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Wild conspiracy theory emerges over leaked horse cruelty video

The equestrian world continues to reel after <a href="https://www.oversixty.co.nz/finance/legal/leaked-footage-shows-olympic-star-s-horrific-animal-abuse" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a controversial video surfaced</a> showing British dressage star Charlotte Dujardin whipping a horse 24 times, described by critics as "like a circus elephant". However, the timing of the video's release, just days before the Olympics, has led to allegations of sabotage from within the British dressage community. In a statement to members, British Dressage Chief Jason Brautigam condemned Dujardin's actions as "completely unacceptable" but expressed skepticism about the motives behind the leak. "I do find claims that this was done to 'save dressage' somewhat disingenuous, given that it was timed to cause maximum damage to our sport," Brautigam wrote. He urged members to be kind to Dujardin, acknowledging the human element in the controversy. Madeline Hall, a former dressage correspondent for Horse & Hound magazine, echoed Brautigam's sentiments. Speaking to The Daily Mail, Hall remarked, "The timing of this video days before the Olympics smells of sabotage. To me, it is suspect." The video's release has led to significant fallout for Dujardin, including the loss of sponsorships and a tarnished reputation, jeopardising her chance to become Britain's most decorated female Olympian. The identity of the individual who leaked the video remains unknown, though the complainant's lawyer, Stephan Wensing from the Netherlands, has refused to comment on the matter. Wensing's involvement has fuelled speculation, given the historic rivalry between the British and Dutch equestrian teams. The Dutch team, which Dujardin defeated at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, have quickly distanced themselves from the incident. A spokesperson for the Netherlands team stated, "We regret the expulsion of our fellow athlete but also condemn the training method used by Dujardin in the video. This has no place in our equestrian sports, where the welfare of the horse comes first." As the dressage community grapples with the scandal, Brautigam reminded people of the need for a compassionate response. "Charlotte Dujardin has done the right thing by <a href="https://www.oversixty.co.nz/travel/travel-trouble/no-excuse-olympic-legend-quits-days-before-paris-games-commence" target="_blank" rel="noopener">accepting responsibility and expressing remorse</a>," he said. "While we do not condone her behaviour, we must remember that there is also a human element to this – and, regardless of what has happened, she still deserves our understanding." Dujardin, who was a favourite for a Damehood if she secured a medal in Paris, now faces an uncertain future in her sport. The dressage community continues to debate the ethical and competitive implications of the video, with calls for increased focus on the welfare of horses and the integrity of the sport. Images: Instagram / Good Morning Britain

Legal

Leaked footage shows Olympic star's horrific animal abuse

The extent of dressage star Charlotte Dujardin's "error of judgement" has been revealed, just hours after she made the snap decision to withdraw from the Olympics just days before its commencement. The British dressage star, who is a three-time gold medallist and the joint most-decorated British female Olympian, withdrew and accepted a provisional six-month ban when coming clean about her acts of <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/travel/travel-trouble/no-excuse-olympic-legend-quits-days-before-paris-games-commence" target="_blank" rel="noopener">animal abuse</a> in the lead up to the Paris Games. Just hours after announcing her withdrawal from the equestrian events, a disturbing video of a training session began to circulate, in which she is alleged to have beaten a horse with a long whip 24 times in one minute. The video, first released by Good Morning Britain, was taken four years ago and allegedly showed the 39-year-old mistreating a horse when trying to get the animal to slowly trot during a lesson with a young student. With the trainee rider mounted on the horse, Dujardin can allegedly be seen whipping the horse’s legs repeatedly. The video has outraged many, with hundreds of people taking to social media to voice their shock and horror at the acts. Leading British social commentator David Kurten wrote on X, “The cruel abuse of this horse by Charlotte Dujardin is horrific and a stain on our nation." “Two urgent questions need answers: Did she whip horses regularly? Are dozens or hundreds of other dressage horses regularly whipped and abused by other trainers?” Former editor of Horse and Hound Lucy Higginson also added, “It has profoundly shocked everybody in the equestrian world.” The video was sent anonymously to the International Federation for Equestrian Sports (FEI), who made the choice to suspend Dujardin just days before the Paris Olympics are set to begin. “The FEI has officially announced the provisional suspension of British Dressage athlete Charlotte Dujardin effective immediately from the date of notification, 23 July 2024,” it said in a statement. “This decision renders her ineligible to participate in the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympic Games or any other events under the jurisdiction of the FEI.” “According to the information received, the footage was allegedly taken several years ago during a training session conducted by Ms Dujardin at a private stable,” the organisation said. The governing body said Dujardin had confirmed she was depicted in the video and had acknowledged that her conduct was “inappropriate”. “Charlotte Dujardin requested to be provisionally suspended pending the outcome of the investigations and voluntarily withdrew from the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and also confirmed that she will not participate in any competitions pending the outcome of the FEI’s investigation,” it said. “The FEI condemns any conduct contrary to the welfare of horses and has robust rules in place to address such behaviour.” When announcing her withdrawal from the Games, Dujardin said she made an "error of judgement", saying there was "no excuse" for her behaviour. She wrote in a statement on Instagram, “What happened was completely out of character and does not reflect how I train my horses or coach my pupils, however there is no excuse. I am deeply ashamed and should have set a better example in that moment.” Image credits: Instagram / Good Morning Britain

Legal

Trump's insult to Biden after he drops out of presidential race

Joe Biden has officially withdrawn from the presidential race against former president Donald Trump. Biden, who is the oldest US president at 81, has been facing mounting calls to drop out of the election from both his opponents and supporters, amid fears of his failing health, mental clarity and age. On Sunday, the 46th president shared a lengthy statement to share that he would be dropping out of the race, saying it is "in the best interest" for both his Democratic Party and the country to take a step back. “While it has been my intention to seek re-election, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and to focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term,” Mr Biden wrote in a letter he posted on his X account. “I will speak to the Nation later this week in more detail about my decision. It has been the greatest honour of my life to serve as your President.” Biden shared a second announcement to social media following his bombshell withdrawal, saying he would be endorsing his Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee to run for President in the November election against Trump. "My very first decision as the party nominee in 2020 was to pick Kamala Harris as my Vice President, and it’s been the best decision I’ve made," he began. "Today I want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our party this year. Democrats — it’s time to come together and beat Trump. Let’s do this." Mere hours after Biden's announcement, former President Donald Trump reacted to the news on TRUTH social, his own social media platform, exactly as many expected. “Crooked Joe Biden was not fit to run for President, and is certainly not fit to serve — And never was!” Trump said. “All those around him, including his doctor and the media, knew that he wasn’t capable of being President, and he wasn’t. We will suffer greatly because of his presidency, but we will remedy the damage he has done very quickly.” In a phone call with CNN minutes after Biden announced his exit from the 2024 race, former Trump described Biden as going “down as the single worst president by far in the history of our country”. Mr Biden will remain President until the end of his term next January. Image credits: Bonnie Cash / Pool via CNP/ Ron Sachs/CNP /Shutterstock Editorial

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How do I stop my mind racing and get some sleep?

