Should we still be celebrating Melbourne Cup in 2022? 24 women share their thoughts.

Every year there is a conversation that pushes itself back into the forefront around Melbourne Cup Carnival day.

It's a conversation that is overtly heated and fueled with different opinions. It's an ironic conversation as well, considering horse racing takes place consistently throughout the year. But given that the Melbourne Cup is such an iconic event in Australia's social and sporting calendar, steeped in tradition, it's understandable why now is the perfect storm for debates to take place.

It's the race that 'stops the nation' and has been doing so for hundreds of years now. 

But as the years go on and our feelings of dutiful activism grow, public opinion on the cup has shifted. 

The facts are as follows: 

Australia's horse racing industry is worth billions. Almost every year, a horse loses its life at the Melbourne Cup. Almost every year, track attendants rush onto the turf at Flemington and put up screens around a fallen horse. And almost every year, a horse's name is trending on social media. Gambling activity and alcohol consumption increases on Melbourne Cup day. And that combination of betting and alcohol leads to a significant rise in domestic violence on the first Tuesday in November. 

Watch: A throwback to 2015 when two horses died at Melbourne Cup. Post continues below.

What's also a fact is that Melbourne Cup day and horse racing as a whole provides thousands of Australians a secure income and job opportunities. It's also a time of increased profits and sales for small businesses - for example in sectors such as hospitality, transport, fashion and events coordination. It's also a day that brings communities together, which in the wake of droughts, a pandemic, lockdowns and floods, is an opportunity many don't wish to miss out on.

To gauge how women are feeling on this issue, we spoke to 24 women - from different ages, backgrounds and locations in Australia - to share their thoughts on the Melbourne Cup and horse racing as a whole.

Here's what they had to say.

'I find it hypocritical to be outraged at horse-racing but be fine with eating meat.'

"I find it hypocritical to say 'I don't agree with horse racing' and then go home and eat a steak for dinner. What's the difference between a horse or a cow? I really enjoy going to the races, getting dressed up and putting a few cheeky bets on. And who doesn't love a fascinator?! I don't feel like it's a popular opinion to have anymore but unless someone is prepared to go full vegan I don't see how they can get on their high horse (excuse the pun) about horse racing."

"Living in a regional area, I've got dozens of friends and family members who are employed in the racing industry. In our area, the racing industry is well and truly thriving, and I rarely hear support for the Nup to the Cup movement in our local area. Although I completely understand the motivations behind the Nup to the Cup movement, I think the movement often fails to include the voices of the everyday people involved, such as trainers, jockeys, strappers, etc."

'Watching people get off on seeing animal cruelty makes me uncomfortable.'

"As a vegetarian and someone who used to live in Melbourne for many years, I am staunchly against it. Even when I used to get the day off from work, I would never do anything on the day as I didn't want to show my support towards the cause. Watching people get off on seeing animal cruelty is disgusting. It is as bad as greyhound racing."

"I have shares in a race horse and it's the one thing I can bond with my dad over. He's an older man who loves a punt. I've had this discussion with many friends who disagree, but the laughs and enjoyment I get from this sport and the horse my dad and I invest in outweighs anything else for me."

"I really don't have any strong feelings towards Melbourne Cup, but I've often felt forced to have a stronger opinion and voice it. At work, it will just be another regular day for me - I won't place a bet, but I will enjoy the free afternoon tea provided."

"I feel for all the women all over Australia who are going to become victims of domestic violence on Tuesday. We know that after the big football grand finals, the statistics show that women become more vulnerable to potentially violent home situations. And the same is true for any event fueled by gambling and alcohol - Melbourne Cup is no different."

'Horse racing provides important social opportunities for regional communities and provides jobs.'

"I think it's really easy for people in the cities and metropolitan areas to get on their pedestal and say 'Nup to the Cup'. When in reality it's more complicated than that - in my town, horse racing is something that is adored by the locals, it strengthens the sense of community, brings people together and is something to celebrate. And considering all the floods and droughts we've had over the last few years, I think we deserve the opportunity to have some fun and celebrate with mates."

"I find Australia's relationship with gambling frustrating and upsetting. While I can recognise there are people in the racing industry who love their animals, I find the betting side of it all icky. The negatives outweigh the positives in this case."

'I've got more of a problem with the alcohol and gambling associated.'

"It's a sickening display of animal cruelty, consumerism and gambling. It's well past its use-by-date and feels like a total waste of time. It's a Nup to the Cup - lots of taxpayer's money goes into supporting the industry, and jockeys have to starve themselves to maintain a certain weight for the job. The number of horses who die at each of these races is awful."

"As a Flemington local, we kind of love it. I love to see the beautiful spring gardens, seeing everyone in their fabulous frocks and the fun atmosphere. As a caterer and someone who gets good business around this time of year, I appreciate that the carnival is about much more than horses. Plus, everything is problematic on some level. Even take football and the sheer amount of serious head injuries that the players get. It's honestly just nice to see Melbournians in particular have the opportunity to have some fun and be employed this year."

