LTS said:
Could it be because racing is a Royalty-endorsed "sport" and the other involves a minority group?

The words 'storm', 'teacup', 'priorities' and 'equality' are floating through my head.

I'm sorry Liz but I think that is somewhat insulting.
You have to have been to Appleby Fair to appreciate the difference. Yes, it involves a minority group but it is probably because of the fact that it involves this group that it is such a treasured event - peopel appreciate that is something pretty special and want to share. If it was just several thousand random families who turned up, set up camp in a large field, completely took over a town, drank lots, and charged up and down the streets (making crossing the road a risky business), it would have been stopped long ago.

Appleby when the Fair is on is more like Tombstone, when The Cowboys rode into town. Lots of youths with a fair bit of dosh, going after the girls, whopping and shouting on horses up and down the streets. Its unique - it's amazing - it can be a bit dangerous.

But some of the young lads, in particular, are very hard on their animals. It is a macho thing. Ruining an animals health, through poor handling and trying to show how hard you are is a different thing to an accident on the racecourse - I am not pro-racing either, partly for this reason - but they are different scenarios.

I don't think any of the people who have commented on here have made comments which warranted your comments about Royalty vs minority and veiled suggestions of racism. It is making the same kind of assumptions that you are suggesting others are making.

For info, I spent part of Sunday evening, drinking with a group of travellers who had their vardos parked on the verge outside my local. They suggested the incident was being bealt with.

(My OH and I spent our wedding night with a group - all horse drawn vehicles, on grass near the same local. We jumped through their campfire and had our photograph taken cutting a sausage sarni and drinking bottles of Old Peculiar. We live on the route which many of the vans take, who are heading in a southerly direction. They generally come and camp in the same places every year and, for several weeks around here, the roads are full of vardoes and coloured ponies. I know several of the families personally and have done for years. So please don't suggest that my concerns are because they are a minority group, rather than, say, point to pointers. Believe me, I'd be far more critical of the point to pointers, if I saw them treating horses in the way I've seen horses (and dogs) treated at Appleby . But I also think that some of the youngsters, in particular, need to learn how to treat animals and not to use the culture difference as an excuse for overly rough handling, which results in damaged animals.