Itali – Palagonia, Sicily — Italian police have launched an investigation after a video emerged showing an illegal horse-drawn cart race in Sicily accompanied by gunfire, prompting raids and the seizure of horses used in the event.
The footage, reportedly filmed last Friday near the town of Palagonia in eastern Sicily, shows two jockeys racing horse-drawn carts at high speed along rural roads while dozens of spectators follow on scooters. In the video, participants can be seen firing pistols into the air, with at least one person allegedly brandishing what appears to be a Kalashnikov-style rifle.
The clip was shared on social media by animal rights activist Enrico Rizzi and has since circulated widely, drawing condemnation and triggering a law enforcement response.
Police launch raids and seize horses
Italian police said the incident prompted immediate investigations, leading officers to carry out inspections of stables in the San Cristoforo district of Catania, alongside veterinarians from the regional health authority.
Authorities said two men, aged 40 and 45, have been reported to prosecutors in connection with the event.
“Following reports of an unauthorised horse race, accompanied by dozens of people filming the event and firing gunshots into the air, police carried out investigations… which led to two men being reported to prosecutors,” police said in a statement.
Officers confirmed that horses believed to have been used in the race were identified and placed in protective custody. Local media, including La Sicilia, reported that the animals were seized and several stables shut down as part of the operation.
Illegal races linked to organised crime networks
Illegal horse racing remains a persistent problem in parts of southern Italy, particularly in Sicily, Calabria, and Campania. Authorities and investigators have long linked some events to organised crime groups, including Cosa Nostra, the Camorra, and the ’Ndrangheta.
According to law enforcement and animal welfare organisations, these races are often used both as gambling events and as demonstrations of territorial control by criminal networks, with bets sometimes reaching thousands of euros.
Cities such as Catania, Palermo, and Messina have been frequent hotspots for enforcement actions, with repeated raids leading to arrests and the seizure of animals and equipment.
Animal welfare concerns and criminal exploitation
Animal rights organisations have repeatedly condemned the practice, citing severe welfare concerns. The Italian animal welfare group LAV has previously described illegal horse racing as both a criminal enterprise and a form of systematic animal abuse.
In its annual report, LAV said horses used in such events are often subjected to whipping, kept in poor conditions, and sometimes given banned substances to enhance performance.
It also noted that some animals originate from regulated racing circuits and are then illegally repurposed for street races.
Widespread enforcement efforts
According to LAV data, authorities stopped seven illegal horse races in 2024, resulting in 70 people being reported and the seizure of 29 horses and one pony. Between 1998 and 2024, more than 4,000 individuals have been reported in connection with such events, alongside the seizure of over 1,400 horses.
Investigations into last week’s race are ongoing, with police examining possible links to organised gambling networks and further identifying participants seen in the viral footage.
Officials say additional arrests cannot be ruled out as inquiries continue into one of the most brazen recent examples of the underground racing scene in Sicily.
