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Some people love the race that stops the nation. Others wish it would just stop.
We asked the latter what they disliked most about the race and at what point they decided not to watch.
Here's what they had to say:
Many said they didn't like the Melbourne Cup because it was cruel:
"[I stopped supporting the cup] when I found out that many of the horses die of stress and heart attacks the moment the race is over. It is cruel. These animals are pushed to their absolute limits merely for human greed and pleasure. It's disgusting. That being said, I love the ceremony and the fashion and it's one of the few big events throughout the year that brings colleagues and friends together. I just wish it wasn't centred around animal cruelty." — Eden Y
"Having heard about all the horses that died after the last few cups, and also the horrible conditions that they are kept in when confined to their stables, I decided that I didn't want to support it in any way." — Flynn S
"Despite my absolute love for the fashion hoopla, and my passion and dedication to making the wackiest hat every year, today I said no. Today I said: 'I put humanity above entertainment'. And I'm okay with it." — December M
"I have always thought that it's more about gambling than horses that should be in a field eating grass." — Felicity F
"Two horses died in the race last year … all for our entertainment. There are other ways to be entertained." — Laura M
"[I stopped supporting the cup] the moment I had to retire my ex-racehorse because he was broken in too early. I don't like that thoroughbreds are broken in and raced as early as two years old, as their bones haven't fully set yet. As a result, my beautiful riding horse had to be retired as he is now too sore to be ridden, despite having had a very easy life with me." — Catherine G
"I love the fashions, the history, and the idea of holding a fun event, but find it a bit off-putting that animals might suffer while we all compare our fascinators. Maybe we should replace the horses with a running race for humans or something as equally trivial, like an egg and spoon race!" — Bec H
"[It's] one of the many things we think are normal growing up and never question. The first time someone talked me through what horse racing actually is, I realised that the cruelty to the horses is too high a price for entertainment." — Glenn H
"[I haven't supported it] since adopting two ex-racing greyhounds. The animals are the big losers all round. I can't support it" — Gillian K
But for some, the drinking and gambling was worse:
"It's the perfect demonstration of the gambling problem in Australia." — Ashlea B
"I don't like gambling, and the whole thing is just about gambling. But I do like days off, so I'm torn." — Shannon B
A few had worked at Melbourne Cup functions, and hated the vibe:
"I work in hospitality, and Melbourne Cup Day is one of the most soul crushing days to work. You lose all faith in humanity." — Mary D
"I worked for a few years as a bar attendant within the corporate 'birdcage' [which] represents all the most noxious parts of colonial, consumerist, corporate, misogynist and small-minded Australian culture. If an alien came to Melbourne and wanted to understand the where we need help as a culture, I would take them to the Melbourne Cup. Excessive consumption. Sexist beauty standards and rigidly policed gender boundaries. Class divide and corporate culture. Binge drinking. Animal abuse and exploitation. Sexual harassment. Anti-intellectualism and attention-seeking. Littering and total disregard for the environment. And I haven't even mentioned the gambling yet." — Jodie K
"It all seems to be a money grabbing scheme to the detriment of the horses and the consumers." — Hannah L-S
Others just thought the whole thing was boring:
"Boring to watch horses run around a circle." — Grahame K
"I'm just not interested in watching horses run around in circles." — Robert C
And at least one thought the fashion was stupid:
"Absolute waste of everyone's time. Everyone looks like a douche with their stupid hats. Just brings out the worst in everyone." — Genevieve A
Most just hated all of the above:
"Racing combines everything terrible about our society in one event: gambling, animal cruelty, materialism, woman as ornaments, drinking to excess." — Tess L
"The guilt I felt attending my first Melbourne Cup, knowing that I was supporting an industry that promoted animal cruelty and gambling. I realised I could never do it again." — Vicki R
"It should be an international embarrassment that the race that stops our nation is a day-long piss-up where we abuse animals." — Bradley C
"My partner and I decided to boycott the races in part due to the horrendous treatment of the animals and also due to not wanting to associate ourselves with the type of people who attend the races (the majority, I should say). Both are quite disgusting." — Finn G
"It's cruel, elitist, encourages greed and corruption, and further encourages debauched behaviour from the 20-something celebrity wannabes who don't even know how to put a simple bet on, let alone the history of horse racing and it's former greats. Ask them who Phar Lap was." — Cheyenne S-M
"Seriously, I used to love it — the horses, the excitement, picking my favourite and having my annual bet. Now it just fills me with disgust." — Chris S
"The Melbourne Cup is a celebration of normalised animal cruelty around which we gather to gamble and get disgustingly drunk. I want no part in it!" — Renae C
"[I stopped supporting the Melbourne Cup] when I was in high school. I thought about it and it seemed a bit of a ridiculous fanfare. I did my research and learnt about the animal cruelty and abuse, about the obscene about of gambling this event promotes and inspires, the wasteful culture both in attire (buy unethical wear once and throw out) and at the event (in amounts of single use plastic it uses and the trash that is left by punters) — Isobel C
Topics: horse-racing, sport, community-and-society, gambling, carnivals-and-festivals, melbourne-3000, vic, australia
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