Tasmanian jockey penalized $2,000 for animal mistreatment due to repeated lashing of racehorse | Tasmania

A Tasmanian racehorse trainer, Liandra Gray, has been fined $2,000 for animal cruelty after pleading guilty to whipping a horse over 40 times within a four-minute period. Gray was found guilty of causing pain to The Bolt, a 7-year-old thoroughbred gelding, by repeatedly striking him with a padded racing whip. The Magistrate, Evan Hughes, upheld the charge following a Devonport magistrates court hearing and imposed a fine as a general deterrent for breach of the Tasmanian Animal Welfare Act. Despite The Bolt’s difficult training history and Gray’s personal stress, the act was deemed intentional. Gray’s actions were also deemed to have inflicted moderate to severe pain on the horse. The court considered Gray’s financial status and the impact on her future in the racing industry when setting the fine. The RSPCA pushed for a ban on Gray owning or training animals, but Hughes decided a fine was appropriate since Gray had no previous convictions. Additionally, Gray had previously been fined $4,000 in 2023 for mistreating a horse during training when it was lame. Gray has a long history in the Tasmanian racing industry, having trained numerous winners and place-getters, amounting to over $1.2 million in prize money.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/aug/06/horse-trainer-tasmania-fine-animal-cruelty-whipping-racehorse-ntwnfb