We received a flood of emails, social media messages, and calls from readers in reaction to the Amber Cobb case in Delaware, which we covered here and analyzed further here. Though our readership usually takes a range of viewpoints on many of the regulatory issues in racing, the mail we received almost uniformly expressed shock and outrage at the decision by the Delaware Thoroughbred Racing Commission to reduce Cobb's suspension from the two years to two months after stewards determined she exhibited cruelty to a horse.
For the sake of brevity, we opted to run one of these letters (below), which we felt was most representative of the bulk of correspondence we received.
In addition to these notes, we were also made aware that at least one owner reached out to the commission to announce the stable's decision to no longer enter horses in Delaware as a result of the commission's decision. Many other readers likewise expressed that they had or planned to send feedback to the commission.
Team Valor has informed the Delaware Racing Commission that it will no longer enter its horses to race at Delaware Park owing to the lessening of suspension of Amber Cobb from 2 years to 2 months on the charge of animal abuse.
— Team Valor (@TeamValor) September 3, 2021
I, like everyone else who has seen it, was utterly disgusted with not only the video depicting the actions of trainer Amber Cobb against one of her horses, but also the almost complete ignorance of the Delaware Racing Commission in reducing her suspension for those actions. How this industry continues to manage to shoot itself in the foot repeatedly is just mind boggling to me. Actions that are as heinous as those displayed by Ms. Cobb require only one reaction, and that is immediate revocation of her license to train horses anywhere in this industry (or any other equine industry for that matter). Why it seems so hard for commissions to do the right thing in banning these bad actors for life is something I will never understand.
I am a veterinarian licensed in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. If a video surfaced of me committing those acts, I would not have my license suspended for two months or even two years. It would be gone permanently in a heartbeat, and I likely would not have the ability to obtain one in any other state in this country.
What occurred in that video is blatant animal cruelty (something I have been involved in assisting the prosecution of for the last 15 years). It can be looked upon as nothing less and should be dealt with accordingly by both law enforcement and the racing commissions. Sadly, that did not happen in the case of the decision of the Delaware Thoroughbred Racing Commission.
The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act, if and when it is finally in full effect, will hopefully put an end to this concern once and for all. In the meantime, just because an issue like this occurred in one state does not mean other states that she is licensed in cannot act on their own. Every state in which Ms. Cobb is licensed needs to start the process of immediate revocation of that license.
I am fully aware of a person's due process rights and what can happen when racetracks or commissions take away those rights via their actions in some suspensions (the NYRA Bob Baffert case for example). I am also aware that anyone who is accused of or charged with a violation of any kind is entitled to their full due process. I urge the Commissions to do their proper investigation and due diligence on this case, and then render their decision quickly. To me, the only decision that it can be is immediate and permanent revocation of the license.
Another thing I have learned over the years is the true power that we as the public can have in matters before a racing commission. I learned this after the intense pressure put on the PA Racing Commission by so many to get the license of the trainer of a horse named Silent Ruler permanently revoked after the horse was found in a state of severe pain and neglect from a non-attended to sesamoid fracture.
Therefore, I urge everyone who sees this letter to please write into or contact your state racing commission and politely but firmly urge them to not allow this cruelty to continue by revoking Ms. Cobb's license to train horses in that state if she holds one and to not consider granting her one if she does not.
We hear all the time how commissions and those in the industry want to bring back integrity to the sport. The Delaware racing commission has failed miserably at this. It doesn't mean that others must follow that lead.
–Dr. Bryan Langlois
Past President, Pennsylvania Veterinary Medical Association
Board Member, ThoroFan
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The post Reader Mail Bag: Continued Outrage In The Wake Of Cobb Suspension Reduction appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
