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Not sure I’ve phrased the question properly, as my main conclusion is that this can’t continue on mainstream television.
I try to remind myself that the horse is a farmed animal, and we control their breeding, so if they didn’t race, they wouldn’t exist.
Also sort of jocularly tell my self that they are professional athletes, and know the risks involved.
Although I think it would be rather politically difficult to get rid of Jumps racing, I can’t see how it can continue on terrestrial television with the continuing deaths. It was rather stomach churning to see two horses apparently die on landing, almost in unison.
Gerald, there is nothing sexier than seeing a horse all-out pinging the last IMO. Yes, it’s true that several horses are hideous, hideous jumpers, but when you have horses like Denman (bar the 4th and 3rd last at Newbury…), Monet’s Garden, Albertas Run, etc, it makes it worthwhile.
Of course, the tragedies are very saddening and it’s very sad to see the horses try to get up and fall right back down, but the risks exist in all sports. Football, hurdle racing, flat racing, motor racing, etc.
Whilst bull fighting can still be shown on Spanish tv – I don’t think we should be getting our knickers in a twist. Its very sad – and for all the emotions I feel when these lovely horses meet a sad end – it is just as emotional when you witness a breathtaking champions performance of true grit.
The horses love their lives a lot more than they would if they just lived in a field where they would probably meet a horrible end anyway. Not to mention the fact they wouldn’t exist.
500 horses in 3 years die in National Hunt or something. Well a thousands of PEOPLE die every year driving cars. Perhaps we should sort out the priorities.
I dont think driving deaths is a fair comparison. We choose to drive. Horses dont choose to race.
I love horses and NH racing but I couldnt help but find this afternoons events particularly sickening.
Totally appreciate that without NH these horses wouldnt exist but surely further measures can be taken to protect the horse and also the jockey???
Does anyone have any stats on injuries, fatalities on different types of ground? Faster ground must play a part
Rubbish, horses refuse to race on a daily basis, in both codes. Watch a horse like Giant’s Causeway or Monet’s Garden and tell me horses don’t love to race.
I didnt say they hate to race. I said they dont choose to race. If a horse loses a jockey they often carry on running but dont jump anymore fences. Yes they may be occasions when they carry on jumping but that is more to do with following the pack than anything else.
Horses are generally submissive and will do what the dominant figure on their back tells them to do!
Lets ban horses running on the gallops in case they break a leg. Lets ban people from crossing the road in case a car hits them. Lets ban boxing, lets ban motor racing.
No one likes to see a horse die its horrible but its life. You can’t ban everything otherwise is there any point in living at all?
Lets ban horses running on the gallops in case they break a leg. Lets ban people from crossing the road in case a car hits them. Lets ban boxing, lets ban motor racing.
No one likes to see a horse die its horrible but its life. You can’t ban everything otherwise is there any point in living at all?
I agree, it is a tragedy but its part of life that every good thing has its negative sides, no matter what way you look at it. NH racing is not cruel its a fantastic sport with a rare tragedy (same as many other sports).
I get annoyed by the overreaction and calling for abandonment everytime something negative happens no matter what the sport/circumstances/occurence. The Daily Mail/Daily Express being particularly irritating in their hounding.
Child gets injured by a firework – ban them (ignore the fact millions of others were fine and had fun).
Old women sprains wrist opening a pickle jar – ban them.
Its only my opinion but i believe to stop NH racing would as a long-term affect be cruel to horses as many of these animals would not be looked after and given homes etc. You may wish to believe people would do it for the love of it but its like the age old argument of vegetarianism.
In a little under five and a half minutes, the Topham Chase highlighted both ends of the racing spectrum.
Frankie Figg was a joy to watch and the perfect harmony he and Wilson Renwick developed over those big fences was beautiful. I was watching the event with a couple of friends who aren’t racing fans, but some of Frankie’s leaps were met with oohs and ahhs. Who needs Racing For Change when you have a horse clearly enjoying himself around that daunting, exciting course?
Then came Valentines – the worst possible advertisement for the sport. The camera focused on the unfortunate scene for what seemed like an eternity and it was clear (even to my friends) that both Prudent Honour and Plaisir D’Estruval had lost their lives at that fence.
Gerald, I so very often ask myself the question "Is it worth it?" and felt sick to my stomach watching that incident unfold. The National fences already come under much scrutiny and an incident like that doesn’t help.
I make that four deaths in two days after Valentines – it’s very hard to defend the sport when you see something like that.
I have a passion for horses and nothing thrills me more than to see these beautiful animals displaying such incredible athleticism and bravery. I get more enjoyment from witnessing that than anything else in life and will continue to do so until the day I die.
