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Here is some background on Wikipdia on ‘step potential’ – the electrical phenomenon being mooted today as the effect which may have led to the shocks received by the horses.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth_potential_rise
you’d be as well suggesting it was a voodoo attack, that was clearly an electric shock.
Agree Diamond that it appeared to be clearly electrical shock, but the nature of the shock may have been that caused by a phenomoenon known as ‘step potential’.
A truly awful day for the sport.
I’m not going to chastise anyone for expressing their opinion on what is clearly a very emotionally charged issue.
We are living in an increasingly paranoid, ‘blame game’ culture.
Today was a totally unprecedented incident. The officials at Newbury were presented with a most bizarre sequence of events, which I’m sure they were totally unprepared for.
It’s easy enough for those of us sitting at home, drinking a cup of tea, enjoying a few custard creams saying "If that was me, I would…".
It’s not so easy when you’re responsible for making the decisions amidst a cauldron of confusion and uncertainty. It was impossible to explain why two horses collapsed and died in the parade ring. Was it an isolated incident? Why were other horses not affected? These were just a few of the questions that Newbury officials were frantically trying to answer.
In my opinion, there simply wasn’t enough evidence to support racing being abandoned in the immediate aftermath of these events. Are we to abandon any future meetings when a horse inexplicably collapses before a race? It has happened before and it will happen again.
The next moral dilemma was deciding whether to run the first race. The horses were examined by an experienced veterinary surgeon and the final decision made by connections. Experienced horseman – Henderson, Nicholls, King and Pipe – declared their horses fit to compete.
Information that officials were not priviledged to before the first race came to light after the event. This information subsequently forced the abandonment of the remainder of the card.
The correct decision, in my opinion, was made once the necessary data was analysed.
The Newbury officials were presented with a most bizarre, unprecedented event and I’m certainly not going to point the finger at anyone, particularly when the foundation of any opinion is supported by rumours and conjecture.
I will refrain from making any further comments until the respective investigation has been completed and the facts established.
I would like to express my condolences to connections of Fenix Two and Marching Song, and extend my appreciation to the Newbury officials on what must have been a very confusing and devastating occasion.
First off, what a distressing experience for those directly involved at the course be they connections or spectators.
Clearly racing should not have gone ahead after the incident and that it did was a mistake.
However, today provided an unprecedented set of circumstances and I will await the outcome of the investigation before making any judgements.
We have already had the burnt mouth’s that weren’t and the singed lead rein that wasn’t. That shows just how speculation can muddy waters.
Plenty of posts on what is obviously a very emotive subject, but the posting by Zanybody pretty much echoes my own personal thoughts on this. Back in December 2007, I was in the very same parade ring at Newbury as Christian had Swordsman running, and his American owners could not be there, so I was there on their behalf. If todays incident would have happened then an Swordsman had been a fatality, I really don’t know what I would have done. I do know that I would have had to tell the owners that their horse had died from an apparent electric shock in the parade ring, and I would have probably done it with tears streaming down my face. I really feel for the connections of the two horses that died, especially the lad/lass looking after them.
An earlier posting mentioned that Keith Goldsworthy saw the lights in the grandstand ‘going on and off like a disco’. To me, that would have said that the electrical issue may not just be confined to the parade ring, and I for one would have maybe been more than a little apprehensive letting a horse run in the race, having just seen possible electrical issues both in the parade ring and grandstand – could the electrical issue have maybe affected the actual racecourse itself? That’s what would have worried me. If I was looking after a horse for an owner, my immediate thought would have been for that horses safety. Again, this is my own personal view, but in light of what had happened, were I in a position of owner or owners representative, I would not have been happy to let the horse go on to the course, and would have wanted to get the horses out of there as soon as possible, purely for their safety.
I can see that one or two posters have got very strong, possibly even controversial views on this. I don’t want to play devils advocate here and say who is right and who is wrong, but having been in the very same parade ring just over 3 years ago, if the incidents of today had happened then, I would have simply wanted to get out of the place as soon as possible, both for the safety of myself and the horse. However, as I said, this would be purely my decision. As Zanybody rightly points out, awaiting the outcome of the investigation is the correct thing to do as speculation can be a dangerous thing. However, as at the time of the incident, it would have been impossible to confirm exactly where the electrical issue was, I would have personally erred on the side of caution.
