Ted Walsh has apologised for calling a horse a 'dirty rotten cowardly so and so' while covering the Punchestown Festival for RTE.
In a statement issued to The Irish Daily Mirror, Mr Walsh apologised for his comments.
"On RTÉ One’s Racing from Punchestown broadcast last Saturday, when analysing a horse’s refusal to jump an obstacle which led to a young man suffering a heavy fall, I said that ‘a hiding wouldn’t be good enough him,’ said Walsh.
"This was an unfortunate turn of phrase and in no way reflects my views on the welfare of animals. I would never condone the use of physical force on any animal, and I sincerely apologise for any offence that my words caused," the statement concludes.
In the controversial clip, Walsh said: “Look at the dirty, rotten so and so. God, he’s a chicken-hearted so and so, a dirty, rotten, cowardly so and so.”
Furthermore, he later added: "Jesus I tell you one thing - a hiding wouldn't be good enough for him."
Walsh was speaking at the conclusion of the 3-mile Dooley Insurance Group Cross Country Chase, which took place on Saturday at the Punchestown Racing festival.
Minister of State for Land Use and Biodiversity Pippa Hackett was among those to express her outrage at how he spoke about Transprint after he refused to make a jump and unseated his rider.
"I don’t think anyone in racing or bloodstock could condone the use of this sort of language in relation to a horse.
"It does nothing for Irish racing."
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