Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1476751
maltatoday | SUNDAY • 21 AUGUST 2022 14 EYEWITNESS Horse road races on Santa Marija EACH year on 15 August, the feast of the Assumption, the Leone Philharmonic Society organises horse races along the main road in Victoria, Gozo. The organisers claim the races have been held for 500 years and that they are part of local tradition. These Santa Marija races have long been criticised by animal welfare organisations because of the way they are held under a blazing after- noon sun on August 15. And this year, the time allo- cated to the races was halved with races held only between 4pm and 6.30pm. The restrictions were is- sued by the Department of Veterinary Regulation within the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Animal Rights, saying that "between 2pm and 4pm, horses are subject to cruelty and bad treatment because of heat." In reaction to the restrctions issued, the Leone Philarmon- ic Society said it "deplored the fact that the alloted time for these historic races has been halved." The organisers this year crit- icised the halving of the time allocated to the historic race by animal welfare authorities, noting that the deeply rooted 500-year-old tradition is fac- ing a threat of extinction. It said that the restrictions by the veterinary service within the Ministry for Agri- culture and Animal Welfare were simply casting an unjust light on the owners who actu- ally love their animals. The organisers said they had always followed official guidelines and ensured that the animals were not treated badly. Each race did not last more than 1.2 minutes and for the rest of the time the animals were kept in the shade and received plenty of water, it said. "A vet certified they they were in a good condition for the race," it said. The society went on to ap- peal to the government, the animal welfare authorities and other entities to ensure that "common sense pre- vailed and such traditions are not destroyed."