Shocking footage filmed at Assiniboia Downs racetrack in Winnipeg shows a jockey violently abusing a horse.
The video, which was recently shared with Animal Justice, shows a jockey grabbing a horse by the throat and repeatedly striking her in the face. The horse, who according to the whistleblower, is named Scarlett’s Flower, looks terrified, trapped in a stall while foaming at the mouth. In the footage, the jockey restrains the horse by the halter and aggressively squeezes her throat. He then strikes the horse multiple times in the face and pushes her head against a sharp wooden corner.
Authorities were alerted to the abuse, as well as instances of other animal abuse involving punching a dog. Court documents show that multiple criminal animal cruelty charges were laid against the jockey in 2024 for these 2023 incidents.
Despite these blatant acts of illegal abuse, the jockey did not face harsh legal penalties nor did he receive a clear, long-standing ban on being around animals. Instead, the charges were stayed when he entered into a one-year peace bond in March 2025 that prohibited him from owning or being around animals, with one alarming exemption—he was explicitly allowed to continue working with animals.
This exemption is astonishing because he beat this horse while “working” with the animal at Assiniboia Downs. The terms of the peace bond expired earlier this year.
Cruelty in Canada’s Racetracks
Horse racing poses serious risks to the health and well-being of horses, often subjecting them to pain and terror for the sake of sport and profit, including by pushing young, undeveloped horses to run at dangerous speeds. Incidents at racetracks around the world have shown that horses can be exposed to intense training, whipping, and stress. At some racetracks, when horses are no longer profitable, they often face neglect or are sold at auctions for slaughter.
There are many documented examples of animal cruelty in racetracks across Canada. A 2024 review of Canadian racing penalties found dozens of excessive whipping violations at Canadian tracks. These include Toronto’s Woodbine Racetrack, Fort Erie Race Track, Vancouver’s Hastings Racecourse, Assiniboia Downs, and Edmonton’s Century Mile Racetrack.
In 2024, poor track maintenance at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto caused 19 horses to become injured, with 10 of them being euthanized.
Canadian horse racing has repeatedly faced medication and drug infractions, including cases involving illegal performance-enhancing drugs. In Ontario, trainer Robert Gerl received a 20-year suspension and was fined $100,000 after horses under his care tested positive for ostarine, a banned anabolic drug.
In the footage shared by Animal Justice, the jockey is beating the terrified horse in the open, raising questions about the culture at the racetrack.
Cameras Needed at Assiniboia Downs
Racehorses are often handled and trained away from public view, and are especially vulnerable to abuse at these times. Many horse racetracks in places like California, Ireland, Pennsylvania, and Oklahoma are required to have cameras to improve regulatory oversight. Installing cameras in barns and training areas at Assiniboia Downs would deter unlawful abuse that is rampant when animals are used for profit, and ensure that jockeys and trainers are monitored and can be held accountable for cruelty.