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The main question has to be what changed between deciding to run the first race and then calling racing off.
Paul Struthers has now said there were no incidents of burning etc so why did they decide to race the first and cancel afterwards???
That’s the main thing we need answering and we need explanations.
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Can you imagine if this happened to a potential leading flat stallion prior to the Lockinge??? Heads would roll
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It’s also premature to assume all horses from the first race will be ok. Since nobody knows what caused it then nobody can know how those who ran will react over the coming days. Fingers crossed they are all ok but unnecessary worry to have and no sympathy for connections if they suffer a losse as they made the decision to run.
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"It is wiser to seek answers than blame" which makes you an idiot…goodnight!!!
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Using other people quotations rather than having the brains to come up with something yourself speaks volumes….
Can you not think for yourself?
Joncol you are clearly a plant for the anti`s either that or you are simple.
Todays event were unforseen and as has been mentioned before i`m sure the first race was run in a state of confusion and shock.
Why are you so quick to lay blame on everyone and everything ?These were extraordinary circumstances and your anti racing stance brings nothing to this forum or racing .
There is not one sane person who follows jump racing who will not see this as one of the darkest days and i include those involved with Newbury in this.
You need to shut up .
The main question has to be what changed between deciding to run the first race and then calling racing off.
Paul Struthers has now said there were no incidents of burning etc so why did they decide to race the first and cancel afterwards???
That’s the main thing we need answering and we need explanations.
That is what the investigation should look to establish alongside the cause of the fatalities.
It was an unprecedented situation that I doubt any racecourse executive is actually prepared for.
My own view is that due to the nature of the event racing should have been suspended. This was not a single horse incident, four had been affected by something unknown.
However, I recognise that is easy to say from a distance with no pressure.
Let’s not pre-empt the investigation’s findings or take a jaundiced view to the nature the investigation may take.
At the moment SEB (independent) are looking at the parade ring, Liverpool University at Leahurst (independent) undertaking autopsies and and the lead rein is being forensically examined (presumably independent). Granted this is cause but it demonstrates a credible start to the investigations.
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Darwen, you obviously are the simpleton
Todays events if nothing else prove the the Newbury officials cannot deal with the unexpected and that’s simply not good enough at a large sporting event.
After telling us that he wasnt going to waste his Saturday night posting he’s done precisely that. Not a good day for Joncol’s. One ran like shite the other is full of it.
"this perfect mix of poetry and destruction, this glory of rhythm, power and majesty: the undisputed champion of the world!!!"
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Obviously some literary problems there pal.
I said I wasn’t going to spend the night throwing insults backwards and forwards.
You might want to read posts before commenting in them, not a good night for you….
I also read that they were checking the water supply and all cctv cameras in the area. I do wonder if the unusual weather we’ve had this winter could have caused problems? An accident is often the result of a ‘series of unlikely events’, and perhaps it may take a while to find out what happened today.
I might want to read posts that don’t have your name above them. You are a bore.
"this perfect mix of poetry and destruction, this glory of rhythm, power and majesty: the undisputed champion of the world!!!"
Bloody hell, Joncol is still at it.
At 8pm he said he had better things to do on a Saturday night & yet all he has done is post on here for the next 3 hours! Must be a good wi-fi in the pub.
Either Joncol is on the wind up or he really has a screw loose. "I’m keeping on so it this story doesn’t get swept under the carpet" (para-phrasing). Do me a favour. You’re on an internet forum, your opinion doesn’t count for anything.
There is only one reason this lunatic has been posting since 1.30 this afternoon. For ATTENTION.
Can we all please recognise that this idiot was right all along and everyone at Newbury, the trainers, owners, jockeys etc and even we, racing fans, are all very bad people and we should all be shot for letting 7 healthy horses run a race.
Either that or ban the twat!
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