired up with clinical psychologists, occupational therapists and retired racehorses to accelerate therapy sessions.</p> <p>“We are seeing lots of children with anxiety, depression, self-harming, suicidal kids, lots of autistic kids,” found Alisha Griffiths told<span> </span><em>A Current Affair.</em></p> <p>“They are practicing exactly what they would do in the normal four white wall environments but they’re doing it on a farm with retired racehorses.”</p> <p>Ms Griffiths said she had been around horses all her life and now she wants to share them with others.</p> <p>“They also build a rapport with a psychologist a lot quicker, they trust the psychologist because they’re around a retired racehorse,” she said.</p> <p>Clinical psychologist Jo Paterson crossed path with Alisha’s charity when she was looking for somewhere to keep her own horse – and she ended up with a job.</p> <p>“When you’re talking about things that are distressing and through trauma, then you’ve got something there that can help regulate, when they get upset,” Ms Paterson said.</p> <p>There are 46 horses at Ms Griffiths property and most of them are retired racehorses.</p> <p>In order to train them for being a racehorse to a therapy horse, they settle their lives down and “show them a slower pace”.</p> <p>Head horse trainer Alex McDonough said she’s surprised by how well the horses have adjusted.</p> <p>“It’s almost like they know they’re around children,” she said.</p>

Caring

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Hold your horses! Scott Morrison reins in Perrottet

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Prime Minister Scott Morrison has dampened plans to open New South Wales “to the world”, after NSW Premier Dominic Perrotet made a surprising announcement on Friday morning.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Mr Perrotet shared that fully-vaccinated tourists and Australians looking to enter the state would no longer need to complete hotel quarantine from November 1.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">But, arrivals must have had jabs of an approved vaccine and received negative COVID test results on departure and arrival.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“This decision is a big one, but it is the right one,” Perrotet said during Friday’s press conference.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“We need to rejoin the world. We can’t live here in a hermit kingdom. We want people back.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">However, his plans to reopen the state were squashed by the Prime Minister later that afternoon.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Mr Morrison confirmed that only Australian citizens, residents, and their immediate families would be allowed to skip hotel quarantine initially.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I want to stress that, for the other states and territories and I have advised the premiers and chief ministers to this end, it is about Australian residents and citizens first,” </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://7news.com.au/lifestyle/health-wellbeing/prime-minister-blocks-nsw-plan-to-welcome-back-tourists-to-sydney-but-quarantine-will-lifted-for-australian-citizens--c-4244707" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">he said</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“The Commonwealth Government has made no decision to allow other visa holders … to come to Australia under these arrangements.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“They are decisions for the Commonwealth Government and when we are in a position to make that decision down the track, obviously in New South Wales, they will be able to do so if they are vaccinated without having to quarantine.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Following Mr Perrotet’s announcements, sources from the Federal Government told </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">news.com.au</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> they were “surprised” and insisted that the decision was up to the Commonwealth.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“NSW don’t choose how we open up the borders and to whom,” </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10094509/NSWs-international-border-announcement-sparks-confusion-no-word-Scott-Morrison.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">one source said</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The airline industry was also taken aback by the announcement, with airlines proceeding to try and fill 6,000 seats on weekly flights to Sydney.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">An industry source told </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Guardian Australia</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">: “We’ve been caught by surprise on this, we’ve had zero consultation it was happening today.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Mr Perrotet also encouraged returning Australians to stop by Sydney, saying he could not control the quarantine requirements of other states and territories.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“If you’re a returning Australian and you want to come here, stay in New South Wales and stay in Sydney,” he said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Have a great time and spend up big.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Australia is expected to reopen once 80 percent of over-16s have been fully vaccinated, according to the national reopening plan that all states and territories agreed to in August.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This would trigger a “gradual opening of inward and outward travel with safe countries”, rather than an immediate reopening to vaccinated people from any country.</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Images: Getty Images</span></em></p>

