Giostra dell’Orso in Pistoia under attack

A storm has been unleashed over the Giostra dell’Orso after two horses seriously injured during the race were put down. 
Oracle Force and Golden Storming were profitable racing mares, with respective career earnings of 23 579 euro for Oracle Racing Force in a 50-race career and 34 918 euro in 39 races for Storming Golden. 
The two mares suffered grave injury while they completing a lap in the rain; the race was not stopped despite the obvious safety fears. 
Oracle Force ran for the Rione del Griffone and was unfortunately the first victim of the race. The veterinarian found a fracture of the first phalanx and the mare was put asleep before being killed. 
Golden Storming belonged instead to the Rione del Drago and also a fracture of the radius did not leave any other option. Although the two horses were on the ground the race was not stopped and continued shamefully.  
The judicial authority has in its possession documents relating to the veterinary aid and a technical reports on the track, under accusation of breaking course safety rules. 
Representatives of LAV are furious and have announced legal action, the Pistoia’s Palio dell’Orso, which celebrates St. James every July 25th, is certainly not the only event to be accused over the years but the struggle for animal rights groups to stop this type of event with the passage of time is becoming increasingly fierce. In previous years, the event was under the microscope for doping cases and similar accidents and deaths, kept hidden, of two horses during the practice session for a total of 7 victims and 17 animals crippled during the so-called “carousel of death.“ 
There has been a small, but significant victory already: the mayor of Pistoia has decided that next year the Giostra dell’Orso will be suspended. 
People on the web in the meantime are already mobilized and waiting for lawyers and the courts to rule but many have already expressed their opinion on www.change.org. The petition now has more than 23 000 signatures. 
Click here to view the petition: http://www.change.org/it/petizioni/dopo-i-cavalli-morti-del-2014-e-quell … 
(MC)