Talks on controversial horse race
Talks on controversial horse race Animal rights campaigners say the race is barbaric and horses have died The Palio horse race, which originates in Siena, Italy, could be run at Caernarfon castle as part of a tour. Ex-Prime Minister Tony Blair was criticised by animal rights campaigners for attending a Palio in 1999.
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Caernarfon town council said health and safety issues would have to be answered before the race got the go ahead.
The Palio races, which originated in the 14th Century, are held twice a year in Siena.
Jockeys ride the horses bare backed around the city's Piazza del Campo in a dash which lasts roughly 90 seconds.
The horses represent different districts of the city and thousands of spectators watch from elevated buildings or the centre of the square.
But animal rights campaigners say the race is barbaric because many horses have died in its history.
Caernarfon town council's clerk Catherine Owen said there had been an initial meeting with organisers of the race, who had visited the town to consider it as part of a Palio international tour.
If the race is given the go ahead, it would be run in September.
Ms Owen said: "As you can imagine there will be a lot of health and safety questions that would need to be addressed and lots of issues involving the public, the horses and the castle to be resolved.
"Nothing has been agreed at this stage.
"There will be several meetings before anything is passed and dates agreed."
Ms Owen said organisers had picked Caernarfon because of the heritage value of its castle.
Report by BBC NEWS
Added on: 14/01/09.
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