News

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Feral horses will rule one third of the fragile Kosciuszko National Park under a proposed NSW government plan

<p>The New South Wales government has released a <a href="https://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/topics/parks-reserves-and-protected-areas/park-management/community-engagement/kosciuszko-national-park/draft-kosciuszko-national-park-wild-horse-heritage-management-plan">draft plan</a> to deal with feral horses roaming the fragile Kosciuszko National Park. While the plan offers some improvements, it remains seriously inadequate.</p> <p>Feral horses trample endangered plant communities, destroy threatened species’ habitat and damage Aboriginal cultural heritage — all the while increasing in numbers. The draft plan would keep many horses in the national park, locking in ongoing environmental and cultural degradation.</p> <p>The number of horses has grown dramatically in recent years under the <a href="https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/bills/Pages/bill-details.aspx?pk=3518">Wild Horse Heritage Protection Act</a>, which became law in 2018 and was championed by then NSW Deputy Premier John Barilaro. He and others argued the horses were important to Australia’s history of pioneering, pastoralism and horse trapping, and were related to rural legends and literary works.</p> <p>But the cultural heritage of an introduced species should not override the needs of a highly vulnerable alpine environment. Barilaro <a href="https://theconversation.com/nsw-deputy-premier-john-barilaro-quits-as-state-government-faces-three-byelections-169156">quit politics this week</a> – and with the driving political force behind feral horse protection now gone, we have an 11th-hour chance to safeguard this significant national park.</p> <h2>What’s in the draft plan?</h2> <p>On the positive side, the draft plan aims to:</p> <ul> <li> <p>remove feral horses from 21% of the park</p> </li> <li> <p>reduce feral horse numbers to 3,000 by 2027</p> </li> <li> <p>prevent feral horses from invading new areas.</p> </li> </ul> <p>These are critical measures. As the draft plan notes, achieving them will need a set of carefully considered control methods, including ground shooting and putting down trapped horses.</p> <p>Contrary to recent <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/no-excuse-government-releases-trapped-feral-horses-back-into-koscuiszko-20210402-p57g7s.html">counter-productive management</a>, reproductive-age females will no longer be released back into the park after being trapped.</p> <p>But on the flip side, the plan will also:</p> <ul> <li> <p>allocate one third (32%) of the national park to feral horses</p> </li> <li> <p>maintain 3,000 horses within the protected area in perpetuity</p> </li> <li> <p>attempt to control horse numbers without using the most humane and cost-effective method: <a href="https://pestsmart.org.au/toolkit-resource/aerial-shooting-of-feral-horses/">aerial shooting</a>.</p> </li> </ul> <p>Aerial shooting is ruled out because of fears around losing social licence to remove horses from the park. But this may make it impossible to achieve <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/emr.12350">effective horse control</a> across rocky, difficult-to-access terrain.</p> <p>It also means feral horse control will drag out over years. This will result in larger numbers of horses being culled, compared with completing a cull within one year. Maintaining 3,000 feral horses in this reserve means accepting the removal of at least 1,000 animals every two years in perpetuity, based on a <a href="https://reclaimkosci.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Feral-Horses-in-Kosciuszko-National-Park-Population-trends-2000-20-1.pdf">conservative rate</a> of population growth.</p> <h2>Over 14,000 horses, and rising</h2> <p>To understand the challenge, it’s important to understand the numbers. The chart below – <a href="https://reclaimkosci.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Feral-Horses-in-Kosciuszko-National-Park-Population-trends-2000-20-1.pdf">using population data</a> collected by ecologist Don Fletcher for a Reclaim Kosciuszko report – compares the number of feral horses in Kosciuszko National Park since 2000, with the number removed by trapping.</p> <p><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/425149/original/file-20211007-15-ct2am1.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/425149/original/file-20211007-15-ct2am1.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="" /></a> <span class="caption">Error bars are 95% confidence limits.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Don Driscoll</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span></p> <p>The number of horses in Kosciuszko was last measured in November 2020 at just over <a href="https://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/research-and-publications/publications-search/kosciuszko-national-park-wild-horse-populations-survey-2020">14,000</a>.</p> <p>With an the ongoing rate of increase of 18% per year and two years of population growth, numbers will have increased by 5,500. This means there’ll likely be almost 20,000 feral horses before control can start in 2022, under this plan.</p> <p>Compare this with the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/jun/27/alpine-brumbies-destructive-feral-hoofed-beasts-or-a-heritage-breed-to-protect">3,350 horses trapping has removed between 2008 and 2020</a>, and it’s clear culling, including via aerial shooting, is urgently needed.</p> <p>The huge, growing number of horses roaming Kosciuszko combined with the likelihood of immigration from outside the park, is also the main reason <a href="https://www.publish.csiro.au/wr/pdf/WR17136#:%7E:text=Committee%20extensively%20reviewed%20methods%20of,%2Dmanagement%20areas%20(HMAs)">fertility control cannot work</a>. The draft report is therefore right to reject fertility control as a workable solution.</p> <h2>33 threatened species in greater peril</h2> <p>We are most concerned about the draft plan’s allocation of one third of the park to at least 3,000 feral horses, and likely many more given the limitations on control methods. These areas harbour important ecosystems and threatened species.