Animal Activists Plan Protest at Wellington Cup Over Alleged Horse Abuse

Animal rights activists are planning to protest outside the Wellington Cup this weekend, accusing the race of being a celebration of animal abuse.

In the last racing year, 17 horses died on New Zealand tracks, along with 378 cases of excessive whip use and 278 horses showing signs of stress and agitation, among other injuries.

The protesters plan to use props and visual displays to demonstrate to racegoers the abuse that horses undergo in races, and will argue that horse racing is modern-day legalised cruelty.