'Deeply Offensive' name!

CompleteControl

Well-known member
No comment from me on the following piece in the Guardian

Racing’s ruling body is to review the process by which it approves racehorse names after a runner was allowed to compete under the name of a racial slur.

The horse, named Jungle Bunny, raced in a low-profile contest at Wolverhampton on Saturday, having been missed by officials at the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) who are supposed to prevent offensive and inappropriate names being used.

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Followers of the sport took to social media to say they were “gobsmacked” by the “unforgivable” naming and attempted to call it to the BHA’s attention before the race. However, she took part under the name and went on to finish sixth on her debut. The TV commentator, Derek Thompson, gave the horse no mention during the race.

Two hours later, the BHA acknowledged on Twitter that the filly’s name was “deeply offensive and should not have been permitted. It was not picked up by the team responsible for filtering names. This is a human process and this was a human error. We will be having the horse renamed at the earliest opportunity and apologise for offence caused.”

The BHA confirmed on Sunday that the horse had been renamed at their insistence and is now called Jungle Bells. Online form records of Saturday’s race are to be amended to show that name.
There was no word as to whether disciplinary action would be taken against whoever submitted the name. Emma Evans, the wife of the horse’s owner-trainer David Evans, said the naming had been an innocent mistake deriving from the name of the filly’s sire, Bungle Inthejungle.

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“David’s daughter gave us the horse and there’s a computer game called Jungle Bunny Run, which her son loves playing,” Evans said. “I just thought, that’ll do. I had no idea. It was completely innocent and that is the gospel truth.

“None of the staff said anything, nobody else said anything and I’m totally flabbergasted,” she added. “I’m upset because we’ve had our Sunday ruined by everybody ringing about it. It makes you look like a racist, which I am certainly not.”
 
The horse's name is a racial slur - it's not prevalent over here, though, which might be the reason for your confusion. More so in the US.

It sounds like an honest mistake, somewhat sensationalised by the widespread media coverage, which will be forgotten about shortly. No need to get defensive or upset.
 
I think more needs to be done in this area and well done to those who have finally brought it to light. With any luck there won’t be any permanent damage to those caught up in it.
 
It was most definitely a racial slur in the 60's...but it's been decades since I've heard it used. I suspect that as we've grown as a nation it's fallen from popular culture and use. Now, as things do, it's returned with a different form and meaning.

And yes, it is an innocent platform game....about jungles and bunnies!

It does worry me when people see racism where none exists.

Jungle Bunny Run - Apps on Google Play
 
School boy humor that someone tries every decade so my favorites were Hoof Hearted and My tent or Yours. Brilliant commentator tactic to ignore the horse in the race. Bound to cost even money to rename a horse.
 
I would not have had a clue it was a racial slur and I’m not even going to google it to find out the connotation. Does seem like an honest mistake to me.
 
No comment from me on the following piece in the Guardian

Racing’s ruling body is to review the process by which it approves racehorse names after a runner was allowed to compete under the name of a racial slur.

The horse, named Jungle Bunny, raced in a low-profile contest at Wolverhampton on Saturday, having been missed by officials at the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) who are supposed to prevent offensive and inappropriate names being used.

3500.jpg




Followers of the sport took to social media to say they were “gobsmacked” by the “unforgivable” naming and attempted to call it to the BHA’s attention before the race. However, she took part under the name and went on to finish sixth on her debut. The TV commentator, Derek Thompson, gave the horse no mention during the race.

Two hours later, the BHA acknowledged on Twitter that the filly’s name was “deeply offensive and should not have been permitted. It was not picked up by the team responsible for filtering names. This is a human process and this was a human error. We will be having the horse renamed at the earliest opportunity and apologise for offence caused.”

The BHA confirmed on Sunday that the horse had been renamed at their insistence and is now called Jungle Bells. Online form records of Saturday’s race are to be amended to show that name.
There was no word as to whether disciplinary action would be taken against whoever submitted the name. Emma Evans, the wife of the horse’s owner-trainer David Evans, said the naming had been an innocent mistake deriving from the name of the filly’s sire, Bungle Inthejungle.

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“David’s daughter gave us the horse and there’s a computer game called Jungle Bunny Run, which her son loves playing,” Evans said. “I just thought, that’ll do. I had no idea. It was completely innocent and that is the gospel truth.

“None of the staff said anything, nobody else said anything and I’m totally flabbergasted,” she added. “I’m upset because we’ve had our Sunday ruined by everybody ringing about it. It makes you look like a racist, which I am certainly not.”
No comment but you thought you'd put it out there anyway. Just to hook a few of the usuals, as it were.
 
why do we have to have these crap posts on AVFTT? It was only posted to try and provoke a reaction and set fans against other. Lets have a bit of good will to ALL men and women no matter what creed, colour or sexual orientation (Cods and knobbers excluded)
Sorry Bob if it drew the wrong reaction from some. I was particularly amused that Derek Thompson - who is an excellent commentator - did not mention the horse throughout the race. I will have to check where it finished.

I totally agree with your second sentence.
 
Sorry Bob if it drew the wrong reaction from some. I was particularly amused that Derek Thompson - who is an excellent commentator - did not mention the horse throughout the race. I will have to check where it finished.

I totally agree with your second sentence.
ok no problem but some days AVFTT is really toxic - I love all my fellow Pool fans 😍 and want to talk about Footie
 
I’am just waiting for White Lightning cider to disappear off the shelfs any day soon.
I thought it had already been replaced by a gender fluid fluid called BAME Lighting guaranteed to have you on your knees frothing at the mouth at the injustices of the past Millenium after a couple of swigs
 
I thought it had already been replaced by a gender fluid fluid called BAME Lighting guaranteed to have you on your knees frothing at the mouth at the injustices of the past Millenium after a couple of swigs
I'm fairly sure the only frothing on this thread is from you and Jaffa.
 
I recall a horse in the 70's being named "Muff Diver" and i think Wetherbys changed its naming rules shortly afterwards.
 
I will try and make this simple for some of our posters, the words white and black are not offensive.
When placed alongside other words and used in a derogatory, insulting or aggressive way they could be deemed as racist.
Feel free to eat black pudding and sing White Christmas as nobody will be offended.
 
Of course we, as a Board, could make a determined decision to avoid bringing up the subject. Perhaps then we would be contributing to a deradicalised agenda.
 
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