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Watching the race yesterday, it was actually Beecher’s Brook that struck me as a shadow of its former self.
Not going to argue the rights or wrongs of the changes but the fence names which used to inspire awe are largely of no relevance now. The “Chair” is now the “15th” and “Beecher’s Brook” is now “Beecher’s Turf”
Thanks for the good crack. Time for me to move on. Be lucky.
The spruce is too loose. However, you bring in another element, Steve. The two fences you mention were, like many others on the course, formerly drop fences. In stages the landing ground was levelled out everywhere to virtually eliminate the drop element. There remains the slightest of drops on the inner at Becher’s but not enough now for jockeys to have to make the serious tactical decision: save ground or take the fence towards the middle and outer where less risky. The problem with drop fences was they were traps, there was no way a horse could anticipate the drop. For that reason they were dangerous and unfair.
You hit on something re names. Perhaps the most significant decision the Aintree executive has ever taken was to fill in the brook and level off the slope into it for 1990. Here was the most iconic obstacle on a course full of them. However, a large part of its legendary status was that it had always been an actual brook. Should the fence even have retained its name? By its reactionary destruction of a key part of the Grand National’s history and tradition Aintree was exposing itself to a slippery slope into the deep water of concession!
A couple of years ago at the GN meeting they clearly experimented with weaving the spruce together on the first two days resulting in more of a test but a fair one.
Unfortunately they bottled it come the big day.The spruce is too loose.
Sounds like an old song Mr Miller.
“Hoots Mon, there’s a Spruce loose aboot’ this hoose”
Thanks for the good crack. Time for me to move on. Be lucky.
Lol, Steve, it’s my catchphrase. I repeat it like a mantra, 20 times before going to sleep every night :)
Wasn’t paying enough attention watching the Foxhunters on Thursday, initially mistook Bechers for the Foinavon fence. Much like The Chair, visually I cant remember ever seeing the celebrated obstacle look smaller.
With its emaciated, hollowed-out fences, that horses seemingly walk through nowadays, the Grand National has gone the way of Formula One; largely a stripped down, styrofoam snooze fest.
Lunatics ascendant.
I’d not seen a pic that showed those old ‘cores’ as vividly as that SC – quite horrifying really, viewed from today’s perspective on the topic.
Here’s what Wikipedia has to say –
Positioned in front of the grandstand, it is the tallest fence on the course, at 5 feet 3 inches (1.60 m),[2] preceded by a 6 feet 0 inches (1.83 m) open ditch on the takeoff side. The Chair is also comfortably the narrowest fence on the Grand National course, bar the Water Jump. The landing side of The Chair fence is actually 6 inches (15 cm) above the ground on the takeoff side, creating the reverse effect to that at the Becher’s Brook fence, meaning the ground comes up to meet horse and rider sooner than anticipated.[1]
I have to say I am in favour of the changes they’ve made.
The ‘traps’ alluded to in a post above were unfair on horses. The jumping should be a test, but not one which is unfair. I think that is the distinction i would make. The test will have some risk of course but offering a fair test would be my litmus for what is acceptable and what can be defended.
A horse that jumps cleanly should not be caught out and punished by an excessive drop or camber, as was often the case at Bechers.
Like many, my first memories of the National are those early 70s races and part of the appeal was the fearsome nature of it, the cavalier spirit of all involved in facing this challenge which had no parallels in sport, never mind in racing. And some of that is gone. And that is sad in some ways.
But it simply couldn’t have continued as it was and I think it was the right thing to do (the changes that have been made). The nature of the race has changed, no doubt about it, but we should be grateful that it still exists and it is still a unique and wonderful occasion racing should celebrate.
Re- the Chair. I went out there a few minutes ago to have a look. I think the dimensions are about right (a sign on the course itself puts the height at 5ft 2 and the ditch at 5ft – I stood landing side and my chin was at the height of the fence – I’m 5ft 11).