</p> <p><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/425150/original/file-20211007-23-eisnwp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/425150/original/file-20211007-23-eisnwp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="" /></a> <span class="caption">The overlapping distribution of feral horse retention areas under this draft plan, and threatened species.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Desley Whisson</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span></p> <p>Using publicly accessible data from <a href="https://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/topics/animals-and-plants/biodiversity/nsw-bionet">NSW Bionet</a> and <a href="https://www.ala.org.au/">Atlas of Living Australia</a>, we estimate at least 33 threatened species live within the horse retention zone. About half of these are either already known to be impacted by feral horses or we suggest will likely be impacted because they’re vulnerable to trampling, grazing or habitat damage.</p> <p>For example, the only place the critically endangered <a href="https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/834870/Stocky-Galaxias-Spatial-Dataset-Profile.pdf">stocky galaxias</a> – Australia’s most alpine-adapted fish – occurs is within the horse-retention area.</p> <p>This hardy fish was recently <a href="https://theconversation.com/double-trouble-this-plucky-little-fish-survived-black-summer-but-theres-worse-to-come-139921">rescued from bushfires</a> and faces grave risks associated with the <a href="https://theconversation.com/snowy-2-0-threatens-to-pollute-our-rivers-and-wipe-out-native-fish-135194">Snowy 2.0 scheme</a>. It’s currently protected from feral horses thanks to a stock-exclusion fence, and the draft plan notes fencing is only a short-term solution.</p> <p>The <a href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/153706/4534633">endangered Riek’s crayfish</a> also has a restricted range within Kosciuszko. If horses are removed in the southern part of the park, as the draft plan outlines, then damage to their habitat will decline by 2027. But horses remain a threat to their habitats in the north.</p> <p><a href="http://www.environment.gov.au/system/files/resources/b08acec6-6a27-4e71-8636-498719b253b4/files/alpine-sphagnum-bogs.pdf">Alpine sphagnum bogs</a> and associated fens are a nationally threatened plant community with a stronghold in Kosciuszko. It is particularly vulnerable to impacts from feral horses, and we calculate 28% of its distribution in Kosciuszko will be inside the horse-retention zone.</p> <h2>Horses heritage value a non-sequitur</h2> <p>The draft plan’s main reason for keeping feral horses in the national park is to protect heritage values. However, the plan does not explain why heritage must be celebrated by keeping 3,000 feral horses in a national park.</p> <p>In our view, while the horses have cultural heritage value to some, letting them continue to damage a fragile national park is an unacceptable trade-off.</p> <p>Consider the recent <a href="https://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/-/media/OEH/Corporate-Site/Documents/Animals-and-plants/Pests-and-weeds/Kosciuszko-wild-horses/kosciuszko-national-park-wild-horse-aboriginal-cultural-values-report.pdf">Aboriginal cultural values report</a>. It noted Indigenous Australians share similar heritage associations <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/sep/01/real-life-man-from-snowy-river-was-aboriginal-new-book-argues">as skilled horse riders</a> on farms since early colonial times. However, the report recommends acknowledging this heritage with information in a visitor centre.</p> <p>Preservation of <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-ethical-and-cultural-case-for-culling-australias-mountain-horses-64602">huts and interpretive signs</a> are another way of acknowledging the heritage values of pastoralists past.</p> <h2>A social license</h2> <p>Research <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S000632072100375X">released this month</a> surveyed 2,430 Australians and found 71% accept that feral animals can be culled to protect threatened species. As the researchers write, this sentiment is not fully reflected in existing policy and legislation.</p> <p>Barilaro’s exit may be an opportunity for NSW politicians to capitalise on this social licence.</p> <p>This <a href="https://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/topics/parks-reserves-and-protected-areas/park-management/community-engagement/kosciuszko-national-park/draft-kosciuszko-national-park-wild-horse-heritage-management-plan">draft plan</a> is one step towards protecting our native species, natural places and Indigenous heritage, and will be open for submissions until November 2.</p> <p>But if aerial culling was also on the table, those goals could be achieved with fewer horses culled and at lower cost.</p> <p><span><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/don-driscoll-17432">Don Driscoll</a>, Professor in Terrestrial Ecology, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/deakin-university-757">Deakin University</a></em>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/david-m-watson-12669">David M Watson</a>, Professor in Ecology, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/charles-sturt-university-849">Charles Sturt University</a></em>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/desley-whisson-158359">Desley Whisson</a>, Senior Lecturer in Wildlife and Conservation Biology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/deakin-university-757">Deakin University</a></em>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/maggie-j-watson-191544">Maggie J. Watson</a>, Lecturer in Ornithology, Ecology, Conservation and Parasitology, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/charles-sturt-university-849">Charles Sturt University</a></em></span></p> <p>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/feral-horses-will-rule-one-third-of-the-fragile-kosciuszko-national-park-under-a-proposed-nsw-government-plan-169248">original article</a>.</p> <p><em>Image: Shutterstock</em></p>

