Selwyn_Times: April 20, 2022

Wednesday April 20 2022 Selwyn Times
Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz
RACING 13
Trainer’s animal cruelty hearing begins
• By Chris Barclay
A RACING Integrity Board
hearing investigating allegations
of animal cruelty by a leading
thoroughbred horse trainer is
underway.
Paul Harris has been charged
under the rules of racing with
failing to take all reasonable
steps to ensure the physical
health needs of five-year-old bay
mare Riverfalls.
He is jointly charged with
Rebecca Rae, who housed Riverfalls
at a Loburn property as she
spelled after the final race of her
33-start career at Wingatui on
June 6, 2021.
Harris and Rae deny the
charge, which stemmed from
a visit by two RIB investigators
to Paul Harris Racing on South
Eyre Rd, Swannanoa, on October
12, 2021.
An emaciated Riverfalls was
euthanised, on veterinary advice,
about three hours after the investigators
arrived at the property,
acting on information received.
Harris trained Riverfalls on
behalf of a syndicate that leased
the horse from owners in the
Waikato.
The hearing, which is scheduled
to resume next month,
opened before committee chair
Warwick Gendall QC and Noel
McCutcheon at Riccarton Racecourse,
with the proceedings
HEARING: Trainer Paul Harris denied an animal crueltyrelated
charge laid by the Racing Integrity Board.
PHOTO: JOHN COSGROVE
dominated by the RIB’s case.
RIB lawyer Steve Symon said
its evidence focused on the
failure to provide veterinary
care early enough for Riverfalls,
whose appearance shocked
a veterinarian, who felt
“blindsided” when asked to treat
the horse.
Dr Lillian Bonner was initially
contacted by Rae on September
14, 2021 and they exchanged
messages via text.
“She (Rae) did say she looked
bad and it looked like she was
starving her,” Bonner told the
hearing.
After delays due to scheduling
issues, Bonner saw Riverfalls at
the Harris stables on September
30, the same day she had transferred
from Loburn.
“At the time I expected to do
a nutrition consult, perhaps
treat for ulcers, look at teeth and
bodywork.
“I walked over to the box and
I was shocked at how emaciated
BETTER DAYS: Riverfalls
at the Karaka Sales in
January 2018. PHOTO: NEW
ZEALAND BLOODSTOCK
she was,” said Bonner, who rated
Riverfalls’ body condition score
as 1 or 2 out of 10.
Bonner spoke to Harris telling
him the horse was in a seriously
poor condition and it could not
have happened overnight.
“He agreed and said he
thought the horse may have been
poisoned,” she said.
Bonner, who said she did not
assume the mare was being
starved, formulated a refeeding
plan and a course of oral deworming
medication Panacur to
treat internal parasites.
“I didn’t want to be accusatory,
I just didn’t have it in my mind
that any of this was intentional,”
she said.
“In summary, I thought I was
blindsided going to treat a horse
for loss of condition to find
emaciation. I was surprised no
veterinarian had seen the horse
prior.”
Bonner felt Riverfalls should
have been treated a month before
she saw her.
The horse’s condition deteriorated
further and veterinarian
Dr Alisa Corser told the hearing
euthanasia was the only option
when she was summoned to the
property by RIB investigator
Simon Irving.
RIB investigator Kylie Williams
took photos and a video of
Riverfalls that were produced for
the committee. They are currently
subject to a non-publication
order.
Corser, who is contracted to
the RIB, made the decision to euthanise
Riverfalls in conjunction
with Dr Hamish Rankin, who
carried out the procedure.
She described Riverfalls
condition as “the worst I’d seen
in my experience outside a
hospital environment”.
“There is no doubt she was
suffering, no doubt Riverfalls
would have been in pain,” Corser
said.
Riverfalls was suffering from
severe emaciation and showing
signs of colitis, an inflammation
of the large intestine which is
often fatal.
Defence counsel Stephanie
Grieve asked if colitis could
cause emaciation.
“It can, but it doesn’t usually
cause emaciation in that rapid of
a time frame, in my experience,”
Corser said.