The Rockingham Beach Cup has stayed in the saddle with the City of Rockingham.

The city council voted 7-4 at its June 23 meeting to provide $240,000 to help the Rotary Club of Palm Beach put on the event despite claims from members of the public and councillors that it was dangerous for horses.

It will also spend $5000 to make sure city facilities are presented at a “high standard” for the event.

In return, the city will receive acknowledgment at the event, 30 complimentary passes to licensed beachfront precinct Palm Beach Oasis and $2500 worth of catering.

This year’s event is scheduled to be held on November 14 and 15 and have a total cost of $552,066.

A council report said the event was not run at a profit and was run very close to a break even point.

The cup was sponsored by the city seven times in the past 10 years. It was not held in 2018, 2020 or 2024. The 2021 event won silver in the 2022 WA Tourism Awards.

Last year’s event had just more than 26,000 visitors. Attractions across the festival included live music, roaming entertainment, food trucks, and family-friendly amusements, rides and activities.

It featured five races, including the City of Rockingham Stakes and Channel 7 Rockingham Beach Cup.

The website for last year’s event said it featured a mix of current and recently retired racehorses.

Safety was a top priority and there was no betting or whips used.

The city’s corporate and community development committee had recommended 6-0 earlier in the month that this year’s event be supported.

Cr David Rudman moved the motion at the council meeting to provide the sponsorship, but then spoke against it.

He said the council should not “kid ourselves, horse racing is undoubtedly cruel and barbaric”.

“I very much look forward to the day when exploitation and cruelty to animals will be a thing of the past,” he said.

“I cannot support any ratepayer funds going to a multibillion-dollar industry with a $2.5 billion gross annual turnover.”

Mayor Lorna Buchan said the cup had become one of the city’s most recognisable events that showcased the foreshore, delivered economic value and brought the community together.

“I appreciate that there are differing opinions within our community regarding horse racing but this isn’t really horse racing,” she said.

“This is retired racehorses and they’re brought out for a festival.

“This event is not run by a commercial provider. It’s delivered by a well-respected community organisation whose work directly benefits local charities, volunteers and service projects.

“Supporting the beach cup is actually supporting Rotary’s ongoing contribution within our community.”

Cr Mark Jones said the city had been assured horses in the festival were not treated the same as racehorses in gambling events and wanted to support the Rotary club.

“We’re just giving them the financial support, but they’re putting their necks on the line,” he said.

Members of the public who spoke on the sponsorship at the meeting said the money should go towards people experiencing homelessness or financial pressure, and that the event should not need financial help from the city.

Ms Buchan said being self-sustaining was not a sponsorship requirement.

“As an event that operates primarily as a not-for-profit model and donates proceeds to charities, it is not expected that this event will ever become self-sustaining without alternative funding,” she said.

Most speakers against the sponsorship were worried about the safety of the horses involved.

Kerry Birnie said 175 horses were killed last year as a result of horse racing.

“Horses succumb to limb injuries and fractures, heart attacks and internal bleeding,” she said. “Whipping or no whipping, horses are killed by racing.”

She said she was concerned by councillors’ conduct at the committee meeting.

“The apparent lack of seriousness included light-hearted remarks about the event being like a pleasant day out, which was troubling given the significance of the decision under consideration,” Ms Birnie said.

Fiona Felton said the city’s review of the event did not assess the safety and welfare of horses.

“Should a horse seriously injure itself at the event and require euthanasia, do the organisers have a plan in place to manage the situation, particularly given the event is promoted as family friendly and young children may witness such an incident?” she asked.

Ms Buchan said a risk management plan had measures in case there was an incident, including horse ambulance services and veterinary support.

“The city is not aware of any harm being reported in connection with previous Rockingham Beach Cup events,” she said.

Jayne Pearce said the event would entertain only about 7.7 per cent of the city’s population, and the catering provision the city would receive should be distributed amongst the city’s homeless.

James Mumme said the amount of festival visitors’ spending seemed like “blind guesses” but Ms Buchan said they had been prepared by a third party, Lucid Economics.

The sponsorship is being provided under the city’s iconic events policy, which is being reviewed after a former councillor claimed he had been misled about sponsorship for a separate racing event.