I’m hurting right now, but have little doubt that I will see something tomorrow – an exciting finish, joyous connections, a horse going about its business with his / her ears pricked – that will remind me why it is I love this sport so much.
it is a high risk sport, but just as any other involving horses, im sure there are many tragedys in cross country and show jumping, but because they aren’t as high profile we don’t tend to hear about them etc
it is sad and often heart breaking to see or hear of deaths of these great animals, but it can happen anywhere whether it on the gallops, racecourse or even while stabled
vf
Bosranic I’m sure most of us feel the same way as you do. Sadly it’s a sport that can swing from euphoria to tragedy in the blink of an eye.
Too many NH horses become so well known over the years. You know their every quirk and foible. Then one incident and they are gone. Making money on this sport at their expense is callous – the horse racing equivalent of professional boxing. Once you grow up, you stick to flat racing.
Maybe timber horses are just tougher, but I’ve yet to see one who didn’t seem to love racing. Which makes sense, as you aren’t going to get a horse to jump 4’+ wood fences at speed over several miles without a horse who, ultimately, wants to do his job. In my experience with steeplechasing in the US, horses over the big fences have less injuries than the hurdlers, probably because the are older, wiser, and respect the fences, and they don’t go particularly fast until the last stretch. The deaths in the Grand National are primarily due to the sheer stampede of horses-reducing the entries to 25 or so would make a world of difference, and reduce the "chaff" of the field.
I absolutely can’t bear to see any horse come to grief racing, it upsets me for days. I often ask why they can’t be saved even if it means the end of their racing days and if I owned one I would do my best to save him/her just like the owner of Fondmort when he broke his pelvis. But I just love NH racing, there is nothing like the thrill it gives you when watching a race like Monet’s Garden last time out (not today) and Beef or Salmon winning the Hennessy in 2007, absolutely hair raisingly fantastic. There is no doubt that the vast majority of these horses love what they do, eg Lough Derg, to name only one. Racehorses are bred to race, hey, we have to go to work every day of the week and we don’t always like it. But we have to. A horse that doesn’t want to race doesn’t do it. Any death of a racehorse, on the gallops, in the field, wherever is a nightmare. It is not right to compare it to bullfighting.
There is no comparison. And to say stick to hurdling, many horses come to grief over hurdles, they may be smaller obstacles but the speed they are jumped over is greater.And that person who says mature people stick to flat racing, hello, loads of horses come to grief there too, George Washington, Fayr Jag ,,,,,,,
I really hope that they water the course tonight as if they don’t there will be some fatalities in the big race for sure, & that will be very bad for our sport & terrible for those connected with an injured horse.
It is interesting to reflect, that even after all the changes there are still frequent fatalities on the course. If anything I think they maybe worse than in the past as when the fences require less jumping the horses go faster. Aintree is a fast, flat track & the turf is always drying out at this time of the year; it’s the speed that kills. Remember in Red Marauder’s year most of the field fell, but I am almost certain there were no fatalities as the race was run so slowly & the going soft.
Also I am not sure about this, some one will know, is the race run later now? In books people in the 1930s-1960s are wearing thick coats & the horses look freshly clipped. Today people were in backless dresses & shirtsleeves & most of the horses were getting summer coats.
Has any one checked to see how many horses have been killed in the race through all the decades since 1900 & checked against the going?Unfortunately I live in the town within which Animal Aid are based and the thing that sickens me most is that they are clearly waiting to pounce on such things. As soon as it happens they seem to be at their happiest, which surely isn’t the point.
The amount of times I have walked past their office and wished to burn it down with them inside is endless.
Of the two unfortunate deaths at Valentines it was that of Prudent Honour that saddened me most as this was clearly a sighter for next year’s National, in which and based on his unlucky third in the NH Chase, he would have been a player.
Very sad.
Bosranic I’m sure most of us feel the same way as you do. Sadly it’s a sport that can swing from euphoria to tragedy in the blink of an eye.
Hi, Burroughhill.
Many of us are used to seeing horses break down or suffer a fatal fall, but it was the nature of the incident that was so upsetting.
To actually witness two horses jump, fall and die independently at the same fence is not something you see too often in this sport and the BBC camera gave us all an unobstructed, birds eye view of the unfortunate incident – from the moment they took off, to the moment they died.
It was a totally different incident to the vast majority of fatal falls we see every year, including that of Schindlers Hunt. The horse was at the rear of the field when he came down and the camera continued with the action.
The clear, unobstructed image of Prudent History and Plaisir D’Estruval lying dead will live with me for a very long time.
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