The Jockey Club orders racehorse renaming over alleged Hitler reference

The Jockey Club has ordered owner and breeder Scott Herbertson to rename a racehorse originally called ‘Austrian Painter’ following complaints that the name referenced Adolf Hitler. The decision was made under Rule 6. F. 9. d, which prohibits names deemed offensive or threatening based on factors such as politics, race, or national origin.

Herbertson defended the name, stating it was intended as a reference to the Austrian painter Gustav Klimt. He also noted that another horse he owns, named ‘New Order’, was named after a musical group, despite the term also being associated with Nazi occupation plans.

The horse, which won its debut race at the Horseshoe Indianapolis Racecourse, has been renamed ‘Merrylegs’.