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In the 1.50 Huntingdon, the brave and enthusiastic front running novice hurdler Tippmanboy paid the ultimate price for our entertainment.
I have watched racing for four decades and to my eyes the fall look instantly fatal. No mention of this was made as RUK went to a full replay. Indeed David Fitzgerald tried to modestly gloat he had a share in the fortuitous 20/1 winner.
They proceeded to show the fall several times before ending the on-course analysis and returing to the jolly sounding McNae and Calvin to gloat over the “1.01” that had been done on Betfair. At no stage did either set of presenters comment on the fact the fall looked very serious indeed. At no stage did they mention their thoughts go out to the horse and connections and hope that Tippmanboy gets back to his feet.
It wasn’t until the horses were going to post for the 2.50 that David Fitzgerald finally announced, as I and many viewers already suspected, that poor Tippmanboy had lost his life.
Completely agree Ivanjica,very poor from Racing Uk once again. No excuse for either the presenters or the producers not to realise what had happened.
……..and then later on at the end of racing they showed the round up of the day but clipped out the final fence from that race…..so we saw Tippmanboy jumping the 2nd last with a good lead then the picture jumped a little bit we saw two different horses fighting out the finish on the flat
We know that horses die in action…….should they show the race finish in full or edit out the last fence ?
my view is that they should show it…….sanitising the sport by not showing it does nobody any favours. if we can’t face the fact that horses get killed we should stop watching or join the ‘banners’
Now, even worse, their Racing Replay package shows the race in full, including the last fence demise.
I don’t think I am asking to “sanitise” the coverage. However, knowing a horse has died, giving his all, and for RUK to get the aftermath so badly wrong, I do not think it shows any respect to the horse, or his connections to have his tragic end repeated on a loop for 24 hours. If a professional footballer were to die on the pitch, would we be happy for Match Of The Day and BBC iPlayer to show endless repeats of the incident?
I have been present at the races when two horses died literally in front of me – both from heart attacks as they were being led in. It’s not nice, and certainly if there is a way of avoiding having to see it again then I am all for it. Provided the presenters get it right (which they didn’t) the information can be communicated in a tactful and decent fashion, without the need to show the footage.
For me this is yet another example of RUK making some very questionable editorial decisions. I was a VERY big fan at one stage, but for some reason the last 12 months have seen their standards slide. Ironically ATR, who I loathed, are now beginning to up their game. Maybe they have hired some new people behind the scenes?
It’s not a straight forward decision. If the fall had happened in the back straight I’m sure they would have edited it out as they did with Mr Burbidge yesterday at Catterick, which wasn’t an obviously fatal fall.
Horse racing is a dangerous sport and accidents will always happen, it’s a fact that has to be accepted. Racing UK is also a subscription channel. Those who subscribe are fully aware, or should be, that there is a possibility they may see an equine fatality. It’s not nice to see, but the cameramen/women are briefed to keep any fallen or injured horse out of the shot wherever possible.
Connections will understandably be devastated, but will certainly not be watching the replay. Viewers are warned that there is a nasty incident at the last hurdle, so have the opportunity not to watch.
On balance, Racing UK should show the whole race, there are many of us who are at work during the day and rely on the replay programmes to watch the days’ racing.
All subscribers should have freedom of choice and the opportunity to watch every race in its’ entirety without censorship. A “viewer discretion is advised” warning is all that should be required.
....and you've got to look a long way back for anything else.
I take your point “espmadrid”, and understand that in a replay situation you will want to watch the race in its entirety if you were not able to watch live. However surely that’s what the replay service on the website should be for, with the caveat that you mentioned clearly displayed next to the hyperlink. Then you have a choice. With the TV replay on a rolling loop the unsuspecting viewer may happen to tune in just after the pre-race caveat announced by McNae, you won’t have a choice.
You are right, as a subscription channel one imagines all viewers are horse racing fans and fully aware of the risks associated with the sport. However being a subscriber doesn’t mean that the producers should assume you want to watch replays that include fatal incidents.
As far as I was aware ATR and RUK usually edit out fatalities, so today seems to be the exception. A very regrettable one in my opinion.
It’s not a straight forward decision. If the fall had happened in the back straight I’m sure they would have edited it out as they did with Mr Burbidge yesterday at Catterick, which wasn’t an obviously fatal fall.
Horse racing is a dangerous sport and accidents will always happen, it’s a fact that has to be accepted. Racing UK is also a subscription channel. Those who subscribe are fully aware, or should be, that there is a possibility they may see an equine fatality. It’s not nice to see, but the cameramen/women are briefed to keep any fallen or injured out of the shot wherever possible.
Connections will understandably be devastated, but will certainly not be watching the replay. Viewers are warned that there is a nasty incident at the last hurdle, so have the opportunity not to watch.
On balance, Racing UK should show the whole race, there are many of us who are at work during the day and rely on the replay programmes to watch the days’ racing.
All subscribers should have freedom of choice and the opportunity to watch every race in its’ entirety without censorship. A “viewer discretion is advised” warning is all that should be required.
