Be the Change You Want to See in the World
Our motto is "Be the Change you want to see in the world." That's precisely why we set out to show that using animals for entertainment belongs in the past. There are so many ways to have an absolute blast without exploiting animals, and racing in inflatable Dinosaur and Unicorn costumes is just one of those!
The Compassionate Stakes is an event we at Little Oak Sanctuary created to show how much fun humans can have without using animals. Originally held on the same day as the Melbourne Cup horse racing event, the Compassionate Stakes also provided a cruelty-free and feel-good alternative for those who wanted to escape their offices who still supported "the cup".
This year, due to popular demand, we moved the event to a weekend to allow more folks to come along and kids to get involved. The 2024 Compassionate Stakes was held on Sunday, 27th October, at Glebe Park in Canberra.
The races kicked off at 11am with the Big Bang; The ultimate battle between T-Rexes and Unicorns! Races followed every 30 minutes, with some highlights including the 12:30pm Reptilian relay, a fierce battle as teams raced twice the distance for twice the glory and twice the fun, and the 2pm Rainbow Run, where a field made up of all Blue, Pink and White unicorns pranced across the lush grass! In between each race, kids got to have a go with our Dino-Egg & Spoon races, and while the rule following was limited, the joy was boundless.
The Realities of Horse Racing
The Compassionate Stakes offers is a feel good alternative to horse racing, but it is also a vital opportunity to share important realities and to advocate for horses bred into the racing industry.
At Little Oak Sanctuary, we care for several survivors of the horse racing industry, and we've seen first hand the condition these horses exit the industry in. Each year, we hear more of this industry's disturbing, heartbreaking and shocking reality as organisations like The Coalition for Protection of Racehorses shine a light on the reality faced by so many horses.
This year, 151 horses have died on Australian race tracks. This is a shocking figure; however, it is only a tiny fraction of the horses who lose their lives each year as a result of the racing industry.
Wastage is the term used for unwanted horses in the racing industry. Each year in Australia, 13,000-15,000 foals are bred into the racing industry.
28% (3,600-4,000 foals) don't make it as far as training, either suffering injury, death or being discarded as unsuitable.
Only around 30% of horses make it through training to actually race, but most are unsuccessful (40% will not earn any prize money at all). Only 2% of horses who make it through training to race earn enough to cover their costs.
Historically, horses are discarded from the racing industry after around 2-3 years (a horse's life expectancy is approximately 25-30 years). Those retained for breeding are similarly discarded once their breeding days are over.
Whilst rehoming programs exist, these programs fail to account for the number of horses they rehome, where the horses are located, and the horse's well-being. An official retirement form has been developed. However, there is no review or scrutiny from the industry to ensure that this document is being completed, let alone whether any of the information on the form is correct.
Investigations reveal that thousands of Thoroughbreds and Standardbreds continue to end up at the sale yards, where they risk being purchased for dog meat.
The Compassionate Alternative
Instead of bringing horses and greyhounds into a world where they face injury, exploitation and a high chance of becoming "wastage", we think that choosing entertainment that doesn't hurt animals is a much better idea, and we're not alone. A poll conducted in June 2022 by Lonergan Research canvassed a range of animal welfare issues, including racing. It showed that of the 1036 people polled:
54% agree that horses should not be raced for gambling and entertainment (30% strongly agree)
Young people are considerably more likely to oppose horse racing, with 70% of 18-24-year-olds and 61% of 25-34-year-olds agreeing that horses should not be raced for gambling and entertainment.
59% agree that racing animals like horses and greyhounds for gambling and entertainment is cruel (29% strongly agree).
53% are more likely to vote for a candidate who advocates for more robust animal welfare standards for racehorses (21% are much more likely).
With animal racing gradually losing its social license, our event, the Compassionate Stakes shows that being against racing doesn't mean you're against having a good time. The event includes a series of hilarious short races of people wearing inflatable T-Rex and Unicorn costumes. This year as the event was held on the weekend, we branched out to host kids "Dino-Egg & Spoon" races.
The event was hosted once again by the fabulous Fauxnee Phish, Canberra's premiere vegan Drag Queen! Fauxnee kept the energy high and the vibes positively buzzing.
Our races included the Enchanted Escape, a magical field of pink, blue and white unicorns galloping and skipping across the lush green grass of Glebe Park. There was the Reptilian Relay, where several teams of two battled it out, and the Jurassic Jaunt, a 100m foot race for T-Rexs only. The winners of each race were eligible to enter the grand finale, The Compassionate Stakes, with glory and a trophy up for grabs. There was incredible joy, laughter, cheers and celebration as spectators watched the ten races and kids races in between. The finale was battled out with a massive field of racers, and with the official champions being Xyb, Mischa and Jono, we don't think anyone would deny that in these races, everyone wins.
Animal Advocacy Stalls and Community Support
The event isn't just about the races, however! An array of advocacy and food stalls joined us. Tara of the Animal Defenders Office, the tremendous animal advocate, attended, sharing information about how they are doing powerful work defending animals through the law. The team from Greyhound Rescue came along and raised awareness of the hounds used in racing. Hungry bellies were satisfied with animal-friendly feasts - Au Lac brought their incredible Vietnamese Street food Truck, Future Swirl attended with Oat Milk Soft Serve & Milkshakes, Ensemble Cafe brought the vital caffeine, and we provided our staple (and somewhat infamous) veggie sausage sizzle.
We had an incredible response from the community with many local organisations getting on board with the cruelty-free fun. The crew from First Class Accounts, the accountants who handle Little Oak's bookkeeping, brought an entire team of racers from their Canberra and Snowy Mountain offices, and incredible feat, not only did they race but also planned an impromptu "Nutbush" performance mid-race - magical! Our friends at Balance Family Law were also highly represented in the winners circle, with Jono and Mischa both taking out several wins, places and of course, the ultimate glory of the Compassionate Stakes trophy. The BFL team are committed to compassion, proven not only through their work but through their commitment to this event; the Compassionate Stakes trophy has now been won by a member of Balance Family Law every year since the events start in 2019.
The Compassionate Stakes Supports Horses - For Life
Since our start in 2013, we have grown significantly, and today we care for over 330 animals, including several horses. Three of these horses are racing industry survivors. Lucky Lago, Astrid and Didge each have a story that shows some of the dark realities of the racing industry. Their story doesn't have the dark ending that so many others do. Since coming to sanctuary, they live a life where they are cared for and respected and live free from exploitation or expectation; they are free to simply be.
While the number of animals we can care for directly at the sanctuary is finite; however; through our advocacy work, we know we can change hearts and minds and, through that, make real change for thousands of other animals.
Our Compassionate Stakes event raises funds that support our racing industry survivors and other rescued horses, specifically for their feed, hoof care, dental and vet care. This year, we raised over $1,500 for our rescued horses between race entry fees and stall sales. This will cover regular hoof trims for our three rescued horses for a year!
Be the Change, Together
Events like our Compassionate Stakes races offer a way to be the change you wish to see in the world. In a world that, in our opinion, desperately needs more compassion, more empathy, more joy, and more kindness, the Compassionate Stakes lets us imagine a kinder future for all.
We pray that 2025 brings an end to the exploitation of horses and dogs for racing, but if it does not, we will be back with the Compassionate Stakes event, bringing joy, good vibrations, and, of course, putting our compassion into action.
Thank you for supporting compassionate events and our mission of creating a more compassionate world for all, whether you attended or simply supported from afar.
Please share our blog, support our work by donating or following us on social media and our newsletter, and keep exploring ways to enjoy entertainment without exploiting animals.
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