The JUICE Media Podcast

We need to talk about the Melbourne Cup | with Ellen & Kristin

Episode Summary

Ep 6: in which I talk with Ellen, our actor, and Kristin, from the Coalition for the Protection of Racehorses, about the Melbourne FuCUP and the reasons why you probably don't want to be supporting or participating in it any more.

Episode Notes

Ep 6: in which I talk with Ellen, our actor, and Kristin, from the Coalition for the Protection of Racehorses, about the Melbourne FuCUP and the reasons why you probably don't want to be supporting or participating in it any more.

Here's the video associated with this podcast episode: Honest Government Ad | The Melbourne Cup

LINKS MENTIONED IN THE PODCAST:

Coalition for the Protection of Racehorses: horseracingkills.com
Fashuns on the Field: https://www.facebook.com/events/398194507558790
Nup To The Cup Events: https://horseracingkills.com/nuptocup
Other ways to take action: 10 Ways you can help horses on Cup Day

If you enjoyed this podcast, subscribe and please recommend it to others! 

Help us to keep going: you can support us in these ways
Or visit our Juice Media store 

Keep up with our work on Youtube | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
 

Episode Transcription

[Ellen]
Hey, this is Ellen. You're listing to The Juice Media podcast, a companion to the Honest Government ad series, authorised by the Department of Genuine Satire.

[music]

[Giordano]
Hey everyone, Giordano here, and Ellen. I am joined, today, on the podcast, by one of our awesome actors, Ellen Burbidge, and also by Kristen from the Coalition for the protection of Racehorses, who I'll be interviewing in the second half of this podcast. But first, we're gonna chat with Ellen about our recent Honest Government ad, which is about the Melbourne Cup, or, as Ellen refers to it The Melbourne FuCup.
Thank you Ellen for contributing that comedy gold to this episode.
Here's a snippet from the video.

[Ellen]
Hello, I'm from the Victorien Government.
Are you ready for the Melbourne Cup?
Here that sound?
It's coming!
No! That's not race horses. That's the sound of Tarocash wearing [inaudible] sculling f*ckers heading to the Flemington race course, were they'll get maggot faced, and cheer as these sentient creatures are forced to run at lung breaking speed while leaving the joint looking like this.
This isn't a bad dream. This is the Melbourne FuCup. The day where Melbourne regresses by two millennia to the age of the Colosseum.
Where horses are whipped, have their tongues tied, bleed from their nostrils, and in the lungs, snap their fucking legs, and get euthanized on the track. All for the amusement of semi-evolved primates.
Bronze age entertainment!

[music]

[Giordano]
So, this isn't the typical issue we cover on the Honest Government Ad series, but we wanted to make an exception to the on-going shit-fuckery coming out of the Federal Government, in order to shine a light on a local issue, which is, however, a global one. That is, the horse racing industry.
Here in Melbourne, we have a tradition known as The Melbourne Cup. World famous horse race, which attracts people from around the world. It's a day of merriment, fashion and jolliness, and it's also a public holiday in the state of Victoria.
But there is a darker side to all the bling and shininess and happiness, and that is the reality of the horse racing industry, which was recently revealed publicly by a shocking ABC report which came out detailing the industrial scale which former race horses, or unwanted race horses, that don't make the cut, are slaughtered, as a by product of this use-and-discard mentality of the racing industry. So we really wanted to help raise awareness of the reality of the horse racing industry by shining a light on the Melbourne Cup. Which is a day on which society celebrates this industry, I think unwittingly, without really knowing what is going on behind the scenes.
So many people really do not know. So, in the tradition of The Juice Media, we decided to ruin another public holiday, we started off with Australia Day earlier this year, in order for people to question, and ask themselves is this something they really want to be supporting?
And, I'm really glad to be able to welcome on to the podcast, to talk a little bit about this, Ellen, our actor, who hosted this particular Honest Government Ad, and is also a regular actor in the series, along with Zoe.
Hey Ellen.

[Ellen]
Hey, Giordano.