Domestic Travel

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Man charged over mass horse shooting

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A man has been arrested over the death of 41 horses, including pregnant mares, at a property in western Queensland.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A member of the public found the horses on August 5 at a 2000-hectare property north of Longreach.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The animals were found with multiple gunshot wounds, with police alleging the horses - including geldings, colts, pregnant mares, and mares with foals - were killed between August 3 and August 4.</span></p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height:332.7731092436975px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7843087/68976102d91c47d75ed4dbb8efbba07f.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/2bde4707b52a4c9882a031806cde0b44" /></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: Supplied / Queensland Police</span></em></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The owner of the property had been in hospital for some time prior to the incident, and was not home when it occurred.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Police arrested and charged a 49-year-old Mount Isa man on Thursday, August 12, with one count of injuring animals.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The man was refused bail and will face the Mount Isa Magistrates Court on Friday.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Detective Sergeant Allan Cook said the incident caused “great devastation” in the local community.</span></p>

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Beloved General Hospital actor dies "sitting on a horse" while filming

<p><span>Veteran soap opera actor Jay Pickett, has died at age 60. </span><br /><br /><span>His wife, Elena Pickett, was the one to confirm his death. </span><br /><br /><span>Best known for his roles in <em>General Hospital</em>, <em>Days of Our Lives</em> and <em>Port Charles</em>, Pickett passed away while away from his family in Idaho. </span><br /><br /><span>News broke of the actor’s death on Friday when actor and film producer Jim Heffel shared a touching note about their friendship on Facebook. </span><br /><br /><span>“Yesterday I lost a good friend and the world lost a great person,” Heffel wrote.</span><br /><br /><span>“Jay Pickett decided to ride off into the Heavens. Jay died sitting on a horse ready to rope a steer in the movie <em>Treasure Valley</em> in Idaho. The way of a true cowboy.”</span><br /><br /><span>He went on to say: “Jay wrote the story and starred in it. He was also coproducer with myself and Vernon Walker. He will be truly missed. </span><br /><br /><span>“Ride like the wind partner.”</span></p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CSDQdQrKsPT/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CSDQdQrKsPT/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by ElizanTV YouTube Channel. (@elizantv)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><br /><span>He was filming a scene for his upcoming movie <em>Treasure Valley</em> when he passed, his film's director, Travis Mills went on to say in a touching post. </span><br /><br /><span>"Jay Pickett, our leading man, writer, producer, and creator of this movie passed away suddenly while we were on location preparing to film a scene," Mills posted on the film's official Facebook page. </span></p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CSCUBWCH5I6/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CSCUBWCH5I6/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by 12 Westerns in 12 Months (@12westerns)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><span>"Our hearts are broken, and we grieve for his family who are so devastated by this shocking tragedy."</span><br /><br /><span>"He was doing what he loved: acting, riding horses, making movies. And he was magnificent," he continued.</span><br /><br /><span>Mills said that while his death is not confirm, it seems he passed from “a heart attack.” </span><br /><br /><span>Mills added that everyone who was there did their best "to keep him alive."</span><br /><br /><span>He went on to describe Pickett as an “incredible man” who was “kind, sweet and generous.”</span><br /><br /><span>“He was one of the best actors I ever worked with and it was an honor to collaborate with him,” he continued. “Everyone who met him, even for the briefest moment, could feel his warmth, his wonderful spirit. It is difficult to find the words right now to say more. His closest friends have said that he was very happy making <em>Treasure Valley</em> and my hope is that he truly was.”</span><br /><br /><span>The director finished his devastating post with a touching note, writing, “He was doing what he loved: acting, riding horses, making movies. And he was magnificent.”</span><br /><br /><span>Jay is survived by his wife Elena, and their three children, Maegan, Michaela and Tyler.</span></p>

