Tasmanian trainer fined $2,000 for animal cruelty after repeatedly whipping racehorse
Liandra Gray was found guilty of one count of causing unreasonable and unjustifiable pain to 7-year-old thoroughbred gelding The Bolt by striking him repeatedly with a padded racing whip.
Magistrate Evan Hughes found the charge proven after a hearing in the Devonport magistrates court in May, and on Wednesday handed down a fine of $2,000, saying the court needed to demonstrate a general deterrent to breaches of the Tasmanian Animal Welfare Act.
The maximum penalty under the act is an $18,000 fine and 12 months' prison.
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The lightly raced horse has had 11 starts and been unplaced in all, with the court hearing from other trainers the gelding had been a difficult horse to train.
CCTV footage from the Spreyton racecourse, shown to the court, showed Gray leading The Bolt into a sand roll – an enclosed yard filled with deep sand where horses are allowed to roll after training – and, holding him by the bridle, appearing to whip him. The footage did not show the whip making contact in all cases, the court heard, but the sound of the whip could be heard.
Gray told the court in May she was not angry at The Bolt or punishing him, and had gone to the sand roll to lunge him, a training technique where the horse is encouraged to move out in a circle, using specialist equipment which was not used in this case. Hughes said in May that Gray's explanation was 'self-serving' and in conflict with the views of expert witnesses.
Hughes said although there had been no evidence of ongoing injury or pain, he still found The Bolt would have suffered moderate to severe pain during the incident.
The court was earlier told the offence was out of character for Gray and she had been under considerable strain at the time, including financial stress and an ongoing acrimonious separation from the father of her young child, with her parents paying her legal costs.
Hughes said he noted Gray's personal circumstances and acknowledged the offence was out of character.
He also noted the 'unwanted media attention' the case had generated, saying it served as a form of punishment for Gray.
The court heard in earlier submissions that Gray had been vilified on social media since the incident and deeply regretted her actions.
Hughes found that despite being out of character, Gray's actions were deliberate and intentional.
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He also noted the offence was committed at a time when the horse was in a vulnerable position, in an enclosed space, and attached to a bridle.
Hughes said the fine imposed took out into account Gray's limited financial means, also noting any sentence beyond a fine could have a significant impact on Gray's future in the racing industry and the opportunity for further employment.
The Tasmanian branch of the RSPCA had sought a ban on Gray training or owning animals, but Hughes said Gray had no prior convictions under the act at the time and a fine only was appropriate in this case.
In an unrelated incident, Gray was fined $4,000 in 2023 by the Tasmanian Office of Racing Integrity for mistreatment of a horse under Australian Rules of Racing.
An inquiry at the time was told Gray rode a horse during training when it was lame and failed to provide adequate treatment in a timely manner.
Half of that fine was suspended on condition she did not reoffend under the same rule for two years, with that term expiring in May this year.
Gray has been involved in the Tasmanian racing industry for more than 20 years, initially as a track worker and later a trainer, having trained 39 winners and 33 place-getters, realising more than $1.2m in prize money for owners.
Martin Agatyn is a reporter in north-west Tasmania
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