[Giordano]
So, as well as being and actor, dancer, and amazing singer, Ellen is also a warrior activist, vegan, zero waste, lifestyle person, who tries to do as little bad shit on the planet. Also passionate about animal rights, and well, just not human creatures, including race horses, which why I thought it would be great to get her to speak a little about what this episode means to her.

[Ellen]
OK, so OK, first of all, whenever I get these scripts, like the first read is always, wow, this is really shocking, I want to learn more, and then we get on set, and it is really fun, and we actually have a really fun, silly, time.
And it is not until after, when I am processing it after, posting it and engaging with people and thinking about it that I that I get that deeper shock feeling again.
What what we are actually dealing with here, and I actually think that it is so cool that you have addressed this issue, which I feel like is such a.. It's so scary for people to talk about animal cruelty, you know, for some reason. I just think that being vegan, I've been vegan for ten years, I am scared to talk it. So it is cool when other people, who aren't vegan, are actually interested in these issues and want to talk about them.

[Giordano]
Why do you say it's scary?
Is it because you also have a personal connection to horses and people involved in the horse racing industry?

[Ellen]
So, I grew up with horses, and on a personal level, it scares me that there are people that I know, who are in my life, who are engaging with the Melbourne Cup, who are engaging with horse racing. And when you question someones actions, it feels really personal. It feels like you're questioning their integrity just as a human being. But these issues are just about so much more than who we are. It's outside of us, and we need to be thinking about the animals. And, you know, the other people involved who are getting affected, who are affected by gambling, alcohol abuse, I can't believe, I mean it makes sense but, violence against women increases drastically on Cup day. That's insane, and we should be looking at that. It feels like really personal topic, but it shouldn't be. It should be about the animals, and people who are affected by these awful social issues.

[Giordano]
Now, you've just said it shouldn't be a personal topic, but ironically, I just wanted to take just one moment to point out, that one of the things I admire about you as a person is that, you know, you've embraced this lifestyle, but the way you live your life encourages other people to want to do it as well. Simply because you lead by positive example, and that is such a powerful way of inspiring others to change their ways. It's definitely affected us, here at home, with me and Lucy. We are definitely more conscious of these things because of knowing you. So it's really amazing seeing people walking the talk.

[Ellen]
Thanks Giordano.
That means so much to me, and I actually like, I've had a few experiences recently where I've had that reflected to me and it's been such a beautiful thing to hear. And it's because I love it, I just love me lifestyle. I love filling up my jars. It feels so wholesome. I love knowing where the food comes from. I think being excited and enthusiastic about this lifestyle that I live is a really welcoming and inviting thing for people. And I think when people see that, like, it's a positive energy to be around. It's yeah, it's not so frightening to be curious about that world

[Giordano]
Yeah. Absolutely. And you definitely make it look a lot easier than people think it is. And hopefully we are going to talk more about this, because it is such an interesting and important topic. So, hopefully, on future podcasts we can get into more depth on how people can practice a zero waste lifestyle and do other other things to minimise the impact we have an individual level, as well as taking collective action to change government policy which is what we usually talk about oh the series.
But I want to steer us back to the topic of the video and the racing industry, and I just wanted to ask you one more question, and I think this is really interested, and I know this is a sensitive topic, but, you've mentioned that you have family the industry, and I think this is of interest to a lot of people who, you know. How does the personal and family clash sometimes when you try to speak on issues that matter to you?

[Ellen]
Yes, so I think my passion for the issues probably is clouded, my ability to see how it could be might be hurtful to the people who really love the industry. It's conflicting, but I think, ultimately, I fucken love my family and I know they fucken love me, and we can put aside our politics to have good relationships with each other and they know that the videos we make are cheeky, and they're meant to be a little bit radical. Otherwise, they are not going to be shared, and the issues aren't going to be talked about, so it was really important to me to make the video, and certainly don't mean any harm. I just want these issues to be talked about. Yeah, like, its amazing. I've had conversations with my family about it, and, although it could be an easier thing to deal with, it stuns me how much love just paves the way. And yeah, it's amazing like, we're all just happy that there is space to have a conversation. Yeah, we're all really please there's space for the conversation. I think ultimately, that is what Juice Media is about. It's about creating space to have conversations. Laughter.