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Police horse is “doing well” after alleged attack

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Images of a NSW Police horse allegedly being hit by a protestor at Sydney’s anti-lockdown rally have emerged and since gone viral.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Taken at Saturday’s anti-lockdown protest, which was attended by 3,500 mostly maskless people, the image shows the horse being allegedly struck on the nose by a man wearing a ‘Free Speech’ shirt.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Online, many have been arguing whether the horse was pushed, poked, or shoved.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In a statement shared about the arrest and charging of two men involved in the incident on Monday, NSW Police said “police horses were struck and pushed”.</span></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">Thousands of anti-lockdown protesters gather in Australia's two largest cities, with several arrested in Sydney after violent clashes with police <a href="https://t.co/fM7nMsEDVx">https://t.co/fM7nMsEDVx</a> <a href="https://t.co/38yuvgMi2g">pic.twitter.com/38yuvgMi2g</a></p> — AFP News Agency (@AFP) <a href="https://twitter.com/AFP/status/1418818226583187456?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 24, 2021</a></blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“As a result of inquiries, investigators from Strike Force Seasoned attended a unit on Marlborough Street, Surry Hills, about 11.20pm (Saturday 24 July 2021), and arrested a 33-year-old man,” NSW Police said in a statement.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">33-year-old Kristian Pulkownik was arrested at his Surry Hills home and charged with affray, joining or continuing in an unlawful assembly, committing an act of cruelty upon an animal, and breaching a COVID-19 restriction.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Another man, aged 36, was also arrested and charged with assault of an officer in the execution of duty, committing an act of cruelty upon an animal, and not complying with noticed direction.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Both men appeared briefly at Parramatta Bail Court on Sunday, with Mr Pulkownik representing himself, and were both refused bail.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Mr Pulkownik is due to appear in court again next month.</span></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">An absolute moron, wearing a "Free Speech" singlet, during an anti-lockdown protest, punching a horse. <br /><br />Put this image on a stamp. <a href="https://t.co/BeWnc3GVJp">pic.twitter.com/BeWnc3GVJp</a></p> — Adam Liaw (@adamliaw) <a href="https://twitter.com/adamliaw/status/1418824718077988864?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 24, 2021</a></blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Following the incident, the police were flooded with supportive messages expressing concern about the horse’s condition.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In a social media post, the NSW Police Mounted Unit confirmed the horse, called Tobruk, was doing well, sharing an image of Tobruk as well.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Our beautiful brave Tobruk safe and uninjured after his awful encounter today. Thank you again everyone for your words of support,” the post read.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In a later update, the unit revealed that Tobruk has been spoiled with gifts from the community.</span></p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height:375px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7842673/217003433_4136854053072817_3175006019758362356_n.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/0fbb4a497c054942a0861b80b9011534" /></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“We cannot thank you all enough for the support shown to our horses and staff,” the unit said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Carrots, apples, licorice, chocolate and bunches of flowers. Tobruk being extra spoilt by the yummy gifts today!!</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.”</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: Mounted Unit - NSW Police Force / Facebook, Adam Liaw / Twitter</span></em></p>

