Animal Rising admits 'a future where perhaps the thoroughbred isn't around' if its plans succeed

A high-profile member of Animal Rising has acknowledged the controversial group's objectives could lead to the disappearance of the thoroughbred breed – an outcome that would be deemed worthwhile as part of its wider "moral" aspirations.

The claim brought a swift response from the BHA, which said the incendiary comment and others made by the group showed a lack of understanding of the breed and of racing in general.

Activists from Animal Rising will on Saturday aim to prevent the Betfred Derby from being run, despite Epsom's Jockey Club owners having last week succeeded in obtaining a High Court injunction against the protest organisation's co-founder Dan Kidby and all others motivated to break the law.

Two months after an Animal Rising track invasion delayed the Grand National start by 14 minutes, the group will again seek to gain exposure through racing, with its website calling for volunteers to disrupt Flat racing's premier race and additionally advertising a six-hour event outside the racecourse billed as "a vegan alternative to the Epsom Derby Festival".

Animal Rising spokesperson Nathan McGovern has accepted the vast majority of those who work in racing love an equine breed that would likely be made extinct in Britain if the pressure group was able to implement a plan to "rewild" all horses. The BHA estimates there are around 75,000 thoroughbreds in Britain, including all active racehorses, breeding stock and animals retired from racing.

The Jockey Club last week secured an injunction against Animal Rising co-founder Dan Kidby and others who might wish to cause disruption at Epsom on Derby day

"I have no doubt pretty much everyone who works in the industry loves the horses," said McGovern. "For us, it's not an animal welfare issue. It's not specifically anti-horse racing. We have been very public in saying there is an intention to cause the Derby to be delayed or cancelled, with the ultimate goal being to bring the spotlight on what we would call our broken relationship with animals in the natural world."

He added: "It's tragic that we've come to a point where so many of these animals only exist for the racing industry.

"Thoroughbreds are beautiful creatures, but we can't escape the base point that the very reason they exist is fundamentally unethical. There is a future where perhaps the thoroughbred isn't around, but we have wild horses whose beauty we can love and appreciate in the countryside and forests."

Expanding on what would happen to thoroughbreds if racing was banned, McGovern told the Racing Post: "It's a fantastic question and not one I think anyone has adequately answered so far.

"First, I would say we need to stop breeding these horses into existence purely to be using and exploiting them. The next step is to look at how do we begin the phased retirement of the horses currently within the industry, appreciating that there will be a considerable cost in that."

McGovern, who would like to see the levy used to pay for the retirement project, added: "It's not a numbers question, it's a moral question. Is it right to be breeding animals into existence for the sole purpose of using them? The thoroughbred would not exist were if not for the racing industry.

"In terms of the bigger picture question of our relationship with animals, we would eventually see substantial parts of the UK rewilded, so that populations of wild horses – and I take the point that thoroughbreds are not wild horses – would increase."

Asked if it would not be regrettable if the thoroughbred breed ceased to exist, McGovern said: "You could say that, but pugs are wonderful, beautiful, adorable dogs, yet they have been bred over time to have those features for us to enjoy at the cost of their quality of life because their breathing systems get destroyed.

"I think there is a similar argument to be made about the thoroughbred. Many of the reasons the thoroughbreds have their temperament is they have been specifically bred to run as fast as they possibly can."

McGovern also denied losing the thoroughbred would be a sacrifice, arguing: "To look at it as a sacrifice would imply there is something that is ours to sacrifice."

Responding to McGovern, a BHA spokesperson said: "These comments expose Animal Rising’s true objectives. The extinction of the thoroughbred as a breed of horse would not be an objective which most members of the British public would support. Comparing thoroughbreds to pugs highlights a lack of understanding about the breed and the racing industry in general.

"Racing brings life to a breed of horses which would not otherwise exist, and the quality of that life is astonishingly high. Racing collectively will be making this point unequivocally over the coming days."

The Jockey Club – which is spending an additional £150,000 on security arrangements at Epsom – believes protesters will get on the track prior to the Derby and is set to concentrate efforts on then removing them from the site.

Chief executive Nevin Truesdale said: "The reason racing is being targeted – and in my view racing will continue to be targeted – is this sport has one of the biggest platforms these people can find.

"I actually think this provides an opportunity for us to talk confidently about welfare. That’s what we did after Aintree and it’s what we'll be doing this week."

Read these next:

'I believe it's very likely people will get on the track' - the many challenges of defending Epsom 

All the doughnuts in the world won't make these wrong-headed troublemakers leave racing in peace 

Jockey Club granted injunction to prevent 'dangerous and reckless' Derby protests - but Animal Rising double down on threats 

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