[Giordano]
And I think a lot of people listening will relate because, you know, whether it's the racing industry, or refugee issues, or which party you vote for, people in families disagree about things, it's kind of natural, its a pretty good thing, it's a good sign that families don't all think alike. And when these things are brought up at the family dinner table, it creates conflict and division, but, what is the alternative?
The alternative is just not talking about these things, and that is not good either, so, there is no easy answer. But, I will always remember what Gary Foley said. He said "Try and convince your own friends, and the people around you, your own family, of these issues". Because that is where we can really have an impact, is by talking to the people closest to us".
A shout out to everyone who does that. Who takes the trouble to discuss these things with the family.
And a shout out to Ellen who went and hosted a whole video exposing the shit fuckery of the racing industry, you know, that takes a lot of guts. So thank you. You could have taken the easy option and said "no, I'll pass on this one". But instead, you hosted it, and did a brilliant job. And I think everyone listening will agree what an amazing actor you are, and you and Zoe, got such brilliant actors to help bring our scripts to life. So, thank you, and I hope we'll have you back on the podcast sometime soon.

[Ellen]
Thanks you Giordano. Thank you for making this. Thank you for shedding the light on such a important topic.

[music]

[Giordano]
We've just been speaking with Ellen Burbidge, one of the actors on the Honest Government ads. Next up, I am going to be talking with Kristen from the Coalition for the Protection of Racehorses. And we're gonna go in to more detail about the dirty side of the racing industry, so this is going to be very interesting for anyone who wants to learn more about the issues we just touched on in the Honest Government ad.
Hi Kristen.

[Kristen]
Hi Giordano, How're you going?

