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It’s not even a proper obstacle, yet it causes the worst injuries when horses jump it wrong.
Midnight Shadow another one claimed by such obstacle.
Fully agree. There is no justification for continuing to use these obstacles. They add nothing to any race (with the possible exception of the jump on the National course).
I have seen some shocking injuries at water jumps, going back to Full Strength at Ascot in 1990. They are not used in Ireland and they should not be used here.
When I used to work in National newspapers on racing desks, every now and then an enthusiastic sports editor would approach me brandishing a photo that had arrived of them taking the water jump somewhere (often Newbury) and say: “isn’t that a great photo?”
I didn’t have the heart to say: “yeah, but so were the other 247 water jump photos I’ve seen over the years.”
You’ve seen a field take the water once, you’ve seen it a thousand times.
It’s not a unique spectacle and it IS dangerous to horses.
Bin it.
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It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"Totally agree that getting rid of water jumps or making them safer is long overdue. I’ve commented on here before about how I dislike people trying to attribute “blame” following equine fatalities on the racecourse. However, racing continues to shoot itself in the foot while these obstacles persist, and the BHA/racecourses need to act.
Any obstacle where a horse can catch its legs on the lip of a pit at the end of a long jump is particularly likely to create catastrophic injuries when the horse gets it wrong. Midnight Shadow would very likely still be alive this evening if he had been jumping a normal fence.
Looked the exact same injury that Monsieur D Arque of Skelton’s suffered at the water jump at Sandown last year. They need removing
Water jumps that are not in front of the stands make absolutely no sense as it was always designed to be a jumping spectacle for the people in the stands to see but I am more coming over to the side of them not being needed at all.
I do believe at the very least they should significantly reduced the length of the water part of the jump and maybe increase the height of the fence portion a little so it encourages horses to not disregard the fence so much and actually jump up and out over it and not low and flat.
They may look very innocuous (especially when compared to the monsterously wide version they have to jump at Auteuil) but given how much they have gone on about modifying Aintree’s fences over the years for horse welfare I am surprised that this issue doesn’t seem to have been addresses here especially when you consider it’s not the first serious injury or fatality the obstacle in general has caused in recent times.
They’ve tried to modify water jumps over the years and failed. Can’t see any way they can do any better.
Time they are done away with completely.
Value Is EverythingYep if they are having a whip round to hire a mini digger to fill the feckers in I’ll gladly donate. The occasional (or ubiquitous) pretty picture is not worth the damage. Even good jumpers can get confused and jump them badly. From an aesthetic point of view, they interrupt the rhythm and flow of a good round of jumping. You often can’t even see the water itself on TV- quite often I can only tell it was the water because I’ll be watching a race with most of the field almost in harmony, each horse pinging and winging fences in their stride and it is beautiful to see. Then half the field knock out of rhythm, jump a fence with varying degrees of crapness and I think eh, what jarred and spoiled that lovely rhythm…oh…that fence was small…yes it was the water. It adds nothing to the aesthetic of racing and just kills horses at random. Get rid.
Agree 100%. I can’t understand why they still exist. Nobody would notice, apart from Aintree & maybe Newbury and the loss of those can be explained by concern for horse welfare. Since this is demonstrably justifiable, looks like a win-win for racing to me. It’s not just the injuries, but the horror of those injuries. I know all fatalities by definition involve horrific injuries but the water jump casualties don’t even fall. They have no chance.
CAS – If water jumps need to go, then I don’t think the one on the National course should be an exception. Having horses jump such a particularly different and trappy obstacle in such a high profile race would surely be asking for trouble.
Ginger – What previous steps have been taken to try and make water jumps safer? The only notable thing I’m aware of is what Huntingdon have done as highlighted by apracing in a previous thread https://d2j31icv6dlhz6.cloudfront.net/L/SfCCSdmkC8Gtc5mB0C35/water-jump.jpg. If the authorities really feel they must be retained in some form, then this form of synthetic water jump might be worth looking at further.
Marlingford,
Seem to remember supposedly non-slip rubberised liners being brought in around 2008 and no lip on the landing area to (it was thought) stop horses tripping.Value Is EverythingThanks for that Ginger. Some of the falls I’ve seen suggest some water jumps still have lips. Perhaps there is variation across courses – in fact, there must be based on the Huntingdon example.
I can remember this topic being discussed when poor Full Strength died. How dispiriting that nothing seems to have been learned in 30 years.
Mister Fisher comes also to mind who made the same terrible mistake at the water in last years’ Ryanair.
It’s at around 2:44 mins
We’re not talking about novices, rather horses with experience.
I read recently that only Cheltenham actually has water in the water jump ditches? Not sure if correct?
I remember Azertyuiop in one of the Flyers Champions making a nasty mistake at a water jump, robbing us of a potential classic race.
I echo the above sentiments. Get bloody rid.
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TTC – I walked in front of the water jump at Ludlow recently (racegoers have to walk across the course to get to the paddock). There was a tiny amount of water in it, rather like a shallow puddle.
Marlingford – it would not concern me if the National’s water jump was removed. All I meant was (like LD73’s point) at least racegoers do see it clearly. Unlike the jump at Doncaster yesterday which is on the run away from the stands. Or the likes of Sandown and Ascot where it is on the far side of the course.
Back in the days when a water jump was compulsory, the National water jump served as the obstacle for races over the Mildmay course as well. Haydock’s water jump was right in front of the stands and had a small hedge for the fence.
I never really understood the argument that a water jump provides a great spectacle. I think jumping a proper fence looks better. Huntingdon provides a great view. Better still, there is a fence right in front of the stands at Wexford since it switched to be come a left handed circuit.
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