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/alexander-sweetman-1331085">Alexander Sweetman</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/flinders-university-972">Flinders University</a> Martin turns off the light to fall asleep, but his mind quickly springs into action. Racing thoughts about work deadlines, his overdue car service, and his father’s recent surgery occupy his mind. As he struggles to fall asleep, the hours start to creep by. He becomes frustrated about how he will cope tomorrow. This is a pattern Martin has struggled with for many years. But what’s going on when your mind is racing at night? And how do you make it stop? <h2>It can happen to anyone</h2> In bed, with no other visual or sound cues to occupy the mind, many people start to have racing thoughts that keep them awake. This can happen at the start of the night, or when they awake in the night. The good news is there are effective ways to reduce these racing thoughts, and to help get some sleep. To do this, let’s take a step back and talk about insomnia. <h2>What is insomnia?</h2> If you are like Martin, you’re not alone. Right now, up to six in every ten people have regular <a href="https://www.sleepprimarycareresources.org.au/insomnia/epidemiology">insomnia symptoms</a>. One in ten have had these symptoms for months or years. Insomnia includes trouble falling asleep at the start of the night, waking up during the night, and feelings of daytime fatigue, concentration difficulties, lethargy or poor mood. Just like Martin, many people with insomnia find as soon as they get into bed, they feel alert and wide awake. So what’s going on? The more time we spend in bed doing things other than sleep, the more our brain and body start to learn that bed is a place for these non-sleep activities. These activities don’t just include worrying. They can be using a mobile phone, watching TV, eating, working, arguing, smoking or playing with pets. Gradually, our brains can learn that bed is a place for these other activities instead of rest and sleep. Over time the simple act of getting into bed can become a trigger to feel more alert and awake. This is called “<a href="https://www.med.upenn.edu/cbti/assets/user-content/documents/ppsmmodelsofinsomnia20115theditionproof.pdf">conditioned insomnia</a>”. Here are six ways to spend less time awake in bed with racing thoughts. <h2>1. Re-learn to associate bed with sleep</h2> <a href="https://www.sleepprimarycareresources.org.au/insomnia/bbti/insomnia-stimulus-control-therapy">Stimulus control therapy</a> can <a href="https://www.med.upenn.edu/cbti/assets/user-content/documents/Bootzin%201972.pdf">help</a> re-build the relationship between bed and sleep. Follow these simple steps every night of the week: <ul> <li> only use your bed for sleep and intimacy. All other activities should occur out of bed, preferably in another room </li> <li> only go to bed if you are feeling sleepy (when your eyes are heavy and you could easily fall asleep). If you are not feeling sleepy, delay getting into bed. Use this time to do something relaxing in another room </li> <li> if you are still awake after about 15 minutes in bed, get out of bed and go to another room. Do something else relaxing until you are feeling sleepy again, such as reading a book, listening to the radio, catching up on some chores or doing a crossword puzzle. Avoid anything too stimulating such as work or computer gaming </li> <li> repeat the above two steps until you are asleep within about 15 minutes. This can take several cycles of getting in and out of bed. But during this time, you body’s natural need for sleep will increase, and you will eventually fall asleep within 15 minutes of getting into bed </li> <li> get out of bed at the same time each morning, no matter how much you slept the night before </li> <li> avoid long daytime naps, which can make it harder to fall asleep that night. </li> </ul> Over several nights, this therapy builds the relationship between bed and sleep, and reduces the relationship between bed and feeling alert and having racing thoughts. <h2>2. Distract yourself with fond thoughts</h2> Negative thoughts in bed or worrying about the consequences of losing sleep can make us feel more alert, worried, and make it more difficult to sleep. So try something called “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.beth.2012.07.004">cognitive re-focusing</a>”. Try to replay a fond memory, movie, or TV show in your mind, to distract yourself from these negative thoughts. Ideally, this will be a memory you can recall very clearly, and one that causes neutral or slightly positive feelings. Memories that are overly positive or negative might cause an increase in alertness and mental activity. <h2>3. Relax into sleep</h2> <a href="https://www.sleepprimarycareresources.org.au/insomnia/bbti/insomnia-relaxation-techniques">Relaxation therapy</a> for insomnia aims to <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/B9780123815224000043">reduce alertness</a> and improve sleep. One way is to progressively tense and relax muscle groups throughout your body, known as <a href="https://youtu.be/pyxvL1O2duk">guided progressive muscle relaxation therapy</a>. You could also try breathing exercises, soothing music, visual imagery or other <a href="https://www.sleephealthfoundation.org.au/cognitive-behavioural-therapy-for-insomnia-cbt-i.html">relaxation exercises</a> that feel right for you. Part of relaxing into sleep is avoiding doing work in the late evening or screen-based activities right before bed. Give yourself a “buffer zone”, to allow yourself time to start relaxing before getting into bed. <h2>4. Worry earlier in the day</h2> Schedule some “<a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/au/blog/what-mentally-strong-people-dont-do/201811/simple-effective-trick-stop-worrying-so-much">worry time</a>” earlier in the day, so these thoughts don’t happen at night. It can also help to write down some of the things that worry you. If you start to worry about things during the night, you can remind yourself you have already written them down, and they are waiting for you to work through during your scheduled “worry time” the next day. <h2>5. Know waking in the night is normal</h2> Knowing that brief awakenings from sleep are completely normal, and not a sign of ill health, may help. Sleep occurs in different “cycles” during the night. Each cycle lasts for about 90 minutes, and includes different stages of light, deep, and dreaming (REM) sleep. Most of our deep sleep occurs in the first half of the night, and most of our light sleep in the second half. Everyone experiences brief awakenings from sleep, but most people don’t remember these the next morning. <h2>6. What if these don’t work?</h2> If these don’t work, the most effective next step is “cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia” or CBT-i. This non-drug therapy targets the underlying causes of insomnia, and leads to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smrv.2019.08.002">long-lasting improvements</a> in sleep, mental health and daytime function. You can do a self-guided online program, or access it via your GP or a psychologist. More details, including links to online programs, are available via the <a href="https://www.sleephealthfoundation.org.au/cognitive-behavioural-therapy-for-insomnia-cbt-i.html">Sleep Health Foundation</a>. We are providing free access to online CBT-i through a research study. To find out more, <a href="https://www.flinders.edu.au/people/alexander.sweetman">contact me</a>. <hr /> The Sleep Health Foundation has several <a href="https://www.sleephealthfoundation.org.au/fact-sheets.html">evidence-based resources</a> about sleep health and insomnia.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/207904/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/alexander-sweetman-1331085">Alexander Sweetman</a>, Research Fellow, College of Medicine and Public Health, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/flinders-university-972">Flinders University</a> Image credits: Getty Images This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-do-i-stop-my-mind-racing-and-get-some-sleep-207904">original article</a>.

Mind

A horse died on the set of The Rings of Power: more needs to be done to ensure the welfare of horses used in entertainment