[Giordano]
Good. Thanks for joining us on the podcast. So, we're approaching that time of year now where, I imagine, you get really busy, and that's cup day. Melbourne Cup day. Can you tell us a little about the things you would like more people to know about. A lot of people don't know what the issues are. Like, this is just a day we have grown up with, this is a tradition, we've always done it. What do people need to know about Melbourne Cup day?
[Kristen]
Well, I guess the Melbourne Cup itself has ingrained itself in our culture through very good, very targeted, well oiled marketing machine, and, it unfortunately, you know we've got a public holiday for it! It's that ingrained and supported by our government and many people in the public. It's kind of become this tradition, like you said, where people who don't even care about horse racing during the year, suddenly want to go to the races because of the fashion and the booze, and meeting people, and this glamorous facade that it tries to portray. So, we really want to break through that marketing machine, and we are breaking through that marketing machine, and exposing what underlies that, so called, tradition, and that day of celebration of horses.
And what underlies it, is an industry build on absolute cruelty and oppression, and suffering, of these horses. And because it is that one day of the year that is so celebrated, in our culture, it is a really important time for us to be able to break through that, because the spotlight is on it so much. So we really like to highlight a few key areas that shock people the most, probably because they are the most horrid parts of the industry and the most well hidden. And that is wastage, for a start. The killing, or discarding of from the industry once they are no longer profitable, or even the ones people forget, the ones which were never profitable in the first place. So the industry actually has studies which show about 45% of foals which are born specifically into this industry, don't even make it to the track, because, they don't have the desired attributes that they are look for, for a winning horse.
So, there's that right from the get go, there is already that awful side of the industry that people don't really know about. Now, where all those foals go, is a good question, and a recent investigation has shown they go to the slaughter house, or, to the knackery. That's one thing which horrifies people, and obviously, attached to that is the mares and the stallions, which are used to breed these foals. Once those mares are no longer able to breed, or the stallions become unviable, where do they go? I mean, they need to go somewhere too. And there are a lucky few who do get re-homed, but, the majority to go to get killed, where they go to a slaughter house to get turned into, cut up into pieces for flesh, and sent overseas. Or, they will go to knackeries, where they'll be killed for pet food in this country.
So, that's a huge, horrific side of the industry, which has recently been exposed very well by Seven Thirty, on the ABC.
The second really huge issue that we have really exposed, through our campaigning, is the deaths on track. So, we have a thing called the Death Watch Report. People don't realise, that at least one horse is killed, on Australian race tracks, every three days. We highlight that, it is quite horrifying for people, because, they see as, horses love to run. You put them on a track. You put a jockey on their back, off they go and everyone's happy at the end, and someone gets some money.
What's really going on there is, they're being pushed so far beyond their limits, because there's so much money involved, and the people are only in this industry for making money. They enjoy it as well, of course, but their motivation is to make money. So, of course they're gonna push those animals as hard as possible to get that money. To have that winning horse. To win the Melbourne Cup, and things like that. So that's what we're seeing. Six horses killed in the last six years on cup day at Flemington. And we've seen horses, constantly, every year, die, on average, one every three days, from heart attacks on track, just literally dropping dead on the track, it's horrific to see. And from injuries like internal bleeding. Those injuries to horses, can't be healed easily, so the outcome is, most of the time, euthanasia.
Now, if you have a horse with an injury that can be healed, that's time and money. And when you are looking at a living b being, which is seen as object for profit, they're not gonna want to spend more time and money than they are making from that individual. So, the temptation is to, oh well, we're gonna have to spend years rehabilitating this horse, and caring for this horse in the process. What is the return I am going to get on doing that? Do the maths. They're not gonna invest that money if they are not gonna get the return, because that is all the horse exists for. So that's another real issue. So, deaths on track, or Death Watch, and wastage are two really big issues that we like to educate people on so they stop supporting this industry.
Then there is also the objects of oppression and domination that are used to harm and terrify these animals, and make them dependant on humans. So, you know, you've got bits, spurs, whips, tongue ties. All are completely legal instruments, that harm, and put fear in to control and dominate these animals. Obviously blinkers play that role as well, so that makes the horse dependant on the jockey on their back for their formal compliance. So there's all of these things being used and just being looked at as normal objects. And people think that, because it's ingrained in our culture, this is what horse racing is. People don't see these objects for what they really are, so we're liking to educate on that.
Then, of course, there is jiggers. Electric shock devices, which are illegal. So electric shock devices, illegal to use on horses, but are being used anyway, as we've seen from people calling us. They say they're common practice. It's just that Darren Weir happened to get caught. This is really wide spread, this kind of behaviour in the industry, so, that's another issue we really like to highlight as well.
And then you've also got 90% are shown to bleed from the lungs when racing, because they're pushed so hard, and often results in them bleeding in the wind pipe, and that's why you'll occasionally see horses, well not occasionally enough unfortunately, quite commonly see horses bleeding from the nostrils. You see it in stewards reports all the time.
So, they're the kind of more obvious cruel, once you see them, cruel sort of traits that people don't think about until you highlight them, and they start to think about them, and they think "How is this justified"? We're putting these beautiful beings through this suffering so that I can go and have a flutter at the track and wear a dress, and a suit, and have a glass of champagne, and have party with my friends. And I am not even looking at the horses, or the outcome they're getting, and that is basically the Spring Carnival. That's pretty horrific.

[Giordano]
It's really hard to hear all that. Because, when you put it all together, it's a ghastly picture that forms. I think the reason people go to the races, is they have no idea about this. I mean, there is quite a lot of myths and misinformation regarding horse racing, and I think one of the most prevalent ones is that horses enjoy racing, or being pushed to all kinds of limits. Which is a hard one to argue because horses can't speak for themselves. But, how do we know that, um, if they do or do not? Because some people literally say "No. Horses love it". And others say they don't. There is footage which clearly, of horses forced into the starting pen, in order to get them to race. But how do we know? I there some sort of research about this that you can share with people? Or is it just common sense?

[Kristen]
I mean. It's partly common sense, once you actually give it some extra thought. I think if you've grown up looking at horses on a track on your TV screen, and on radio, kinda hearing this kind of commentator you think, "oh yeah, they must love it". Why would they do it otherwise?


[Giordano]
They have fun names, and colourful ...

