Saudi Arabian Racehorse Executed for Being Homosexual-Fiction!
Summary of eRumor:
A famous Saudi Arabian racehorse was executed for being homosexual.
The Truth:
A fake news website is behind reports that a famous Saudi Arabian racehorse was executed for being homosexual.
World News Daily Report published an article in November 2015 under the headline, “Saudi Arabia: Famous Racehorse to be Executed for Being Homosexual.” According to the report:
Doha| A famous racehorse with an estimated value of more than 12 million American dollars, is to be euthanized on Friday, after it was allegedly caught in sexual intercourse with another stallion.
The 4-year old horse named Al-Hadiye (the Gift), is the property of the Saudi Prince, Alwaleed bin Talal . It earned more than 6 million USD during the last racing season alone, notably triumphing at the Saudi National Championship Show and the Qatar International Arabian Horse Show.
The stallion was allegedly caught on two separate occasions by employees of the prince’s corral, while it was engaged in sexual intercourse with another male. When this was reported to the authorities, the horse was rapidly taken away and isolated.
The fake news story was shared more than 11,000 times on Facebook, and many people were tricked into believing that the report was true. One person commented that the horse’s behavior was “a sign of dominance in animals,” not homosexuality, and called those who wanted to execute it “ignorant.”
World News Daily Report publishes fake news stories that are often mistaken for actual news reports when they’re shared on social media sites. The website’s disclaimer states that it assumes “all responsibility for the satirical nature” of its articles.
In this case, blog sites even followed up on the story with fictional “updates.” One site reported that horse owners from Europe and the United States had tried to buy the horse but had been turned away by the local government — which is also untrue.