Horse races are events in which trained horses race while live audiences watch from the stands and bet on the outcomes. The Melbourne Cup, Australia’s leading horse racing event, regularly draws in audiences of 80,000 live attendees in addition to broadcast audiences watching from home. Despite its popularity, the Cup faces opposition from those concerned with its impact on the rights and welfare of racehorses.

Among other forms of expressing opposition, online activism through platforms such as Twitter (now X) have become increasingly common for calling out harmful societal practices. For example, the Twitter hashtag “#cecilthelion” was used to bring negative attention to trophy hunting. The Melbourne Cup has similarly been targeted through the Twitter hashtag “#Nuptothecup.” This study analyzed the content of the tweets associated with this hashtag to look for common themes and what those themes might reveal about social attitudes towards horse racing.

The study’s sample was composed of the first 1,000 tweets posted with #Nuptothecup on November 3, 2020 (the day of the 2020 Melbourne Cup), as well as the first 300 tweets posted with #Nuptothecup during the first two weeks of October 2021 in the lead-up to the 2021 Melbourne Cup. Four investigators manually read through each tweet and picked out consistent themes that appeared across multiple tweets. The set of themes was finalized through collective discussion until agreement was reached between the investigators.

The investigators identified three overarching themes, each with more specific sub-themes within them.

Moral Objections

Tweets containing this theme focused on perceived violations of the rights or welfare of racehorses. Sub-themes included:

• Death of racehorses (53% of tweets)
• Cruelty, abuse, and exploitation of horses/animals (30% of tweets)

Several of these tweets specifically mentioned the death of Anthony VanDyck, a well-known racehorse who was euthanized on the tracks after injuring his leg during a race. Others brought up the fate of ex-racehorses who are sent to slaughterhouses and dog food factories.

Social And Cultural Objections

Tweets that fit this theme pointed out unsavory behaviors associated with horse racing as a sporting event. Sub-themes included:

• Gambling/addiction/greed/money (16% of tweets)
• Hedonism of the race (16% of tweets)
• Drunkenness/rowdy behavior/trashy/barbaric behavior (9% of tweets)

Political Objections

Tweets expressing this theme criticized public figures such as celebrities and politicians who are associated with or involved in the sporting event. Sub-themes included:

• Condemnation of the industry and people within the industry (9% of tweets)
• Celebrity and media criticism (6% of tweets)
• Role of politicians and government (4% of tweets)

The authors point out that despite the criticisms of racing in these tweets, the industry has certain societal benefits, providing not just entertainment but also jobs and traditions that reinforce national identity. For the industry, the lesson here may be to update their welfare standards and transparency measures.

Proponents of animal rights, however, are likely to want to put a stop to horse racing (and other forms of animal exploitation) altogether. Advocates can take inspiration from the success of other campaigns against animals in entertainment. For example, public protests prompted global declines in animal-based circuses and performances at zoos and aquariums. Likewise, campaigns against the greyhound racing industry have led to its being banned in many parts of the world. Online activism is just one way to contribute to a societal conversation about shifting away from animal exploitation. Online posts, whether on Twitter (X) or other platforms, can shed light on harmful practices and call out participants in positions of power and influence such as politicians and celebrities.

It’s also worth noting that some tweets in this sample came from people who claimed to have previously been fans of horse racing before learning more about the impacts on horses. Thus, educating others — whether online or offline — about how animal rights and welfare are compromised for entertainment may create additional allies.

Several tweets in this sample spotlighted the impacts on individual animals affected by entertainment industries, which is a strategy that animal advocates can use in other contexts — for example, by telling the story of individual wild animals forced to act on film sets or perform in circuses. It takes many forms of activism to bring attention to issues affecting animals. The advantages of online activism, such as the low effort required and wide reach, should not be underestimated.