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Dying man granted his final wish

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"> A dying man had his wish of a day at the races fulfilled at Morphettville’s racing track in Adelaide.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Paramedics were taking Nigel Latham home from hospital to enter palliative home care when they had a simple question for him.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“They asked me if I’d like to stop anywhere on the way,” Nigel said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I had been watching the racing in hospital, so wanted to go there.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ambulance officer Bec Sanders and colleague Laura granted the 58-year-old’s request.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“In normal circumstances I would've been there for a great day of racing,” Nigel said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I’ve been a member of the South Australian Jockey Club for the last three years and own shares in a couple of horses.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Bec and Laura worked miracles and got me there. They are commended for their care and sheer goodness of their spirit.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nigel got to watch the action from the 200m mark with his wife Julie, and became the inspiration for a Melbourne Cup-winning jockey.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">After learning of Nigel’s dying wish, Craig Williams was overcome with emotion and rode Lady Dunmore to victory.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Nigel Latham, he was the inspiration for her success today,” Williams said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">After his victory, Williams rode over to Nigel and gifted him a souvenir.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“To Nigel, I said to my horse if she’d get over the line we’d make sure we give him the winning goggles and she did her job really well.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“We’d like to be grateful to people like Nigel who support the industry and have his last dying wish (of) coming here today for a great race day.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Another thoughtful racegoer named Matt also joined in on the good spirit, offering him an ice-cold beer.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nigel said the day had become one of the most memorable experiences of his life, especially with his wife by his side.</span></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">Given only days to live, Nigel Latham had a wish to go to the races one last time in Adelaide. The hospital and ambulance drivers made it happen. <br /><br />Hear Bensley read his emotional message of thanks after his day at the Morphettville track on Saturday. <br /><br />Incredible. <a href="https://t.co/KZ9POXfxnv">pic.twitter.com/KZ9POXfxnv</a></p> — SENTrack (@SEN_track) <a href="https://twitter.com/SEN_track/status/1389026708074885120?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 3, 2021</a></blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“People are amazing,” he said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I’ve had brilliant care at the Royal Adelaide Hospital. They have all tried so hard for me and then getting me to the races yesterday meant so much.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">He praised the kindness of the paramedics, saying, “Thanks to Bec and Laura for making it happen, to Ian (Richardo, Morphettville track manager) for facilitating it. For Matt for the beer and for Craig for caring so much.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Bec said Nigel was exhausted but told 7NEWS “it was really lovely to see him home and happy.”</span></p> <p><strong>Image credit: 7NEWS</strong></p>

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