Timeline

First jumps race held in Australia (NSW)

First jumps race held in Victoria

Last jumps race held in QLD

• RSPCA Victoria writes to the racing industry asking them to abolish steeplechasing due to the risks to human and animal life.
• RSPCA Victoria compiles data on injuries and deaths to understand the risks themselves due to lack of transparency from the industry

1927 ‘STEEPLECHASING CRASHES’, The Herald (Melbourne, Vic.: 1861 – 1954), 5 May, p. 1. , viewed 02 Sep 2024, https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/243922525

1927 ‘OVER THE FENCE?’, The Sun (Sydney, NSW : 1910 – 1954), 4 May, p. 23. (FINAL EXTRA), viewed 02 Sep 2024, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article223620272

Last jumps races held in NSW and WA

RSPCA Victoria calls again for abolishment of steeplechases and advocates for safety changes

RSPCA Victoria requests report from racing industry on number of injured and dead horses

• RSPCA Victoria begins public campaign to ban jumps racing
• Victorian Labour Party introduces policy to ban jumps racing

Racing Victoria (RV) conducts first review into jumps racing

Last jumps race held in ACT

Federal senate select committee on animal welfare recommends all jumps racing across Australia is banned on ethical grounds

2nd review into Victorian jumps racing (by the VRC)

NSW legislates a ban

3rd review into Victoria jumps racing (by the VRC)

4th review into Victoria jumps racing (by an RV panel)

5th review into Victoria jumps racing (by an RV panel)

Jumps racing ends in Tasmania following internal industry review (economic grounds)

• Independent report commissioned into Victorian jumps racing (Jones Report) (the 6th review). Jumps season put on hold.
• Jumps given green light to go ahead in 2009 with industry to implement Jones Report recommendations.

• Jumps racing suspended mid-season for a short period due to an incident in Warrnambool (3 horses die at May Carnival).
• RV conducts a situation analysis (the 7th review) and announces transition plan to phase out jumps racing with no more jumps following 2010 season.

• Ban overturned due to intense industry lobbying.
• Industry implements more safety recommendations and RV begins annual jumps racing reviews and forms the Jumps Review Panel to oversee the activity throughout the season.

Industry implements ‘One-Fit’ hurdles following a trial in 2020 to improve safety

SA legislates a ban

• RV announces another in-depth review into jumps racing following season of high fatalities. This is the 8th in-depth review, not including the annual reviews conducted every year since 2010.
• RSPCA Victoria conducts audit into publicly available information on horse falls, fatalities and injuries (available here).