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“More than 50 [horses] have died in these races since 1970; animal rights protesters have staged repeated protests. In response, Palio administrators have increased the padding on some turns and instituted other safety controls. Critics say these measures are not enough.”
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/long_reads/palio-di-siena-horse-race-italy-sport-festival-medieval-contrade-tuscany-a8317956.html?ns_mchannel=email&ns_source=newsdaily_newsletter&ns_campaign=NEWS_NLB_Wk20_Thurs_17_May&ns_linkname=bbcnews_race_newsworld_race&ns_fee=0

What it's like to witness the Palio di Siena, possibly the most lawless horse race on EarthWhen Hunter S Thompson took Welsh artist Ralph Steadman to the Kentucky Derby in 1970, he tried to prepare him for the chaos into which they were descending. “Just pretend you’re visiting a huge outdoor loony bin,” Thompson said.