The recent <a href="https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/rings-of-power-horse-death-lord-of-the-rings-peta-1235564884/">death of a horse</a> on the set of Amazon’s <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7631058/">The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power</a> is the latest incident raising questions about how humans use horses for entertainment and sport. While a statement from producers said the horses’s cardiac arrest occurred before the day’s filming began, animal rights activists PETA used the death to call on all screen producers to replace on-set horses with CGI and mechanical rig alternatives. The incident feeds into growing public concern about horse welfare on film and TV sets, at the track and in equestrian sports. But improving horse welfare is about more than just reputation repair – too often it’s about survival for horses and humans. <h2>Horse welfare in film and TV</h2> The riding of a horse over a cliff to its death for the movie Jesse James (1939) led to the establishment of <a href="https://humanehollywood.org/about-us/">American Humane</a>, which now oversees around 100,000 animals on more than 1,000 productions each year. While things have improved since the early days of film and television, deaths and mistreatment of horses still occur. In 1987, on the set of <a href="https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/118307194">The Man From Snowy River II</a>, a seriously injured horse was killed using the blunt end of an axe. More recently, the high-profile series <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/the-real-story-behind-hbos-cancellation-of-luck">Luck</a>, starring Dustin Hoffman, was cancelled following the deaths of three horses. <h2>The good and bad of unprecedented global exposure</h2> In 2021, the Tokyo Olympics beamed to a global audience the excessive <a href="https://7news.com.au/sport/olympics/peta-calls-for-abusive-equestrian-events-to-be-axed-from-olympics-c-3703388">whipping and punching</a> of modern pentathlon horse Saint Boy and show jumper Kilkenny’s <a href="https://www.chronofhorse.com/article/kilkenny-suffers-nosebleed-during-olympic-individual-final">spectacular nosebleed</a> during the controversial show jumping program. While the bleed must have been obvious, officials did not intervene to stop the ride. Confronting images, and the perceived failure of organisers to protect the horses involved, brought into clear and global focus the indisputable welfare issues faced by horses competing at the elite level. The global outcry led to <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-9892093/Name-price-Kaley-Cuoco-offers-buy-horse-cruelly-punched-Olympics.html">actress Kaley Cuoco offering to buy Saint Boy</a> and the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/nov/02/modern-pentathlon-votes-to-ditch-horse-riding-after-tokyo-olympic-turmoil">withdrawal of the equestrian phase from modern pentathlon</a>. <h2>Risk to humans and horses</h2> Horse welfare does not just impact animals. Since the 1840s, 873 jockeys are known to have <a href="https://www.thoroughbredracing.com/articles/2062/facts-and-figures-jockey-fatalities-australia/">died in race falls</a> in Australia. Internationally, the sport of eventing (where competitors complete three phases: dressage, show jumping and cross-country) reported 38 rider and 65 horse fatalities during or after competition between 2007-15. Riding horses is considered one of the most <a href="https://beva.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/evj.13934">dangerous of all sporting pursuits</a>, and the deaths of riders and jockeys, usually from falls, are common. Public concern about risk to horses and humans through horse racing and equestrian sports, as well as screen production, also <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/12/15/1987">threaten these industries’ social licence</a>. <h2>Better horse welfare is related to better rider safety</h2> Our research offers hope for the horse industry and for those passionate about riding horses. Last year, we <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0168159121003269">published a paper</a> demonstrating the link between horse welfare and rider safety. We asked riders how they cared for their horses and how their horses behaved when ridden – for example, we wanted to know how often horses were bucking or rearing. From this information, we calculated a relative welfare score for each horse. We also asked riders about their accidents and injuries. After analysing the data from over 400 riders, we found the higher the horse welfare score, the fewer accidents and injuries a rider reported. In a <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/08927936.2023.2176589">subsequent study</a>, we found horses with better welfare scores are more enjoyable to ride, most likely because they perform better and riders feel more in control, creating a win-win for horses and riders. <h2>Good horse welfare means more than good health</h2> Often good welfare is thought of in terms of an animal being healthy. While this is part of good welfare, good health alone is not enough – especially for a horse competing at the elite level or taking part in a film. Horses are <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0168159117300710?casa_token=5E77h_TYKGEAAAAA:EUBGz7BTnACvpvB_3iYM-urXpBxJbS95G0-05yMRJEbMTg_SEeb_VnSoVgn35su8_aNOZEpSqctL">neophobes</a> – this means they find new things frightening – so most horses are likely to find a movie set or travelling to a new location stressful. The most up-to-date <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/10/10/1870/htm">understanding of welfare</a> tells us that stress and poor mental health means poor animal welfare. When a horse is stressed or in pain they <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0168159117300692">behave in a very predictable way</a> – they run away, panic, kick out or buck and rear. Yet, anecdotally and in the media, people seeing a horse behaving in this way often claim the horse is crazy, unpredictable or just plain mean. More likely, an “unpredictable” horse is suffering from poor welfare. As part of our research program, we have developed a <a href="https://hub.rspca.org.au/attachments/88">new framework</a> to help horse owners identify aspects of their care and training that diminish horse welfare. This information can be used to make modifications to improve horse welfare, and, importantly, can be applied to horses in any equine sector, including racing, sport and film and television. <h2>Investing in the future of horses in entertainment and sport</h2> Although a veterinarian assessed the recent horse death on the set of The Rings of Power as “unlikely to be associated with the horse’s participation in the film”, more can be done to protect horses and the industry. In Australia, <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/11/7/1986">no specific standard exists for the use of animals</a> in filmed media, and each state and territory has differing risk management guidelines. An opportunity now exists for the industry to set a new standard for horse care and training. An easily executable first step for the industry could be to insist a scientifically trained and credentialed equine behaviour expert be involved in the recruitment and supervision of horse actors and their trainers at all stages of production. This would ensure horse actors are appropriately trained to be on set and that horses are trained using the most up-to-date ethical methods. Horse behaviour experts could also help in scene design to minimise horses’ exposure to stressful situations and identify tasks that are incompatible with good horse welfare. If these suggestions were to be adopted, the film and television industry would be setting the benchmark for horse welfare – and pressure other horse industries to follow suit. This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/a-horse-died-on-the-set-of-the-rings-of-power-more-needs-to-be-done-to-ensure-the-welfare-of-horses-used-in-entertainment-202939" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. Images: The Rings of Power / Amazon

Don’t look a GIF horse in the mouth: Short, shareable animations have been delighting humans for centuries

They are a popular feature of social media and text messaging in 2022, but many people are surprised to discover short sharable animations or videos, like GIFs have been around in digital format for 35 years, but in analogue for nearly two centuries. Today many have become internet memes, added for emphasis, and mostly played on continuous loop. GIFs (short for Graphics Interchange Format) Steve Wilhite, a computer scientist working at CompuServe is <a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/brief-history-gif-early-internet-innovation-ubiquitous-relic-180963543/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">acknowledged as the creator</a> of the Graphics Interchange Format, or GIF in 1987. A GIF is a small image file that can support short animations or videos. GIFs work by stringing together several frames or images into a single file, which plays like a short clip. Compressed they are small file sizes; GIFs are easily shared on email and social media. While most can share in the delight of a well-chosen GIF, there is a long-running heated disagreement over how to pronounce the acronym, tracked <a href="https://time.com/5791028/how-to-pronounce-gif/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">by Time</a> (this COSMOS journalist had been pronouncing GIF with a hard ‘g’, while Wilhite apparently preferred the softer version, like ‘JIF’). But long before the GIF there were various forms of short sharable animation made in analogue. Here we flick through a few. <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-photo is-provider-giphy wp-block-embed-giphy"> <div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> <div class="entry-content-asset"> <div class="embed-wrapper"> <div class="inner"><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/08/giphy1.gif" alt="" width="500" height="337" /></div> </div> </div> </div><figcaption>Ghost GIF / Credit: Matthias Brown</figcaption></figure> Thaumatropes (from the Greek for ‘wonder turner’) Dating back as early as 1827, a thaumatrope is a two-sided disc which creates a simple animation when spun. The device is a disc with different but related pictures on each side and strings attached at opposite ends. When those strings are wound up tightly, and then released, the disc spins creating a simple animation. While the idea was described and popularised by John Ayrton Paris, the inventor of this wonder turner is not known. Phenakistoscopes (from the Greek for ‘deceitful viewer’) <div class="newsletter-box"> <div id="wpcf7-f6-p202287-o1" class="wpcf7" dir="ltr" lang="en-US" role="form"> </div> </div> In 1832 an analogue form of the modern GIF was made by spinning a circular card on its centre. In that year, two scientists Joseph Plateau from Belgium and Simon von Stampfer from Austria independently created looping animations called phenakistoscopes. The phenakistoscope creates the illusion of moving images by slicing the circle into segments and placing a sequential image at slightly shifting locations within each slice, using vector graphics. Each slice of the circle acts like a frame in an animation. Between each slice is a black radial slit. When the circle is spun on its centre, and its reflection viewed using a mirror, the effect creates the illusion of smoothly moving images like a short, repeating video. Zoetropes (from the Greek for ‘life turn’) Two years later, mathematician William Horner <a href="https://collections.museumsvictoria.com.au/articles/2908" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">created the zoetrope</a>, an idea based on the phenakistoscope but able to be viewed by more than one person at a time. A larger cylinder like a drum has slits cut into the sides for viewing. Strips of sequential images spin inside the cylinder so that the viewer sees one after the other. The technology was popularised by American business magnate, game pioneer and publisher, Milton Bradley in 1866 who sold zoetropes as a toy with replaceable picture strips. Several animation studios have built three-dimensional versions of the zoetrope using sequentially posed figurines instead of pictures. Visitors to the Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI) in Melbourne can experience a <a href="https://www.acmi.net.au/stories-and-ideas/acmis-cuphead-zoetrope-cool/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">3D zoetrope</a> of video game character Cuphead. Meanwhile visitors to the <a href="https://www.ghibli-museum.jp/en/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Ghibli Museum</a> in Tokyo, can see a zoetrope of skipping and running totoros built using figurines from the Studio Ghibli movie My Neighbour Totoro. Find out more about phenakistoscopes and GIFs on the 2022 SCINEMA International Science Film Festival For more on the history and science of the phenakistoscope (and instructions on how to make one) watch the 2022 SCINEMA International Science Film festival entry, Animated GIFS: Celebrating Scientific Genius, by <a href="https://scinema.org.au/register" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">registering</a> to view it for free on the SCINEMA website. Follow the prompts on the email you receive and you’ll find Animated GIFS: Celebrating Scientific Genius in the Animation / Experimental playlist. You can watch all the films until August 31 2022 when the festival ends. <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-photo is-provider-giphy wp-block-embed-giphy"> <div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> <div class="entry-content-asset"> <div class="embed-wrapper"> <div class="inner"><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/08/giphy-1.gif" alt="" width="480" height="480" /></div> </div> </div> </div><figcaption>GIF based on a phenakistoscope / Credit: Sanni Lahtinen on GIPHY</figcaption></figure> <img id="cosmos-post-tracker" style="opacity: 0; height: 1px!important; width: 1px!important; border: 0!important; position: absolute!important; z-index: -1!important;" src="https://syndication.cosmosmagazine.com/?id=202287&title=Don%26%238217%3Bt+look+a+GIF+horse+in+the+mouth%3A+short%2C+shareable+animations+have+been+delighting+humans+for+centuries" width="1" height="1" /> <div id="contributors"> <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/technology/computing/dont-look-a-gif-horse-in-the-mouth/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">This article</a> was originally published on <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cosmos Magazine</a> and was written by <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/contributor/petra-stock" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Petra Stock</a>. Petra Stock has a degree in environmental engineering and a Masters in Journalism from University of Melbourne. She has previously worked as a climate and energy analyst. Image: Getty Images </div>