I went to take some pics for this thread just now and ITV were filming (I typed Ch 4 there at first….) when I was there so I used Oli Bell and Alice Plunkett for perspective on the height on the jumping side of the fence and some absurdly good looking fellow for some perspective on the depth of the ditch.
I’m not sure what height the core would be, the spruce looks as though it would sweep off relatively easily (as evidenced by TV coverage). The thing I think is the biggest danger is the big divots on the landing side, some of the holes many inches deep. If you stuck your hoof in one of those when landing you’d
be in trouble I reckon. They do have a team filling divots in around the course so hopefully they will get to the Chair at some point.cormack15
The sooner they get rid of the race the better, a ‘spectacle’ yes, but a brutal and negative one to the eye and not a positive race to promote the sport.
What exactly is brutal and negative about the race griff?
You should stop reading the nonsense put about the race and spend a day at any stable to see how horses are well cared for and loved.
Hi Phil,
I’m very aware of how well most horses are treated and cared for, I’m not of that brigade, or influenced by what is written. No agenda, it’s just my personal view.
I don’t really care for the carnage that comes the race, I’d much rather watch horses race over regulation fences. Sure they fall in those events too, but to me it seems different. With the National I think it’s a combination of the fences, visually the falls, and the whole emotion that goes with the race. I think many watch the race just to see the horses fall and that’s something else I don’t care for.
To be honest, I’ve really gone off long distance races altogether. I don’t find watching horses slog around Chepstow or Uttoxeter in bottomless ground, strung out like washing appealing these days.
I must be getting soft.
I didn’t even watch the race today. I just find it tedious these days. Lots of media focus for a boring race.
Thanks for the good crack. Time for me to move on. Be lucky.
It was a proper National this year, the spruce was packed a bit tighter. If some TRF participants prefer other forms of horse racing why bother to comment on National-related threads? The race remains the most famous and popular in the world, which brings with it enough difficulties from that part of the public who don’t understand the sport that we don’t need banal criticism from those who do.
I’ve no problem with the majority of the changes made over the past few years, the new start, bypass chutes, leveling of cambers, slopes, drop-offs, jockeys more conscious of pulling up their mount, post race procedures etc., but the fences are simply far too forgiving at present and have fundamentally denaturalized the character of the race imo. With a quarter of the field still unseating or falling despite the hugely increased pull-up rate of recent years, you’d also argue how much safer softer fences are anyway.
you’d also argue how much safer softer fences are anyway.
Fewer rotational falls Cav, which are a killer of horses (and were a killer of 3 day event riders before modifications were made to XC fences; I thought the credit given to the 3DE world during ITV coverage yesterday was good). Look at Joe’s picture of the wooden core and imagine a horse leaving a leg on the takeoff side, acting as a fulcrum. The hindquarters keep coming up and the horse cartwheels. This makes it spectacular- like a high-side crash on a motorbike- and very dangerous. With a soft core the horse can drag it’s front legs through the fence, you don’t get the fulcrum effect and the horse has a chance of getting the landing gear out. It might still stumble and splatter a bit on the landing side, falling or unseating, but is less likely to break its own or the jockey’s neck or back.
I certainly wouldn’t have been an advocate of continuing with the wooden cores greenasgrass. Those rotational falls were stomach churning. Glad to see them gone.
However I think its a real pity a more middle of the road solution wasn’t arrived at. Perhaps a park type fence as mentioned earlier, providing a more solid yet naturally flexible real birch core, with the spruce cover significantly more tightly woven than the present version. Rarely if ever do you see a rotational fall at a park fence.
Would be a lot better than the current glorified easyfix hurdle with a bed of feathers on top solution imo.
It was a proper National this year, the spruce was packed a bit tighter. If some TRF participants prefer other forms of horse racing why bother to comment on National-related threads? The race remains the most famous and popular in the world, which brings with it enough difficulties from that part of the public who don’t understand the sport that we don’t need banal criticism from those who do.
Well said GoldenMiller34 I totally agree. I find a lot of flat racing boring, however I don’t go on and moan about it. If you don’t like the Grand National fair enough but keep your criticism to yourself.
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