18/07/2012

(2012, July 18th)

With two decisions recorded on 2nd July, the Regional Administrative Tribunal (TAR) of Lazio dismissed both the appeals -- lodged one by the associations ENGEA and SEF Italia and the other by the Comune of Ronciglione – which asked for the revocation of the ministerial ordinance ruling the public events with equines.

You may remember that the associations ENGEA and SEF Italia – on paper very attentive about the horses’ wellbeing – proposed the cancellation of the only Italian legislation regulating the races with equines connected with local folkloristic events. The essence of their motivation for asking the cancellation was they didn’t want to be submitted to the same controls the Ministry set for the events involving equines. So, yes, let’s clear the path to the most violent of palii , because two associations, which theoretically should take at heart the horses’ wellbeing, believe they are better than the others and do not want controls over their activities
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When we became aware of this fact, we posted our opinions on our site (read here our article). Instead of a reply, we received from ENGEA only a public letter full of insults (read here the answer of ENGEA): was it the proof we were not wrong?

The Comune of Ronciglione, instead, had asked the revocation of the ordinance with an even more ridiculous motivation: due to the Ordinance Martini, “it would be obliged to change the way the race was run according to the technical prescriptions stated in the ordinance, which had proved to be impracticable and dangerous for horses and spectators.”

Aside the fact the Comune of Ronciglione never applied what required by the Ordinance – and for this reason IHP and ENPA filed charges against it following the death of the mare Tiffany—stating that making panicked, shoed horses run at breakneck speed over a wet stone pavement is less dangerous than making them run over dirt or sand is proof of a macabre humor.

Watching the video of Tiffany’s death, it’s clear it was the non-application of the ordinance requirements that not only caused the mare’s death, put also put the spectators in great danger (see here a video of the race).

On 2nd July the Lazio TAR dismissed ENGEA and SEF Italia appeal because the Ordinance “has only the aim to ensure a minimal protection for human and animal safety and health during events involving equines held outside of courses officially authorized by the competent authorities […]” thus “it was not possible to find in this regulation any harm to the activities held by the appealing parts.”

The same day it was also dismissed the appeal of the Comune of Ronciglione, with the obvious reasons we can all guess. In the text of the decision are mentioned several highly dangerous folkloristic events held in Italy, from the 48 horses dead during the palio di Siena from 1970 to 2007 to the tragic consequences of the inobservance on the Martini Ordinance in the 2011 edition of this same palio (see here a vide of the race), to the 2010 edition of the palio di Saviano, when another life was lost. It was thus pressed home the necessity and urgency of this ordinance.

IHP is against any use of animals during local folkloristic events. However, until it will be allowed to organize palii with animals, it is necessary to have laws regulating their use to safeguard their wellbeing and the safety of the crowd.

The Martini Ordinance is far from being the perfect tool we would want, but it certainly is a first step toward a future free from these “traditions” of violence and abuse our country is sadly famous for in the world.