Technology

"Stop slapping him!": Carriage horse collapses in busy street

The horrifying moment a carriage horse breaks down in the middle of a busy New York City street has angered animal activists. Heartbreaking footage shows the horse's knees buckling, possibly due to the weight of the carriage it's been pulling all day in the heat, when it fell to the ground. The driver could be seen shouting multiple times at the horse, known as Ryder, to “get up” and slapping it to get up. “What if I slapped you around like that, bro?” one person can be heard saying. “Stop slapping him,” another woman called out. “I’m trying to get him up, alright,” the driver said, as he once again whipped the horse with the reins. The driver then removed the carriage with the help of an onlooker as police arrived and sprayed Ryder with water. Ryder then attempted to get up several times but failed until an adrenaline shot was administered. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> BREAKING: This horse COLLAPSED while pulling a carriage in NYC, likely from heat exhaustion, and has been down for over an hour. Horses don’t belong in big cities where they’re put in constant danger because of cars, humans, weather, and more. <a href="https://t.co/vXBVRJRjPB">pic.twitter.com/vXBVRJRjPB</a> — PETA (@peta) <a href="https://twitter.com/peta/status/1557504250359361537?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 10, 2022</a></blockquote> After an hour or so, the horse was back on its feet and was taken to an unknown location to be looked at. Tony Utano, President of Transport Workers Union Local 100 slammed those who attacked the driver for jumping to conclusions saying the horse, Ryder, was suffering from EPM. “We thank everyone for their concern about Ryder, one of the beloved Central Park carriage horses,” he said. “The veterinarian believes Ryder has EPM, a neurological disease caused by possum droppings. “This is another example why people shouldn't rush to judgement about our horses or the blue-collar men and women who choose to work with them and care for them.” However, this did not stop animal rights group PETA from calling out the practice, which constantly puts horses in danger. “This horse COLLAPSED while pulling a carriage in NYC, likely from heat exhaustion, and has been down for over an hour,” PETA wrote. “Horses don’t belong in big cities where they’re put in constant danger because of cars, humans, weather, and more.” Many other supporters have called for the ban of carriage horses to be replaced with electric vehicles. Images: Twitter

Family & Pets

Tourist cops earful from member of Queen’s Guard

A tourist has learned the hard way to not interfere with the Queen’s guards, after she copped an earful from a guard for grabbing his horse’s reins. During a recent trip to London, the woman went to pose for a photo next to the guard and his horse when her hand went to reach towards the animal, drawing the guard’s attention. When she then touched the reins, he reacted by yelling with authority from atop his horse. “Stand back from the Queen’s lifeguard, don’t touch the reins!” he yells. A clip of the incident was shared by the woman’s step-son Ethan on <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@phigs_/video/7116598758816763141?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7112642336690570754" target="_blank" rel="noopener">TikTok</a>, with the caption, “We will never return to London after this incident” and text across the footage reading, “Queens Guard Verbally Attacks My Step mum [sic]”. Though Ethan commented the guard as a “rather angry little man”, a large number of commenters sided with the guard, arguing that he has an important job to do and that working animals like his horse shouldn’t be touched while on duty. <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/07/queen-guard-horse.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="360" /> Image: TikTok “It’s not Disney they are working horses and serving army,” one person said. “Serves her right, you aren’t allowed to touch the guard,” another wrote. “They have a job, just don’t go near them,” a third added. British followers were particularly quick to defend his actions and respond to their decision not to return to London. “The whole of London is so upset that you won’t be returning we’re all begging you to come back,” one person said. “Every British person I know knows you don’t touch them, or is she one of them ones that would put her hand in the blender,” another wrote. As some commenters pointed out, the horse’s reins are connected to the animal’s mouth - which is quite sensitive - and tugging on the reins could spook the animal, causing it to bite her or unseat the guard. Others compared interfering with or touching the guard and his horse to doing the same to a guide dog, while <a href="https://honey.nine.com.au/royals/queens-guard-member-yells-at-tourist-for-touching-horse-reins-tiktok/98f85c75-54a9-4b5e-a9a7-146c4a6699a8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">9Honey</a> royal reporter Natalie Oliveri explained that as a rule, you shouldn’t touch animals that are on-duty. "Also, as a general rule tourists should be respectful of any member of Her Majesty's guard while they are on duty – they are there for an important reason and no one should try to interfere with that,” Oliveri said. She explained that it’s also best not to speak to members of the Queen’s Guard while they’re on duty, and that you shouldn’t expect a response from them. "If you would like a photo, perhaps it's best to stand at a respectable distance and never interfere with their job,” she added. Images: TikTok

Travel Trouble

Wee-lly bad idea sees horse test positive to caffeine

Winning racehorse Explosive Miss has tested positive to caffeine, but it’s not because the racer has been enjoying some pre-race beverages. The horse tested positive to a random post-race drug test for the substance, which is prohibited in racing, though her trainer, avid coffee-drinker Clinton Isdale, had no idea how it could have happened, as reported by the <a href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/caffeine-in-trainers-urine-causes-horse-to-fail-post-race-drug-test/NX2UXT52SUDQVPOJ5DO3YA6D5M/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NZ Herald</a>. Mr Isdale told the Racing Integrity Board that he had no idea caffeine ended up in Explosive Miss’ system, but said he would drink roughly three cups of coffee a day and then urinate in the same corner of the stables, behind the horse stalls, every morning. After testing soil samples from the spot, investigators confirmed that caffeine was present. “It is believed that the probable cause of Explosive Miss’ positive has been via contamination by Mr Isdale urinating in the corner of the stables by the stall,” the board said in its decision. As a result, Mr Isdale had to forfeit the $15,000 prize from his horse’s win and had to pay a $2000 fine. Mr Isdale, who has no previous charges for prohibited substances, told the board he was truly remorseful for his actions. “I am a hardworking young trainer in the industry and have worked tirelessly to get to this position in racing,” he said. “I’m truly sorry this happened and take full responsibility and have thoroughly improved my stable practice so nothing like this happens again.” This isn’t the first case of horses testing positive to caffeine thanks to their trainers, with a similar case resulting in a trainer being fined $2,000 in March last year after it was found they had also been urinating in the corner of the horse’s stall. Caffeine is banned in horse racing because it’s purported to give animals an edge, with the Equestrian Sports NZ website warning trainers to “be aware when drinking soft drinks around your horse, or eating snacks such as biscuits or chocolate bars as caffeine is a common positive test result”. Image: Getty Images

