Animal Rising threatens to disrupt Royal Ascot if racing leaders fail to engage in TV debate

Animal Rising on Wednesday promised to cancel its plans to disrupt Royal Ascot if British racing's leaders engaged with it in a televised debate, prompting a scathing rejection from the BHA.

The regulator said it would not be "coerced into any activity by threats of protests" after Animal Rising, which tried and failed to stop the Derby this month, used a press conference at a north London vegan restaurant to call for the showdown with the BHA and outline other protest plans, including its intention to stop the Greyhound Derby final at Towcester on July 1.

One activist was charged with causing a public nuisance after accessing the track during the Derby, which followed disruptive protests at the Grand National, Scottish Grand National and at Doncaster. Animal Rising had repeatedly said no individuals would attempt to disrupt the Classic while it was being run and, despite video evidence appearing to clearly prove that was precisely what occurred at Epsom, maintained on Wednesday that the race had not started when protesters tried to get on the track.

BHA chief executive Julie Harrington said: "At a press conference today, Animal Rising said it will cease its protest activity this summer if British racing agrees to take part in a public debate about 'the morals of horseracing'. We will never allow British horseracing to be coerced into any activity by threats of protests.

“Animal Rising has shown by its reckless actions at the Epsom Derby that its public promises cannot be trusted," added Harrington. "It has demonstrated that it is prepared to commit potentially unlawful acts and to directly threaten the safety of horses and people to generate publicity around their wider aims. These aims include the end of all use of animals by human beings."

Julie Harrington: actions at the Epsom Derby showed Animal Rising "cannot be trusted"

Harrington added: "Spokespeople for the sport have already taken part in well over an hour of televised debate since April. Throughout those debates the message was clear – that British racing is a sport which is proud of its welfare record, which provides an unparalleled quality of life for the 20,000 horses that compete each year, and which constantly works to minimise the levels of avoidable risk.

"Once again I call on Animal Rising to end its reckless acts against a sport legally enjoyed by millions of people every year."

A spokesperson for Ascot said: "The BHA has made a statement on behalf of the industry which we fully support. We have today contacted Animal Rising to offer them a dedicated area to protest from during Royal Ascot and to ask that they use this rather than carrying out any activity that poses a threat to human and equine safety."

After two Animal Rising spokespeople spelled out their plans for Royal Ascot and the Greyhound Derby final, a third expanded on the group's mission, saying it plans to "liberate" more animals from farms, following the removal of three sheep from the King's Sandringham estate last month. It said in addition to protecting animals involved in sport, it hoped its actions would spark a wider conversation about our "broken relationship" with animals.

"Disruption is only half of direct action, the other half is dialogue," said the group's Louisa Hillwood. "Before the Derby, we reached out to the BHA and the Jockey Club to have discussions about what we intended to do. Our position with Ascot is that we've reached out to start dialogue with them, to call on them to accept a televised debate with Animal Rising and until then we will not rule out the possibility of disruption.

"If the racing industry really believes in what it is doing, it should have no concerns about defending it publicly. Just as we did before Epsom, we're calling on the racing industry to show the true meaning of love for the animals in their care and to stop putting them in harm's way. The time is now for the beginning of the end of horseracing, just like greyhound racing and other sports that use animals."

Animal Rising could not provide details regarding the broadcast of a televised debate and when pressed on what shape its protest at Royal Ascot could take, the group's Robert Gordon added: "The ideal scenario would be they accept the televised debate and then we don't have to have that conversation internally but if we were to try to disrupt the event, it would be similar to what we've seen before."

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