Jockey Club injunction against protesters at Epsom extended for five years

An injunction aimed at deterring protesters from disrupting racing at Epsom has been extended for five years following a High Court ruling.

The Jockey Club had been granted an interim injunction in the build up to the 2023 Derby after protesters from Animal Rising outlined their intentions to prevent the Classic from taking place. Protesters from the same group had previously delayed the start of the Grand National by 14 minutes.

The final injunction, which will be subject to annual review, means the conditions prohibiting trespass and protests aimed at disrupting racing, such as entering the parade ring or putting objects on the course, shall be set in place.

Anyone breaching the injunction could be fined and/or imprisoned for contempt of court, with the order in place for all meetings at the track.

Last year, Ben Newman, a founding member of Animal Rising, was given a suspended jail sentence and 80-hours unpaid community work, as well as contributing £10,000 to the Jockey Club's costs, after running on to the course after the start of the Derby.

Nevin Truesdale, Jockey Club chief executive, said: "The interim injunction has proved a very effective deterrent to those who had been considering illegally and irresponsibly protesting on racedays, with potential unknown and dangerous consequences for jockeys, racegoers and the horses themselves.

"We have always said that we will do everything in our power to ensure that the safety of all horses, participants, racegoers and our employees is not compromised by such reckless actions and we are extremely pleased that this final injunction to restrain acts of trespass will keep the current restrictions in place for up to a further five years.

"We will never tolerate or acquiesce in a repeat of the disruption we saw last year and we welcome this High Court ruling."

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