Legal

Antibiotic resistance: an arms race going on millions of years

In 2012, a team of microbial scientists, curious about the origins of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, decided to take samples from the walls of a deep, ancient underground cave system beneath the modern US state of New Mexico. The maze-like complex of <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0034953" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" data-type="URL" data-id="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0034953">Lechuguilla cave</a> stretches for more than 200 kilometres, and much of it is sealed from aboveground by an impermeable rock layer known as the Yates Formation. So, it was the perfect place to hunt for microbes unsullied by the modern world. What they found was both startling and spooky: the microbiome of the cave samples contained bacteria that were resistant to at least 14 different antibiotics currently on the market, even though they had been isolated for more than four million years. Given that antibiotics were first used clinically after Alexander Fleming cultured Penicillium moulds in 1928, antibiotic resistance is generally thought of as a distinctly modern problem – and there’s no doubt our use and abuse of these wonder-molecules have created a huge and growing issue. A <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/action/showPdf?pii=S0140-6736%2821%2902724-0" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">recent study</a> reported in The Lancet suggests more than 1.2 million people died in 2019 as a direct result of antimicrobial resistance. By some estimates, the death toll could reach 10 million per year by 2050 if nothing is done (by contrast, about eight million people die from cancer each year). The <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/antibiotic-resistance" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">World Health Organization</a> identifies resistance as one of the biggest threats to global health. Tony Velkov, an Associate Professor in biochemistry and pharmacology at the University of Melbourne, says not enough attention is being paid to finding answers from nature; more specifically, the organisms that make their own, naturally occurring antibiotics in a dynamic environment. “Lessons from nature, I call them,” Velkov says. The majority of antibiotic medicines used clinically today are derived from natural antibiotics produced by microbes in soil and which attack rival microbes, as part of a miniature war over precious resources. Indeed, Fleming’s discovery of the Penicillium mould’s antibacterial qualities was entirely by accident, says Velkov. “He was growing a bacterium called Staphylococcus aureus, and he decided to go on a long weekend and left the plate on the bench,” he says. “He came back about a week later and he found this mould growing in one corner of the plate, and he found the bacteria that he’d been growing were scared of this mould, and they were all dying or keeping away from it.” Fleming’s famously understated remark upon discovering this strange antibacterial interloper was: “That’s funny”. Velkov is particularly fascinated by the function of antibiotics in nature, as part of epic microbial conflicts taking place at every moment. A big part of his work is looking at a pugnacious little soil microbe called Paenibacillus polymyxa, which is able to kill gram-negative bacteria that enter its territory by producing polymyxins, a particularly aggressive type of antibiotic. “Polymyxin is used in hospitals when you’re really, really sick, because it’s pretty toxic,” he says. For that reason, it’s often a medicine of last resort, which means it hasn’t had as many opportunities as other more common antibiotics, to trigger the evolution of antibiotic resistance traits in pathogens. <div class="newsletter-box"> <div id="wpcf7-f6-p187842-o1" class="wpcf7" dir="ltr" lang="en-US" role="form"> </div> </div> Nonetheless, polymyxin-resistance genes <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31122100/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">have been identified</a> in bacteria across Asia, Africa, Europe, North and South America and Oceania. If the power of polymyxins is usurped by these resistant pathogens, it could spell disaster for people suffering from drug-resistant bacterial infections. So, Velkov is trying to learn how to create new polymyxins, by mimicking soil-based battles. “I get the bacterium that makes that [polymyxin], and then I challenge it,” Velkov says. “I grow it opposite the bugs it hates, and they fight each other.” If it sounds a bit like a pathogenic boxing match, Velkov says that’s much like what he observes. “They actually have a bit of a battle,” he says. “You’ll see the one that makes the antibiotic starts growing towards the bacteria to push it out of the territory [the petri dish with nutrients on it], and then it secretes the polymyxins to kill it. “But the bug, the human pathogen, often fights back secreting stuff to kill the antibiotic-producing microbes.” How does all this lab-based micro-fighting translate to the real-world problem of resistance? According to Velkov, in medicine, humans mostly focus on producing one type of antibiotic at a time. But in the “wild”, he says, microbes can often produce a whole bunch of subtly different substances in the fight. “In the petri dish, when these guys are fighting each other, they make really different ones,” he says. “Ones we haven’t seen or discovered, they respond in ways we haven’t looked at.” In his research lab, Velkov says he’s discovered a number of new polymyxins, including one that’s in clinical development. So, by staging these kinds of epic battles in miniature in the laboratory, can we stave off antibiotic resistance altogether? According to Velkov, probably not. But we can optimise our participation in the evolutionary arms race. “You’re never going to make it go away,” he says. “This has been going on for millions of years.” But the hope is that by learning from how these microbes behave in nature, we can at least try to keep pace. <img id="cosmos-post-tracker" style="opacity: 0; height: 1px!important; width: 1px!important; border: 0!important; position: absolute!important; z-index: -1!important;" src="https://syndication.cosmosmagazine.com/?id=187842&title=Antibiotic+resistance%3A+an+arms+race+going+on+millions+of+years" width="1" height="1" data-spai-target="src" data-spai-orig="" data-spai-exclude="nocdn" /> <div id="contributors"> <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/health/medicine/antibiotic-resistance-millions-years/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">This article</a> was originally published on <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cosmos Magazine</a> and was written by <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/contributor/amalyah-hart" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Amalyah Hart</a>. Amalyah Hart is a science journalist based in Melbourne. She has a BA (Hons) in Archaeology and Anthropology from the University of Oxford and an MA in Journalism from the University of Melbourne. Image: Getty Images </div>