'It's considered on the nose in inner-city areas.' 

"As someone who has family members that own race horses, I feel very conflicted. I see the joy, opportunity and money it provides them, and the love for horse racing more generally in their regional area. But as someone who lives in the inner city, I think the Nup to the Cup message has pushed me to think about the realities associated with Melbourne Cup. I never want to sound like a 'raging inner-city leftie' who is out of touch with people who don't live in the exact same context as I do, so I try to have empathy for both sides. But morally, I do deep down see Melbourne Cup as on the nose."

"As someone who works in the events industry which was one of the hardest hit during the pandemic in Melbourne, let us recover. It's an age-old tradition that brings in millions of dollars to tourism, hospitality, fashion, transportation and more. I know this is not a popular opinion, but these type of events put us on the map."

"For me, I see celebrating the Melbourne cup is almost as bad as celebrating Jan 26th. I can get drunk and gamble with my friends 365 days of the year, I don't think it needs to be at the expense of something or someone."

'It's complicated and nuanced.'

"I've been to many race days - both as a spectator and as a horse owner. Times have changed substantially, and the horses are much better treated today than they once were. As with most things, there is always room for improvement. Personally though, I've outgrown it. The sloppy, drunk behaviour is not good and the gambling upsets me."

"As a Melbournian, it's always been a fun week of the year - full of social catch-ups, a long weekend, events and more. Plus the fashion is the part I love the most, having the chance to dress up and see all the beautiful outfits."

"I genuinely have zero interest in the matter. I don't like gambling, I don't like horse racing and I don't like fashion. With that in mind, I won't be watching, nor will I be reading about it - who cares. There are bigger fish to fry in this world, and Melbourne Cup shouldn't be at the top of our list."

'People have the choice to choose ignorance or not. And those who attend choose ignorance.'

"I don't celebrate Melbourne Cup. I once had a fight with a friend because I thought he was watching horse racing - we haven't spoken since. It's really embarrassing at this point to still be having conversations about animal cruelty, when we see at multiple of these events that horses die. Anyone who is celebrating Melbourne Cup therefore in some way condones it. When you choose ignorance, you're just as bad as the person who races the horse."

"I often feel a bit conflicted and almost hypocritical because at work we take clients to the Melbourne Cup event each year. I recently read a Michelle Payne interview and even watched the movie Ride Like a Girl and Rachel Griffiths speak about it on No Filter - both of which show a positive side to the industry. I wonder if it's a case of two things can be true at once."

Listen to Rachel Griffiths on Mamamia's No Filter. Post continues after audio.

"The suffering produced by eating animal is objectively on a much greater scale than horse racing. If anything, I would have a more staunch stance against the promotion of alcohol and gambling at horse racing events. When you think of Melbourne Cup, what comes to mind? For me, it's drunk people shouting over bets. That's not something that should be normalised in Australian culture. We're better than that."

'The fashion, atmosphere and social opportunities give me joy.'

"I'm not really into horse racing per se, but we love our wee local rural town race day - it's such a fabulous community event. The horses are well looked after and people spend so much of their lives devoted to their horses. I feel there's good and bad in all things and that as long as the welfare standards remain high for the animals, then it should be enjoyed."

"It's institutionalised animal abuse that we've been ingrained into thinking of as entertainment. Enough said. I think we can have more day drinking events on a Tuesday, but we don't need to get the horses involved."

"I recently moved back to my hometown after spending a year or two in the city. And now I feel completely conflicted on the matter. My friends and family adore the races, but now after being surrounded by people who disagreed with it wholeheartedly in the city, I don't know what to feel."

'Melbourne Cup is often a win for small businesses - that chance to make revenue shouldn't be taken away.'

"I love Cup day. I have many happy memories from the events over the years, and as a hairdresser, it has always been a busy sales time of year. It's a well-deserved day off for Victorians, we get the chance to dress up and have a great day with friends. And when I think of all the small businesses that benefit from the Melbourne Cup - it's hard not to celebrate that win for them, because they likely need the money and deserve it."

"I didn't grow up in Australia, and so my first interaction with the Melbourne Cup was a jarring one. I didn't quite understand why everyone got so excited for a horse race that lasted a minute. The animal cruelty certainly doesn't make me happy, but seeing the gambling to that level was extremely icky. So much money is thrown around and lost and then spent all on booze. To me, it's a very dirty celebration that makes little to no sense."

"I find the whole thing heartbreakingly unnecessary. We can have fun as a community in other ways. Without fail, most years there are horse deaths on or off the track or horrific injuries. A party or social event could easily take place without the cruelty." 

How do you feel about the Melbourne Cup? Respectfully share a comment and tell us your thoughts!

Feature Image: Getty/Mamamia.

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