[Kristen]
Yeah, like they care. People will say a horse, you can't make a five hundred kilo horse do what he doesn't want to do. But they forget that these horses spirits have been broken from a really young age, and they're forced to be compliant. That's why they call it breaking the horse. You're breaking their spirit, so that they become and empty version of themselves, and they are compliant to the people that are exploiting them. So if you think about a horse loves to run, I think people compare running and racing. A horse loves to run when a horse a horse feels like running. A horse wants to play with they feel like playing. A horse likes to roll when they feel like rolling. If you give a horse, if you see a liberated horse whose spirit isn't completely broken, they'll behave in these beautiful ways, that are natural to them, in their groups. And interacting with humans as well in those cases too when they have really good humans around them.
When you put a horse on a track, they're being told when to run, how fast and where, in a circle. A horse won't do that naturally, they have to be broken and trained. And on top of that, they of course have to have all these instruments, which I spoke about before, to dominate and control the horses, and they have to have a human on their back, forcing them to go, and use the whip, and sometimes imitating the jigger, if the trainer is also using the jigger illegally. So that's not a horse choosing to run. That is a horse being forced. And occasionally you will see horses refuse. You know, we saw Chautauqua, last year. It was just amazing. It just refused to race, and would not leave the barrier. And everyone fell in love with this horse, because the spirit was still there, and they used that as an example, an say, "Well, like Chautauqua, see? When they don't want to, they'll show you". But they forget, it's like humans. Some humans, when they're broken, Some humans fight back, and some give in. And horses are exactly the same, in my view. Some will go "No, I'm not going to do this any more". I don't want to do this, and others will go "I'm terrified. If I don't do this I don't know what is going to happen to me". I think it is hard to see that until you really start thinking about it, and watching the behaviour behind the scenes, you will see them, like you said, being forced into those barriers before they're let out. If they really want to do that, you know, study "do horses really love to race", you just need to go and look at how wild horses behave. They're not racing each other!


[Giordano]
No, I think, as you said, the key is the difference between running and racing. We put ourselves through pretty strenuous activity as well, but it's, and somebody pointed out, exercise induced pulmonary haemorrhage, which is the clinical term for bleeding into the lungs, which horses experience, is also found in humans, but obviously, humans make a choice, that they have an agency in whether they subject themselves to extreme sporting activities, and push themselves, and if they're injured, they certainly do not get euthanized on the track. So, you know, it's a different thing. There is a lot of subtlety which goes out the window in this debate for getting that horse, and not just horses, but all animals raced, or placed under extreme pressure that they haven't really signed up for. That's just what they've been bred for. And that kinda brings me back to the point, and taking us back to how you started, which was the breeding industry. It feels like the key to the problem is that too many horses are bred, correct me if I'm wrong, what's the number at the moment, that every year, just in Australia, something like fourteen thousand race horses are bred, and there's nowhere near enough demand for that many race horses, or places to house them. So, there is inbuilt into this industry, there is a kind of excess that needs to be disposed of, which led to the horrible scenes we saw on the Seven Thirty Report. Is that, where does breeding fit into all of this? What has been done to address this over supply
[Kristen]
Well, that's the thing. Nothing has been done. And even after this we're seeing, after Seven Thirty, we're seeing nothing is still being done. There is no effort to address this issue, I think [inaudible] in Victoria mentions they want to look at it, but, basically a mentality of breed, use, discard, and no consideration of where those individuals are going to end up. So there's this real mentality of, yeah, breed as many as we like without considering the fact that there is absolutely nowhere for them to go. You've got people who do their best. You've got sanctuaries that have got all these horses, that are they're trying to save. You've got people putting their hands in their own pockets constantly, missing out on things for themselves, and their own human families, to save these beautiful horses from the sale yards, and pulling out all stops to out bid these kill buyers, when they really can't afford it. But they just can't bear to see them be killed like this. And then you've got this industry that's got billions of dollars, and doesn't care. It's just such an imbalance and disrespect.

[Giordano]
It's a huge industry. The turn over, I was reading, was something like three billion dollars wagering turnover, we're talking a lot of money. It's a billion dollar industry. You would think, in order to preserve that kind of wealth and income, the industry would clean up its act, and go, "well look, if the public withdraw the social license, and no one comes to the races any more we lose those billions. It's in our interest to look after these creatures and treat them in a way that is acceptable". But, is there a way of reforming the racing industry, in such a way that it is humane. Or is it that there should be no racing? Can this be done ethically and morally? Or, can it just not be done at all?