Body

Teacher sacked for punching and kicking horse has gone into hiding

Content warning: This article contains mentions and depictions of animal abuse. A UK school teacher <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.news.com.au/technology/science/animals/teacher-sacked-over-shocking-horse-video-in-the-uk/news-story/a098daeb99f46976d6e4363050ce4658" target="_blank">has been fired</a> after footage emerged of her seeming to kick and hit a distressed horse. The graphic footage shows Sarah Moulds striking the white pony after it ran out onto the road in the UK’s East Midlands, <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/17099018/rider-kicks-punches-horse-teacher-sacked/" target="_blank">The Sun</a> reports. Following the circulation of the footage, it was revealed that the 37-year-old woman from Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire was being probed by the RSPCA. The Mowbray Education Trust also said Ms Moulds has been suspended during a formal investigation. However, the trust has said the mother-of-two has officially been dismissed from her roles as a teacher at Somerby Primary School and as a director of the Knossington & Somerby Pre-School in Leicestershire. “I can confirm that Sarah Mould’s employment with the trust has been terminated,” Paul Maddox, chief operating officer of the trust, told the <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-leicestershire-59728476" target="_blank">BBC</a>. “As a trust we are committed to ensuring the best standard of education for all of our young people and we look forward to continuing this throughout the 2021/22 academic year and beyond.” <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Yesterday we filmed a <a href="https://twitter.com/CottesmoreHunt?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CottesmoreHunt</a> rider kicking and punching her horse in the face. Watched on by lackeys Will Ashmore and son Ed. Violence running through their veins.<a href="https://twitter.com/RSPCA_official?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RSPCA_official</a> <a href="https://t.co/s37BlR4Hv3">pic.twitter.com/s37BlR4Hv3</a> — Hertfordshire Hunt Saboteurs (@HertsHuntSabs) <a href="https://twitter.com/HertsHuntSabs/status/1457304240079228929?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 7, 2021</a></blockquote> The footage was shared last month by Hertfordshire Hunt Saboteurs, an anti-hunting group, who were monitoring the hunting event at the time. The woman alleged to be Ms Moulds was seen acting aggressively towards the horse, after it ran towards her when another young rider lost control of it while trying to lead it onto a trailer. She was filmed kicking and hitting the horse before pulling it into the horse trailer. Ms Moulds is believed to belong to the Cottesmore Hunt, a foxhound hunting group based in Rutland. At the time, she was surrounded by other members. After the incident, Cottesmore Hunt reportedly said it did not condone the actions depicted in the video “under any circumstances”. <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CWBYBdUKiaN/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CWBYBdUKiaN/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by The Cottesmore Hunt (@cottesmorehuntofficial)</a> </div> </blockquote> The RSPCA was contacted by multiple people after the clip was posted online, and later issued a statement. “This footage is really upsetting. We will always look into complaints made to us about animal welfare.” A spokesman from the Hunting Office in the UK said: “The Hunting Office expects the highest level of animal welfare at all times - both on and off the hunting field - and condemns the actions taken by this individual, who is not a member of the hunting associations.” Members of the public also condemned the woman online, labelling her behaviour as unacceptable. “As a horsewoman myself, nothing makes me angrier than seeing such footage as this. It is shameful. There is absolutely no excuse for this behaviour,” one person wrote. “No matter how frustrated you are, no matter if you’ve had a bad day. Horses are so sensitive. What a way to make them head shy.” Image: @HertsHuntSabs (Twitter)

Legal

A MUST for any racing fan: Immortals of Australian Horse Racing review

Australia has a long history when it comes to horse racing legends, with the likes of Phar Lap and Makybe Diva taking to the tracks over the years and quickly becoming legends. Prolific non-fiction author Alan J. Whiticker has brought the stories of two dozen of these racers to life in his latest book <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.simonandschuster.com.au/books/Immortals-of-Australian-Horse-Racing/Alan-Whiticker/9781925946963" target="_blank">The Immortals of Australian Horse Racing: the Thoroughbreds</a> (Gelding Street Press $39.99). The Immortals features in-depth statistics about each thoroughbred, with historic photos and artwork scattered throughout depicting the horses in action. <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7845861/horse-review2.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/c1d0f6663e6141108ec25c94654d7062" /> The Immortals peppers each racer’s profile with historical photos that any history buff is sure to appreciate. Image: Supplied He also takes the chance to bust some common myths about these famous horses, while still acknowledging the roles these tall tales play in Australia’s racing mythos. “[Archer’s] tale has become an important part of the Melbourne Cup mythology and helped make the first dual cups winner immortal,” he writes. Along with Archer, Whiticker’s pickings include the horses almost everyone will recognise - Phar Lap, Black Caviar, Tulloch, Kingston Town, Winx, Manikato, and Makybe Diva - plus a selection of crowd favourites such as Peter Pan, Might and Power, Gunsynd and Sunline. But horses with celebrity status aren’t the only ones to make the cut; Whiticker also includes the lesser-known stories of freakish Vain, ‘super mare’ Wakeful, tragic Dulcify, and underrated Northerly. <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7845860/horse-review3.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/2ae98417b1494ab4ac59345586d10baa" /> Many have come to (falsely) believe that Archer travelled from Nowra to Melbourne by hoof, but Whiticker points out that this contributes to his immortality. Image: Supplied Whiticker tracks each horse’s story from their birth and their debut on the track to the pitfalls and moments of victory that made them immortal. Meanwhile, the ‘ranking’ of thoroughbreds also lays out Australia’s racing history from the start of the Melbourne Cup to Winx’s retirement in 2018, and each horse is compared to those that came before and after them. Though less knowledgeable readers may be daunted by the statistics and racing jargon at first glance, Whiticker compensates for this with his engaging and flowing style of prose. All in all, racing fans and history buffs will enjoy the in-depth stories that Whiticker creates, writing as if he were commentating from the sideline. “I trust this book will settle several arguments about the greatest thoroughbreds of all time and no doubt start a few more,” Whiticker writes of his selection. “One thing is for certain: they are all unforgettable in their own right.” Images: Supplied

Books

Australia’s best racehorses RANKED by their winnings

Australia and New Zealand have long histories as the home of many champion racehorses - from Phar Lap and Tulloch to Makybe Diva and Black Caviar. Over the years these horses have also earned some hefty prizes, with some totalling in the tens of thousands. Alan Whiticker - a longtime racing fan - has compiled the stories, stats and images of these horses among 24 featured in his new book <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.simonandschuster.com.au/books/Immortals-of-Australian-Horse-Racing/Alan-Whiticker/9781925946963" target="_blank">The Immortals of Australian Horse Racing</a>, including their winnings. Here are the ten of the greatest, ranked by their total winnings (adjusted for <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.rba.gov.au/calculator/annualDecimal.html" target="_blank">inflation</a>). <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7845418/horses1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/b108deac40cb47fc9439caf034137bf4" /> Winx ($26,421,176) Winx, the ‘Wonder Mare’, not only collected more than $26 million in her five-year racing career, but also received a swathe of awards and honours. She was Australia’s Champion Racehorse of the Year for four years running, the World’s Top-Ranked Turf Horse in 2017 and 2018, and entered Australia’s Racing Hall of Fame in 2017. According to Whiticker, “Winx had a V8 racing motor for a heart”. “And like all champions, her will to win was freakish.” <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7845419/horses2.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/5bf88fbabc9e4f5ea2921bb9589e48af" /> Sunline ($17,149,276) The New Zealand-born racer was a popular contender both in her home country and Australia, with many arguing Sunline has been the best horse to come out of New Zealand since Phar Lap. Between 1998 and 2002, Sunline collected more than $11 million in winnings, equivalent to about $17 million today. She was crowned both the Australian and New Zealand Racehorse of the Year three times, and entered the Hall of Fame in both countries in the early 2000s. <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7845420/horses3.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/b9f05f6a5a2c4f5e86bad5ba62e8fa92" /> Makybe Diva ($14, 526, 685) Born in Somerset, England, Makybe Diva went on to win three Melbourne Cups - winning one in the same year that she placed first in the Sydney Cup. Following her third Melbourne Cup win in 2005, owner Tony Santic declared she was officially retired. <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7845421/horses4.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/62915e6d93e9451fae240a8f7a8349c3" /> Super Impose ($10,973,719) The New Zealander has become well-known for winning both the Doncaster and Epsom handicap races twice - and is the only horse that has done so. He retired in 1992 with a record $5.6 million in winnings, before going on to live a life of comfort until his death at 22-years-old. <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7845422/horses5.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/211b76c03b66472c8b298bb9c4b0fff3" /> Octagonal ($10,233,179) New-Zealand bred Octagonal, nicknamed ‘The Big O’, came into his own as a three-year-old and secured seven wins across Randwick, Rosehill, Canterbury, and Caulfield in just a year. In 1997, Octagonal retired with a then-record $5.89 million in prize money, equivalent to $10 million now. <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7845423/horses6.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/62097a6ebe2a4a6fb528033a20bd7aae" /> Better Loosen Up ($9,097,380) Better Loosen Up, named after his sire Loosen Up, achieved victory on an international scale with his win in the 1990 Japan Cup. In the same year, he also took the top spot in the Australian Cup and several other stakes races. Retiring three years later, Better Loosen Up’s winnings totalled $4.77 million. <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7845424/horses7.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/98f76bda6d0144a29fb74fa5ba81ec90" /> Might & Power ($8,489,287) Another winner hailing from New Zealand, Might & Power secured his first win in 1997 at Randwick just before he turned three. Before retiring in 2000, Might & Power earned a hefty $5 million in winnings, which equates to just under $8.5 million today. He was also crowned World Champion Stayer in 1998 and has since been entered into the Halls of Fame in both Australia and New Zealand. <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7845425/horses8.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/10fc9c06acd642759119155ff7f0aeb3" /> Black Caviar ($7,953,936) Another racehorse with plenty of accolades to her name, Black Caviar also achieved the near-impossible by winning every single one of her races across her four-year career. Almost four years to the day of her debut at Flemington, it was announced that she would retire to stud, taking $7.9 million in prize money with her. <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7845426/horses9.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/a9207975e82c4edfbea0d0c24bee12a6" /> Phar Lap ($6,659,594) As one of racing history’s most well-known horses, Phar Lap became an icon in Australia and New Zealand and prompted both countries to claim him as their own. The New-Zealand born racer went on to win 37 of his 51 races, including the Melbourne Cup, and earned £66,738 in winnings that equates to over $6.5 million today. His death in 1932 came as a shock to racing fans, with rumours emerging that claimed he was deliberately poisoned ahead of the Agua Caliente Handicap race in Tijuana, Mexico. However, Whiticker posits that his death may have been due to contaminated feed or travel sickness. <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7845427/horses10.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/af51500da737462ebcaba1da6a9d8e4c" /> Carbine ($6,028, 507) According to Whiticker, Carbine was “the 19th century’s giant” of horse racing in Australia. The New Zealand racer not only won the 1890 Melbourne Cup, but also carried a record weight, beat the largest number of racers, and ran the fastest time. Though he was eventually sold to the Duke of Portland in England, Carbine was considered an icon by Australians. By the time he retired in 1891, Carbine had earned 29, 626 in prizes and come first in all but six of his 43 races. Images: Supplied

