TED WALSH, the RTÉ commentator has said sorry his comments regarding the treatment of a horse over the weekend.
Walsh received huge backlash for comments made on RTE One at Punchestown on Saturday
The 72-year-old, who is the father of retired jockey, Ruby Walsh said: Look at the dirty, rotten so and so.
"God, he’s a chicken-hearted so and so, a dirty, rotten, cowardly so and so.”
He later added: "Jesus, I tell you one thing - a hiding wouldn't be good enough for him."
Disgusting comments from @RTEracing pundit Ted Walsh after horse refuses jump: "A dirty, rotten so and so. Jesus, I'll tell you one thing, a hiding wouldn't be good enough for him...He's a chicken-hearted so and so, a dirty, rotten, cowardly so and so." https://t.co/DFH0HZbXsm pic.twitter.com/ZsYNdT4an6 — Ban Blood Sports (@banbloodsports) May 1, 2022
The comments sparked outrage online and junior minister at the Department of Agriculture and Green Party senator, Pippa Hackett took to Twitter to slam the racing pundit over the comments regarding the horse.
Hackett said" This is completely unacceptable commentary from Ted Walsh on @RTEsport.
“I don’t think anyone in racing or bloodstock could condone the use of this sort of language in relation to a horse. It does nothing for Irish racing.”
A statement from RTE regarding the incident was released where, Walsh apologised for the remarks made: “This was an unfortunate turn of phrase and in no way reflects my views on the welfare of animals.
"I would never condone the use of physical force on any animal, and I sincerely apologise for any offence that my words caused."
"In a statement released by RTÉ on Monday night, Mr Walsh said: ‘When analysing a horse’s refusal to jump an obstacle which led to a young man suffering a heavy fall, I said that “a hiding wouldn’t be good enough for him”.
"This was an unfortunate turn of phrase and in no way reflects my views on the welfare of animals."
"I would never condone the use of physical force on any animal, and I sincerely apologise for any offence that my words caused.’
"RTÉ added that it had no further comment to make."
This is completely unacceptable commentary from Ted Walsh on @RTEsport. I don’t think anyone in racing or bloodstock could condone the use of this sort of language in relation to a horse. It does nothing for Irish racing. https://t.co/F2STtXsPtr — Pippa Hackett (@pippa_hackett) May 2, 2022