[Kristen]
I think from the start, the coalition has taken a position that this is a really big industry, we're not gonna stop it, at least not in the near future. So let's look at ways we can improve this industry for these horses, and make improvements like, retirement plans, and cutting back on breeding numbers, and banning the whip, and addressing injuries on track, and trying to find ways to reduce those numbers. But, over the years, learning the attitude of the industry, in trying to meet with them and get them to address these issues, and researching, and investigating. Talking to people who were involved in the industry, about what really goes on, and the mentality and the attitude, the coalition has really come to a point now where we are adamant that this industry, from what we've seen, from we've learnt, can never be made human and fair, and kind for those horses. It's impossible when an animal is viewed as an object for profit making, that their well being will be put first. As soon as an animal is viewed as an object, they're going to be treated as an object, and when you bring a life into the world, solely to make money for you, when your reason for being here is failing, you're suddenly worthless. I mean, it's kind of common sense that that is going to be the outcome. So, we can go beyond that, and think, using animals for entertainment, in itself, whether there weren't these cruel instruments. people still respected them and loved them. I mean, some people in the industry do. In their own way they do. I just can't see the industry ever getting to a point where, just the concept of using animals to do something against their will in itself, that, in itself, can never be fixed.

[Giordano]
Well. Look. You never know. These things do take time. If you look back in the nineteenth century, in Britain, cockfights, and dog fights, and people would be on animals ripping each other to bits in public, and that was all banned. Although, admittedly, one of the reasons they banned it was that, they discouraged it because this was on the weekend, and they wanted people to go to church, and there was a lot of evangelical groups that were the first animal rights groups. But mainly because they did not want the Lords day to be desecrated with such activities. So, that doesn't happen any more, thankfully. And so, it is entirely possible, at some stage, that society realises that this is something that's got to go. It's time's up. But until then, I think what you said is exactly the point. Introduce laws, and that are enforced by the industry, such as abolishing whips, and there is a retirement plan, I saw on your website, you've proposed a one percent tax on all wagering, which would raise hundreds of millions of dollars, which could be used then to provide for those horses that are retired or not race fit. So there are solutions to make it a lot more humane.

[Kristen]
I just wanted to say, absolutely, wanting to have slaughter bans. Those horses need to be cared for clearly. Whips need to be banned, and all these things, but it is really important, when we are talking about these things the industry can do to improve things, at least, that we remind people that it doesn't make it kind, and it doesn't mean that, once we ban the whip, that it's OK, and you should start supporting horse racing again. Or, once we get a retirement plan, it's OK. Because the last thing we want to do is make people think its all OK, everything's been fixed, they've banned the whip, they've got a retirement plan.

[Giordano]
Fair enough. Good point. On the bright side. Each year, if I understand correctly, fewer and fewer people are going to the Melbourne Cup, so things are moving in the right direction, in terms of the cultural attitude towards this practice. And on that note, I thought you could close off on what people can do if don't want to, it's still going to be a public holiday. How can they celebrate, without causing, and supporting cruelty to race horses?