Money & Banking

“Human race is doomed”: Model slammed over pose at her father’s funeral

An Instagram model has been <a rel="noopener" href="https://7news.com.au/lifestyle/instagram-model-slammed-for-disrespectful-pose-at-fathers-funeral-c-4336312" target="_blank">called out</a> online after posting a “disrespectful” image from her father’s funeral. US influencer Jayne Rivera sparked a heated discussion on Reddit after she posted a photo of herself posing beside her father’s casket. “Butterfly fly away,” she captioned the photo in what was meant to be a heartfelt tribute. She went on to describe her dad as her “best friend” and said his life was “well lived”. But, it was the image she shared alongside the tribute that prompted it to go viral. In the snap, the influencer is wearing a black strapless dress, casting her eyes downward, and posing with her leg bent in a “foot prop” pose that has become popular on social media. In a second image, Ms Rivera was captured in a close-up shot with her hands together and standing right in front of her dad’s open casket. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> this Instagram model’s father passed away,,,, and she did a photo shoot with the open casket…. <a href="https://t.co/u1EVNxaajz">pic.twitter.com/u1EVNxaajz</a> — Mac McCann (@MacMcCannTX) <a href="https://twitter.com/MacMcCannTX/status/1453030106528632836?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 26, 2021</a></blockquote> Initially, her followers urged her to take it down - but its emergence on Reddit sparked further outcry. “Holy crap, is this so incredibly disrespectful,” one commenter shared. “Hey my dad died, let’s get 5000 likes!” another fumed. “I found her on Instagram and started following her, because one day I’ll have kids of my own, and I need to see where all these parents went wrong,” a third commented. “I can’t have my future kids grow up like this.” Ms Rivera’s Instagram account has since been deleted. <img style="width: 0px; height: 0px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7845135/funeral1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/21fbd12e84124d0a95ce8b2bd1cd6cf7" /> Image: Reddit Another commented on the changing attitudes towards funerals in general. “Last funeral I went to everybody just wanted it to be over so we could go to the bar and tell funny stories about the deceased,” they shared. “Human race is doomed there’s no way it will last till 3000, we need a hard reboot,” another wrote.

Beauty & Style

Retired race horses on track to help troubled kids

Image: A Current Affair New charity ‘Rehab 4 Rehab' is saving the lives of children and retired racehorses on the Mornington Peninsula through a ground-breaking equine therapy program. Children struggling with mental health issues get paired up with clinical psychologists, occupational therapists and retired racehorses to accelerate therapy sessions. “We are seeing lots of children with anxiety, depression, self-harming, suicidal kids, lots of autistic kids,” found Alisha Griffiths told A Current Affair. “They are practicing exactly what they would do in the normal four white wall environments but they’re doing it on a farm with retired racehorses.” Ms Griffiths said she had been around horses all her life and now she wants to share them with others. “They also build a rapport with a psychologist a lot quicker, they trust the psychologist because they’re around a retired racehorse,” she said. Clinical psychologist Jo Paterson crossed path with Alisha’s charity when she was looking for somewhere to keep her own horse – and she ended up with a job. “When you’re talking about things that are distressing and through trauma, then you’ve got something there that can help regulate, when they get upset,” Ms Paterson said. There are 46 horses at Ms Griffiths property and most of them are retired racehorses. In order to train them for being a racehorse to a therapy horse, they settle their lives down and “show them a slower pace”. Head horse trainer Alex McDonough said she’s surprised by how well the horses have adjusted. “It’s almost like they know they’re around children,” she said.

Caring

“An absolute disaster”: Prince William calls out billionaires’ space race

Prince William has called out the billionaires currently competing in a space tourism race instead of focusing their efforts on the environmental problems on Earth. The Duke of Cambridge directed thinly-veiled criticism at Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, and Richard Branson during a BBC interview at Kensington Palace. The three billionaires have been embroiled in a recent race to provide private commercial space travel. “We need some of the world’s greatest brains and minds fixed on trying to repair this planet, not trying to find the next place to go and live,” <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-10-15/prince-william-urges-billionaires-put-planet-before-space-race/100541038" target="_blank">William said</a>. The interview comes after Mr Musk announced his focus on reaching Mars, and after Mr Bezos said that his inaugural space flight was part of building a road to space “so that our kids and their kids can build a future”. “We need to do that to solve the problems here on Earth,” Mr Bezos said. The Amazon founder recently celebrated his second suborbital space flight, which included Star Trek actor William Shatner among its passengers. The British royal family has made a trend of speaking out on environmental issues, with William following in the steps of his father Prince Charles and late grandfather Prince Philip. Prince Charles has been calling for action to stop climate change for decades, often facing ridicule for his stance. The 72-year-old heir to the throne <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/travel/travel-trouble/prince-charles-shocked-that-morrison-not-confirmed-for-glasgow-climate-conference?fbclid=IwAR0yBM3BrGS_5kZp0-E8kfD0lmaoVumFZDUhBcq0LmueyAmeR1gHv8fOk8I" target="_blank">recently described</a> the UN Climate Change Conference COP26 in Glasgow as a “last chance saloon” for combating climate change, sharing how he tries so hard to encourage world leaders to attend and take action. “It’s been a hard road for him. He’s had a really rough ride on that, and I think he’s been proven to being well ahead of the curve,” William said. “But it shouldn’t be that there’s a third generation now coming along having to ramp it up even more.” William also warned that not taking action now could be “robbing from our children’s future”. “For me, it would be an absolute disaster if [my son] George is sat here in 30 years’ time, still saying the same thing, because by then we will be too late. “Now I’ve got children as well and speaking to other parents, it’s a bit of a cliche, but you do start to see the world differently. “I want the things that I’ve enjoyed - the outdoor life, the nature, the environment - I want that to be there for my children, and not just my children but everyone else’s children.” The prince said the key to tackling the issue was to “bring people with us”. “People have got to feel like there’s hope, there’s a chance we can fix this.” He also echoed his father’s message, saying the upcoming COP26 conference had to result in action. “We can’t have more clever speak, clever words but not enough action,” William said. In response to the issue of climate change, William created the Earthshot Prize, with the aim of using new technologies or policies to solve Earth’s biggest environmental problems. Image: @KensingtonRoyal / Twitter

Travel Trouble

Man charged over mass horse shooting

A man has been arrested over the death of 41 horses, including pregnant mares, at a property in western Queensland. A member of the public found the horses on August 5 at a 2000-hectare property north of Longreach. The animals were found with multiple gunshot wounds, with police alleging the horses - including geldings, colts, pregnant mares, and mares with foals - were killed between August 3 and August 4. <img style="width: 500px; height: 332.7731092436975px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7843087/68976102d91c47d75ed4dbb8efbba07f.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/2bde4707b52a4c9882a031806cde0b44" /> Image: Supplied / Queensland Police The owner of the property had been in hospital for some time prior to the incident, and was not home when it occurred. Police arrested and charged a 49-year-old Mount Isa man on Thursday, August 12, with one count of injuring animals. The man was refused bail and will face the Mount Isa Magistrates Court on Friday. Detective Sergeant Allan Cook said the incident caused “great devastation” in the local community.

