Home › Forums › Horse Racing › RSPCA mood ahead of Grand National changes announcement
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September 9, 2012 at 20:36 #412569
By the way, if you think the RSPCA has no power, You’ve a rude awakening coming.
September 9, 2012 at 20:52 #412570Racing needs to work WITH the RSPCA. Not acquiesce to every demand, granted, but engage in open, positive debate and make improvements based on the facts and what is fair and reasonable for both horse and jockey.
September 9, 2012 at 21:01 #412572TAPK, I think the picture I tried to paint, as mentioned earlier, was that David Muir deserved full support from the racing community rather than the scathing critiques he was getting.
No heed was paid. You’ve ended up with Gavin Grant – is that what you wanted?
No Joe,both deserve to be criticised for their massive over-reactions to what is an Historic event,an event Joe Public will continue to support in their Millions,an event that will be treated with the respect it deserves…………A unique Horserace that has captured the Publics imagination for Years,the fact that the occassional fatality occurs is unfortunate but that is what epitomises this Great event,Brave Horses ridden by Brave Humans over a unique set of challenging fences,long may it stay that way!
By the way Gavin Grants appointment suits me just fine,he wants to let us all know he’s sticking his chin out and his nose somewhere it shouldn’t be………..A recipe for disaster……..For him!September 9, 2012 at 21:10 #412573By the way, if you think the RSPCA has no power, You’ve a rude awakening coming.
We’ll See Joe,People Power wins votes,Gavin Grants hardline stance wont do him any favours with those he depends on.I’m well connected through the RSPB as to Mr Grants ‘Deathwish’ I mean agenda for horseracing. He’d get on with George Osbourne for sure!
September 9, 2012 at 21:20 #412574Whilst it is never a pleasant sight to behold the horrific injuries that occur in the National, the RSPCA has become an unacceptably politicised organisation in recent years. If racing think they have it bad, fox hunting is getting it in the neck in England from this "charity" which apparently is funding multiple private prosecutions for breaches of the Hunting Act. This is, in my opinion, an appalling waste of the charity’s resources when every day abject cruelty and neglect of horses is rife and if anything worsening. I adore horses and I think we need bodies like the RSPCA, but such actions are a severe dereliction of duty.
September 10, 2012 at 01:24 #412577I certainly would not donate to the RSPCA, but they do have the ear of Joe Public. If they come out against the National it will affect public perception/feeling towards the race… And there have been too many fatalities of late. Around a 2% fatality rate, and that’s without following up those who don’t race again after the National. On average around 1 per race. Doing nothing is surely not an option, because the rate will in all probability be maintained. Once a large minority of Joe Public are against the race it will be harder if not impossible to sponser. No company will want to be seen to sponser cruelty (as it will be portrayed).
Don’t really see dropping the race as a viable option either. Grand National is our shop window, many of us were drawn in to Racing because of it. Besides, once "animal welfare" Groups get rid of the Grand National they’ll be after National Hunt racing too.This is what I said after last year’s race:
14 Apr 2012, 19:03
Modify.Reduce number of runners to 30, lessening the chance of being brought down. Allows more room at fences and at the start. 40 is too many to get around Bechers, Foinavon and the Canal Turn, fences may be wide, but no horse has ever used the outside of the Canal Turn.
Get rid of drop fences. They’ve been done away with at most courses (which is good) but that’s made it more difficult for horses when they do come accross drop fences. Therefore more fallers.
Reverse the trend of "improving" drainage systems which may make waterlogging less likely… But it’s led to big meetings being run on firmer (or at least good) ground. Firmer the ground, the more risk.
If they do nothing, I’ve had my last bet in the National, even if it was a winning one.
I’ve already gone back on the last line, by backing Cappa Bleu for next year’s race. However, do think they should reduce the field size down to 30. This may be seen as making the race less competitive, which is true compared to recent renewals. But it isn’t that long ago we had many runners out of the handicap with little chance of winning. So it would still be more competitive than a lot of past Grand Nationals. Reducing numbers will also allow more room at the start and first fence.
Drop fences must be got rid of. In the 70’s and 80’s they weren’t such a problem; but there were far more drop fences at other racetracks, so horses were more used to them.
Get rid of Becher’s Brook. It is impossible to say for defiite whether the drop played a part in the death of Synchronised, but it must surely reduce the risk of falls and fatalities. Replace it with a fence with the same drop on the landing side as take off. However, the bigger drop on the inner did help space the runners out. So to encourage some to take the fence more towards the outer, why not make the fence "unique" by gradually slanting it? Higher towards the inner, and lower (easier to jump) towards the outer.
Usually, the firmer the ground the faster they go, the hader the ground to fall on, the more injuries and deaths. More watering, to produce going on the soft side of good and reverse "improvements" to drainage. Apart from the outer of Beeches, do NOT reduce the height of fences, it only encourages jockeys to go faster.
All these changes would not illiminate fatalities, but they would make them less likely, without diminishing the spectacle too much.
Value Is EverythingSeptember 10, 2012 at 09:38 #412599If they do nothing, I’ve had my last bet in the National, even if it was a winning one.
I’ve already gone back on the last line, by backing Cappa Bleu for next year’s race
As will most people, who will have their once a year bets if they don’t bet anyway, it will get it’s usual build up before and millions of people and families will watch it and love it.
This thread is a repeat of previous ones and will be repeated again in March and after the race in April and again later next year and after unless it’s a nice rarity where there are no accidents in which case we will all move on to another topic until the next accident when we will again put on our moral upstanding caring hats and go on one again.
It’s just another race, take away a sport’s main events and you kill the sport in the public eye.