[Kristen]
There's much that we can be doing on cup day. So we really want to make cup day a party for the animals. Not even the cups day, the first Tuesday of November, to make it a party for the animals. Like really have that shift, so, Nup To The Cup has been growing every year by, extraordinarily actually. Especially the last three to four years, we've really seen, like last year, it trended all day on twitter. We have people submit their own Nup To The Cup parties, and that grows every year as well also. And not just fund raisers at animal sanctuaries, and things like that that. You're seeing cafes saying we'll give a dollar from every coffee we sell, just so we can do something on the day, and show our customers that we oppose horse racing. And corporates are feeling really uncomfortable about running office sweeps now, and contacting us asking what can we offer our staff instead of a sweep, to make sure we're not engaging in an unethical practices in the workplace, and making staff feel uncomfortable. Because there is a social pressure, of course, to engage in these things, so if corporates can make their staff feel a lot better, and give them an alternative, then they're showing that they're a progressive company, who is living up to their corporate social responsibilities. But yeah, we've got our own Nup To The Cup, called Farshuns On The Field, and that happens at Flemington each year, just down the road, at the Newmarket reserve. We have human races, which is, obviously, a lot fairer. Everyone who is joining those races, is joining by choice. No one is forced. People have wild dress ups. People can dress up as though they are going to the races. They can go really wild and extravagant, and put on some amazing outfits, which people are doing. We have a vegan barbeque, showing that we are not engaging in any kind of cruelty, even to other, so called, farmed animals. And we're just setting an example for the race goers, as they go past. Look, we're having a great time, and we don't need to harm others to do so. And you're welcome to join us. We want this movement to grow. We don't want to attack the people going to the races. We want to make them realise what they're supporting, so they stop doing it. I mean, I've been to the races, many many years ago now, but I went, I just didn't know. I was eighteen years old. That is what my friends did, so I just went along. I actually didn't enjoy it at all, and I never went back. And I think that happens a lot with people to. But, a lot of people walking in those gates have no idea. So we just want to show them the truth, and offer them and alternative, and make a cultural shift. And I think that is really happening, and its really exciting. Especially seeing these stars dropping out now. Partly because of the ethical issues, but partly because they don't want to be associated from their image perspective.
So Nup To The Cup is the way to go.

[Giordano]
This is Taylor Swift who was going to perform.

[Kristen]
Yes! And Megan Gail dropped out today as well. The culture is shifting. It's never fast enough, but it happening. We need to keep that momentum, and keep educating, and changing, and making it unacceptable to support animal abuse.

[Giordano]
Absolutely. It definitely feels like the tide is turning, and definitely seeing that, and a lot of that is thanks to the work that your crew has been doing. The Coalition for the Protection of Race Horses, and it's fantastic that I've seen it making it onto the ABC, and that certainly has had a huge impact. You know, that's what really motivated us to make a video about it, because we thought, "this is it! The time is up for this tradition". It's had its course. So, thank you for the work you're doing. And I'll just repeat the Nup To The Cup event, or Farshuns On The Field.


[Kristen]
Our Facebook page is The Coalition for the Protection of Race Horses, or our website is horseracingkills.com, and both of those has all our events listed that medium. So yeah, just go along. There's heaps of details, if anybody wants to ask any questions, they can emails us at enquires@horseracingkills.com and we are always happy to get more, and there is volunteer application forms on our website too, if people want to help us out. And we are always looking for skilled and passionate people to get on board and help us be effective as we can for those individuals who are really suffering.


[Giordano]
So I am going to put a link to the website that you mentioned, horseracingkills.com in the show notes, for anyone who wants to check it out. And if you go to that link, you'll see in the menu, there is Take Action, and that will give you, not just the Nup To The Cup event, which Kristen just mentioned, but also other things that people can do. There is an out reach tool kit, there is a link for volunteering, there is a link for calling on sponsors to stop supporting animal abuse, and Melbourne Cup, because a lot of people watch our video and go "what can we do about it"? So, that is what you can do about it. Go to horseracingkills.com and click on Take Action and do what you can.
But at the very least, do not go to the fucking Melbourne Cup! If at all possible. And don't bet on the races.
So, thank very much Kristen. Thanks for joining us. And more power to you. Thanks for all the works that you are doing.


[Kristen]
Thank you so much Giordano. Great work on that video.

[Giordano]
Well, that's it for this episode. Thanks for tuning in to The Juice Media podcast. With me, Giordano. We'll catch you soon for our next Honest Government ad. And until then, just a reminder that we rely our patrons and our supporters to keep us going , so if you value the work that we do, and can afford to do so, check out our Patreon, patreon.com/TheJuiceMediaor head to, thejuicemedia.com and click on support for other options.
A huge thanks to all the patrons who might be listening. Thank you so much for keeping us going, and keeping us strong. Take care, and catch you soon for more genuine satire.

[music]

[fadeout]