WINNIPEG—After receiving whistleblower footage of a horse being ruthlessly beaten, national animal law organization Animal Justice is calling for the introduction of closed-circuit cameras inside the barns at Assiniboia Downs.
The disturbing video shared recently with Animal Justice shows a jockey grabbing a mare by the throat, repeatedly striking her in the face and whipping the horse, reportedly named Scarlett’s Flower, with her own headgear.
Trapped in her stall, with nowhere to flee, Scarlett’s Flower is seen foaming at the mouth, likely an indication of severe distress given the circumstances. The video—recorded in July 2023—is only now coming to light, raising serious questions about transparency and animal welfare at Assiniboia Downs.
“This video is absolutely shocking, and it’s deeply troubling that a jockey would treat a horse with such brutality out in the open as though it was nothing out of the ordinary, ” said lawyer Kaitlyn Mitchell, Animal Justice’s director of legal advocacy, based in Winnipeg.
“If it were not for a concerned employee capturing this video, this horrific abuse would have been entirely hidden. Surveillance cameras would help protect horses like Scarlett’s Flower by deterring violence and mistreatment, and would make it easier to hold animal abusers accountable by authorities,” Ms. Mitchell said.
While Animal Justice confirmed the video led to animal cruelty charges for the jockey, court documents show his charges were stayed, and that he entered into a one-year peace bond in March 2025, which recently expired.
While the peace bond placed temporary limits on his contact with animals, it provided an explicit and broad exception allowing him to continue working with animals, which is especially alarming, considering this abuse occurred while he was on the job.
“It’s extremely worrying that Assiniboia Downs appears to have swept this under the rug. A horse was violently abused inside the barns, resulting in criminal charges, and yet the public was never informed. It’s also concerning that this individual could work with horses again in a position of trust, potentially even at Assiniboia Downs,” Ms. Mitchell said.
“Installing 24-hour video surveillance inside the barns would at least provide some assurance that the horses there are not being subjected to potentially routine abuse.”
Many horse racetracks in places like California, Ireland, Pennsylvania, and Oklahoma are required to have CCTV cameras in barns and other areas to deter misconduct and improve regulator oversight.
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