Legal

Beloved General Hospital actor dies "sitting on a horse" while filming

Veteran soap opera actor Jay Pickett, has died at age 60. His wife, Elena Pickett, was the one to confirm his death. Best known for his roles in General Hospital, Days of Our Lives and Port Charles, Pickett passed away while away from his family in Idaho. News broke of the actor’s death on Friday when actor and film producer Jim Heffel shared a touching note about their friendship on Facebook. “Yesterday I lost a good friend and the world lost a great person,” Heffel wrote. “Jay Pickett decided to ride off into the Heavens. Jay died sitting on a horse ready to rope a steer in the movie Treasure Valley in Idaho. The way of a true cowboy.” He went on to say: “Jay wrote the story and starred in it. He was also coproducer with myself and Vernon Walker. He will be truly missed. “Ride like the wind partner.” <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CSDQdQrKsPT/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CSDQdQrKsPT/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by ElizanTV YouTube Channel. (@elizantv)</a> </div> </blockquote> He was filming a scene for his upcoming movie Treasure Valley when he passed, his film's director, Travis Mills went on to say in a touching post. "Jay Pickett, our leading man, writer, producer, and creator of this movie passed away suddenly while we were on location preparing to film a scene," Mills posted on the film's official Facebook page. <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CSCUBWCH5I6/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CSCUBWCH5I6/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by 12 Westerns in 12 Months (@12westerns)</a> </div> </blockquote> "Our hearts are broken, and we grieve for his family who are so devastated by this shocking tragedy." "He was doing what he loved: acting, riding horses, making movies. And he was magnificent," he continued. Mills said that while his death is not confirm, it seems he passed from “a heart attack.” Mills added that everyone who was there did their best "to keep him alive." He went on to describe Pickett as an “incredible man” who was “kind, sweet and generous.” “He was one of the best actors I ever worked with and it was an honor to collaborate with him,” he continued. “Everyone who met him, even for the briefest moment, could feel his warmth, his wonderful spirit. It is difficult to find the words right now to say more. His closest friends have said that he was very happy making Treasure Valley and my hope is that he truly was.” The director finished his devastating post with a touching note, writing, “He was doing what he loved: acting, riding horses, making movies. And he was magnificent.” Jay is survived by his wife Elena, and their three children, Maegan, Michaela and Tyler.

Caring

Dying man granted his final wish

A dying man had his wish of a day at the races fulfilled at Morphettville’s racing track in Adelaide. Paramedics were taking Nigel Latham home from hospital to enter palliative home care when they had a simple question for him. “They asked me if I’d like to stop anywhere on the way,” Nigel said. “I had been watching the racing in hospital, so wanted to go there.” Ambulance officer Bec Sanders and colleague Laura granted the 58-year-old’s request. “In normal circumstances I would've been there for a great day of racing,” Nigel said. “I’ve been a member of the South Australian Jockey Club for the last three years and own shares in a couple of horses. “Bec and Laura worked miracles and got me there. They are commended for their care and sheer goodness of their spirit.” Nigel got to watch the action from the 200m mark with his wife Julie, and became the inspiration for a Melbourne Cup-winning jockey. After learning of Nigel’s dying wish, Craig Williams was overcome with emotion and rode Lady Dunmore to victory. “Nigel Latham, he was the inspiration for her success today,” Williams said. After his victory, Williams rode over to Nigel and gifted him a souvenir. “To Nigel, I said to my horse if she’d get over the line we’d make sure we give him the winning goggles and she did her job really well. “We’d like to be grateful to people like Nigel who support the industry and have his last dying wish (of) coming here today for a great race day.” Another thoughtful racegoer named Matt also joined in on the good spirit, offering him an ice-cold beer. Nigel said the day had become one of the most memorable experiences of his life, especially with his wife by his side. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Given only days to live, Nigel Latham had a wish to go to the races one last time in Adelaide. The hospital and ambulance drivers made it happen. Hear Bensley read his emotional message of thanks after his day at the Morphettville track on Saturday. Incredible. <a href="https://t.co/KZ9POXfxnv">pic.twitter.com/KZ9POXfxnv</a> — SENTrack (@SEN_track) <a href="https://twitter.com/SEN_track/status/1389026708074885120?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 3, 2021</a></blockquote> “People are amazing,” he said. “I’ve had brilliant care at the Royal Adelaide Hospital. They have all tried so hard for me and then getting me to the races yesterday meant so much.” He praised the kindness of the paramedics, saying, “Thanks to Bec and Laura for making it happen, to Ian (Richardo, Morphettville track manager) for facilitating it. For Matt for the beer and for Craig for caring so much.” Bec said Nigel was exhausted but told 7NEWS “it was really lovely to see him home and happy.” Image credit: 7NEWS

Caring

High-profile horse trainer suspended over disturbing photo

An image of top horse trainer Gordon Elliott posing for a photo while sitting on a dead horse has resulted in horror and anger from the public and British racing circles on Monday. The Irishman is one of the sport’s most celebrated figures and has apologised for the disturbing image after it resurfaced on Saturday. It depicted him sitting on a horse that had just died of a heart attack after a training run. Elliott has since been suspended from horse racing, as reported by the BBC. One of his most high-profile employers, Cheveley Park Stud, said they are "truly horrified" by the image. <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7840081/daily-1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/a5af72eeb8b8423abfbf5ad18536013a" /> Bookmaker Betfair dropped Elliott as an ambassador, saying his actions were not consistent with its "values". A scathing statement from the British Horseracing Authority slammed the star. "People who work in our industry believe their values — of caring for and respecting our horses — have been deeply undermined by this behaviour," the statement read. The BHA said it was "appalled" by the image, saying: "On behalf of all horse-lovers, we say loudly that British horseracing finds this totally unacceptable." Elliot defended his actions, saying the incident occurred “some time ago” and the picture was taken while he waited for the body of the horse to be taken away. He went on to explain that he had received a phone call and had sat down on the dead animal “without thinking”. The Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board is investigating the incident and the BHA said it is "considering its own regulatory options". Both bodies have temporarily banned Elliott. Elliott has been a Grand National-winning trainer three times, first taking the prize in 2007 with Silver Birch. He would go on to train Tiger Roll to become the first back-to-back winner of horse racing's most gruelling jumps race — in 2018 and '19 — since Red Rum in the 1970s. He has trained 32 winners at the Cheltenham Festival. Tiger Roll owner, Michael O'Leary, is one of the few to come out in support of Elliott. "We accept that this photograph was a grievous but momentary lapse of judgement by Gordon," said O'Leary, who runs the Gigginstown House Stud operation and is also CEO of budget airline Ryanair. He continued: “and not in keeping with our 15-year experience of his concern for and attention to the welfare of our horses. "We all make mistakes, and what is important is that we learn from them and ensure we do not repeat them. We accept Gordon's sincere, profound and unreserved apology and we will continue to support him and his team." The Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board has said their investigation will be dealt with "as quickly as possible".

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