(27 April 2015)

Following the hideous accident on 25 April resulting in the death of Quintana (see the Tusciaweb video - WARNIG: it can hurt your sensitivity), the Italian Horse Protection Association resolved to make a formal complaint to the NAS.

We requested investigation into who was responsible for various aspects of the event, and in particular:

- the approval of the track to be run: who and on what bases, gave the go-ahead for that track, given that its very design made the risk of a collision in that very spot highly probable (it is virtually a 90° turn)? Were all risks thoroughly evaluated, as laid down by Order 9/9/2013 of the Ministry of Health?

- the safety barriers: were they certified as suitable and fit to withstand impact by horses?

- the state of health of the horse prior to the competition, anti-doping checks and accurate diagnosis of the cause of death. A close look at the video of the accident shows clearly that the jockey did not force the horse to cut the corner too tightly. Quite the opposite: it is fully clear that the jockey was pulling on the outside rein, pulling the horse’s neck round to the left in an attempt to get him to make a wider turn. But in spite of this the horse plunged violently into the bollard. Could the horse’s lack of response to the reins be indicative of another problem, such as a pulmonary haemorrhage or an injured limb?

- the competence of the jockey, who, according to the palio regulations, is assessed as fit to ride only on the basis of age and physical fitness, with no verification at all of his technical abilities. This would be even more significant if the organisers’ assertion were correct, i.e. that the accident was caused by rider error, since they were responsible for assigning him that horse with apparently no check on his abilities.

We are waiting to hear the outcome of investigations in order to determine our next steps.

(photo: Tuscia Web www.tusciaweb.eu)