PETA charges that horses in races at Ogden track have been drugged, abused

OGDEN — A national animal rights group is decrying what it calls unregulated horse racing at the Golden Spike Event Center, saying it has uncovered instances in prior events at the Ogden facility of drugging and abuse of horses and gambling.

"The evidence includes video of a trainer carrying a syringe into the stall of a horse named El Dorian immediately before the race in which El Dorian suffered a fatal breakdown — making it a near certainty that the horse was injected with a substance that contributed to the breakdown," People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, or PETA, alleges in a statement Wednesday.

Apart from that, the organization said that jockeys have used excessive force to prod horses to run fast and that attendees have engaged in illegal wagering. PETA asks Weber County commissioners to deny any applications they receive for "unregulated" horse racing or "matched" horse races.

"Jockeys have also been caught on video excessively whipping and using electric shock devices on horses — a violation of Utah's cruelty to animals laws — and attendees have been recorded engaging in what appears to be illegal gambling," PETA says.

Duncan Olsen, the Golden Spike general manager, said county officials aren't aware of PETA's claims, though the organization sent correspondence on April 8 and March 30 to county officials outlining its findings and concerns. Golden Spike is a county-owned facility that hosts a range of events, including rodeos, the Weber County Fair, home shows and more.

"Weber County has no actual knowledge of those claims," Olsen said in a statement in response to a KSL query on the matter.

A post from Tuesday on the Facebook page of the organization that promotes the horse races said activities planned for this coming Sunday have been postponed, but it didn't say why.

"We appreciate your understanding and we'll be communicating a new date soon," the CB Promotions message reads. The organization didn't respond to queries seeking comment.

The Golden Spike Facebook page said the planned horse races for Sunday — which would have been the first at the facility this year — have been canceled, but listed planned race dates of June 21, July 5 and Aug. 16. Queried whether the events will go forward, Olsen said "no matched races are contracted for 2026." If an event isn't contracted at Golden Spike, he said, it can't take place.

PETA has investigated instances of "unregulated" horse racing around the country, more recently digging into races in 2025 and 2024 at Golden Spike, the focus of its latest concerns. The competitions, particularly popular in some segments of the Hispanic community, typically feature quarter horses racing along straightaways that measure up to 400 yards. Thoroughbred horses racing at regulated racetracks, by contrast, typically cover longer distances on oval tracks, 1.25 miles in the case of the Kentucky Derby.

"PETA discovered a clandestine underworld of crime and cruelty, where racegoers wager hundreds of thousands of dollars, and trainers and jockeys drug, whip and electroshock horses to try to win at any cost," PETA claims on a website featuring its investigative efforts.

Hannah Schein, vice president of investigations and research for PETA, said representatives from the organization investigated the horse racing at Golden Spike by analyzing video and photos posted online of races. Some races are livestreamed, Schein said, to facilitate wagering.

The evidence shows "what appears to be widespread possession and use of illegal controlled substances to enhance horses' performance," PETA said in a letter to Weber County commissioners on Thursday. Some participants openly carry syringes and inject horse shortly before races, presumably to make them run faster.

The group singled out the instance of a horse named El Dorian that died after crossing the finish line during a race at Golden Spike on June 22 last year, caught on video. Video allegedly shows a trainer approaching the horse prior to the race and uncapping a syringe. The group suspects the animal was injected with a substance that contributed to its death.

Furthermore, Schein said PETA has found instances of jockeys excessively whipping horses and using "electric shock devices" in a bid to get them to run faster. The activity at Golden Spike is "extremely egregious even compared to other bush tracks," she said.

Sometimes bookies will wander the grounds of bush tracks to facilitate betting, she said, while wagering is also done online.

"None of this is legal," she said. "I don't know what the county is thinking allowing events like this."

According to Legal Sports Report, an online publication focused on the gaming industry, horse racing is legal in Utah. "But betting on those, or any simulcast races, is prohibited," according to its website.

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