September 10, 2012 at 10:19 #412612I am inclined to agree with those who want the drop fences altered, although part of me protests because Bechers is so iconic. Drop fences truly are horrible to jump, the horses front end will generally buckle slightly on landing and their nose scrapes the floor before it stands up. It always feels like an uncomfortably large amount of pressure is put on the horses front tendons. I always creep off drop fences really slow for this reason.
September 10, 2012 at 11:01 #412616If they do nothing, I’ve had my last bet in the National, even if it was a winning one.
I’ve already gone back on the last line, by backing Cappa Bleu for next year’s race
As will most people, who will have their once a year bets if they don’t bet anyway, it will get it’s usual build up before and millions of people and families will watch it and love it.
This thread is a repeat of previous ones and will be repeated again in March and after the race in April and again later next year and after unless it’s a nice rarity where there are no accidents in which case we will all move on to another topic until the next accident when we will again put on our moral upstanding caring hats and go on one again.
It’s just another race, take away a sport’s main events and you kill the sport in the public eye.
Just because people "love"ed formula 1 in the 70’s SBerry, doesn’t mean safety improvements should not have been made.
Value Is EverythingSeptember 10, 2012 at 13:44 #412638I think having outriders would help a lot, since many falls are caused by interference from riderless horses, and many riderless horses get hurt as well. It is certainly feasible. Every single jumps meet in America is required to have outriders and many of these are run over "fair hunting country" rather than an actual racetrack like Aintree.
September 10, 2012 at 13:58 #412640Well Miss Woodford everything in America is allot better organised and funded. We can’t even afford to pay the winners any more, or have a few extra clocks for fractional s. At the same time the tree hugers are trying to put a negative spin on the nations favourite race once again. Having out riders is a good idea, but thinking way out side the box for British Racing.
September 10, 2012 at 14:46 #412644Well Miss Woodford everything in America is allot better organised and funded. We can’t even afford to pay the winners any more, or have a few extra clocks for fractional s. At the same time the tree hugers are trying to put a negative spin on the nations favourite race once again. Having out riders is a good idea, but thinking way out side the box for British Racing.
Do I qualify for as a "tree hugger" Itsawar? Being as I am, in favour of fox hunting and other countryside activities.
Outriders might be a good idea, but there’d be no room for them with 40 runners.
Value Is EverythingSeptember 10, 2012 at 15:29 #412651Ginger the tree hugers are the RSPCA! Silly. lol
September 10, 2012 at 19:21 #412692Well
Miss Woodford everything in America is allot better organised and funded.
We can’t even afford to pay the winners any more, or have a few extra clocks for fractional s. At the same time the tree hugers are trying to put a negative spin on the nations favourite race once again. Having out riders is a good idea, but thinking way out side the box for British Racing.
Not steeplechasing. Most of the race-day help are volunteers. The outriders are often members of a local hunt.
There would be room for them considering they are on the
outside
rail (or outside the flags/cones) and don’t run with the main field. Remember, there’s outriders in the Kentucky Derby, and that’s 20 horses on a much much narrower course than any in Britain.
September 10, 2012 at 20:40 #412700Well
Miss Woodford everything in America is allot better organised and funded.
We can’t even afford to pay the winners any more, or have a few extra clocks for fractional s. At the same time the tree hugers are trying to put a negative spin on the nations favourite race once again. Having out riders is a good idea, but thinking way out side the box for British Racing.
Not steeplechasing. Most of the race-day help are volunteers. The outriders are often members of a local hunt.
There would be room for them considering they are on the
outside
rail (or outside the flags/cones) and don’t run with the main field. Remember, there’s outriders in the Kentucky Derby, and that’s 20 horses on a much much narrower course than any in Britain.
Practically it might not be a bad idea, but from a PR viewpoint it would make the National look even worse than it sometimes does. Can you imagine the scenes as perhaps a dozen or more loose horses are chased across Aintree’s 270 acres? It would end up looking more like a scene from Lonesome Dove than ‘the world’s greatest steeplechase’.
September 10, 2012 at 21:05 #412703Has narrowing the fences made more loose horses stay in the "race" for longer?
Yes horses were caught up when a loose horse veered across a fence but there were/have been no injuries/fatalities as a result of this – however with narrowing the fences horses can run round them (and also gather more speed as they can go a furlong or so without jumping any fences which is arguably more dangerous than fences being in the way, they slow them down).
September 10, 2012 at 22:08 #412717Well
Miss Woodford everything in America is allot better organised and funded.
We can’t even afford to pay the winners any more, or have a few extra clocks for fractional s. At the same time the tree hugers are trying to put a negative spin on the nations favourite race once again. Having out riders is a good idea, but thinking way out side the box for British Racing.
Not steeplechasing. Most of the race-day help are volunteers. The outriders are often members of a local hunt.
There would be room for them considering they are on the
outside
rail (or outside the flags/cones) and don’t run with the main field. Remember, there’s outriders in the Kentucky Derby, and that’s 20 horses on a much much narrower course than any in Britain.
Practically it might not be a bad idea, but from a PR viewpoint it would make the National look even worse than it sometimes does. Can you imagine the scenes as perhaps a dozen or more loose horses are chased across Aintree’s 270 acres? It would end up looking more like a scene from Lonesome Dove than ‘the world’s greatest steeplechase’.
If the horses are being "chased across Aintree’s 270 acres" the outriders are doing it wrong. They should be able to get the job done in 1/8 mile or less.
There is a lot of strategy involved. It’s not just catching the horse, it’s penning them in on the outside rail (or outside the main pack of horses). "You’re not going to outrun them, you have to outsmart them".
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRNLEjKtGoM
http://www.brooklynbackstretch.com/wp-c … -horse.jpgSeriously, these guys and gals are an integral part of any racetrack. Even the smallest point-to-points and most podunk little bullrings have outriders. That’s common sense.
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