Value Is EverythingNo viewer wants to see an equine fatality, but no horse racing fan should be unsuspecting, it can happen anywhere at any time – at a fence, on the flat, on the way to the start or, as you say, returning to the unsaddling enclosure.
On this occasion the incident changed the race so much it couldn’t have been edited out. If an on screen warning is required, a caption can easily be displayed on screen during the race in question, there should be no censorship.
Viewers should have the choice to watch or not, the choice should not be made for them.
Imagine the nightmare senario for the broadcasters:
The leader pulls clear three fences out in the Grand National, the camera focuses in on the expected winner as the horse jumps the last safely and is 20 lengths clear on the run-in. Suddenly the horse stumbles and falls. Whilst lying injured yards from the post the following horses gallop past to finish the world’s greatest steeplechase.
Ignore, for the moment, the hysteria that would follow, what should Channel 4(ITV next year)/RUK do when it comes to showing replays?
Should everyone who couldn’t watch the race live be prevented from seeing the finish of the Grand National?
....and you've got to look a long way back for anything else.
i was listening to WH Radio and there on course man Ken Said it was Bingo D’Olivate who lost his life not tippmanboy ????
i was listening to WH Radio and there on course man Ken Said it was Bingo D’Olivate who lost his life not tippmanboy ????
Sadly, from the comments in the Memorials thread, it would appear to be both.
Put it another way. If a close relative of yours was visibly fatally injured in a car accident and the footage was repeatedly shown on one of those awful Alastair Stewart programme’s would you be happy?
I know we are “only” talking about dumb animals on this forum, but surely out of simple respect to the equine fallen we owe them some respect for having willingly, and without choice, given their lives?
I am only too well aware of the Red Rum Grand National footage when we see horses that have died (Grey Sombrero, Beau Bob, Land Lark) and personally would prefer not to see the stricken horses if at all possible. Obviously it is not possible to edit it out, but returning to the race in question, Tippmanboy’s fall could have been edited out imo.
Put it another way. If a close relative of yours was visibly fatally injured in a car accident and the footage was repeatedly shown on one of those awful Alastair Stewart programme’s would you be happy?
Are you serious Ivanjica?
Value Is EverythingI think people should see the injured horse, otherwise it’s out of sight out of mind. We should be aware of all aspects of the sport. highs and lows.
I am not in favour of “covering up” the fatalities Crepello, and apologise if this is the impression I gave. Equally I do not mean to suggest anybody likes seeing horses killed.
By all means horse racing should not shirk from informing the public of when fatalities occur, I simply would prefer that replaying footage of the fatality is, where possible, avoided. Desert Orchid’s victory in the 1989 Gold Cup is another case in point when Ten Plus was killed in battle. Because that race is replayed on so many occasions, it is the only sight many people get of Fulke Walwyn’s last great chaser, even though he had a Festival victory to his name. I would prefer it if we are allowed to remember the good days not the bad ones.
In another post on another thread just now I mentioned my mate’s lad works for one of the horse racing broadcasters that provides pictures into shops. He reckons they are under strict instructions NOT to show a stricken horse during a replay, and even when they play out earlier pieces of form for horses during race previews they are told to check if any horses that fall during the footage were killed, and if they were they are not allowed to show that footage.
Now I cannot hand on heart say for sure that RUK apply the same editroial guidlelines, but I personally believe that if they don’t they should.
Out of interest, I also note that the replays of the tragic races in which Brian Toomey and J P McNamara were so badly injured have also not been edited.
Sports-replays should never be edited, life is not edited, unless you don’t look. IMO.
Best Wishes
SilkI am not in favour of “covering up” the fatalities Crepello, and apologise if this is the impression I gave. Equally I do not mean to suggest anybody likes seeing horses killed.
By all means horse racing should not shirk from informing the public of when fatalities occur, I simply would prefer that replaying footage of the fatality is, where possible, avoided. Desert Orchid’s victory in the 1989 Gold Cup is another case in point when Ten Plus was killed in battle. Because that race is replayed on so many occasions, it is the only sight many people get of Fulke Walwyn’s last great chaser, even though he had a Festival victory to his name. I would prefer it if we are allowed to remember the good days not the bad ones.
In another post on another thread just now I mentioned my mate’s lad works for one of the horse racing broadcasters that provides pictures into shops. He reckons they are under strict instructions NOT to show a stricken horse during a replay, and even when they play out earlier pieces of form for horses during race previews they are told to check if any horses that fall during the footage were killed, and if they were they are not allowed to show that footage.
Now I cannot hand on heart say for sure that RUK apply the same editroial guidlelines, but I personally believe that if they don’t they should.
Out of interest, I also note that the replays of the tragic races in which Brian Toomey and J P McNamara were so badly injured have also not been edited.
The Racing UK Replay of the Kim Muir where JP McNamara was badly injured started at the fence after where the fall took place.
Another example is the Darlan fatality (Doncaster) which ATR edited from their race reply.
I agree that you cannot airbrush history and fatalities/serious injuries should be acknowledged but I for one don’t necessarily want to see the actual incident if avoidable, although I understand that there may be exceptions (at critical points in a race) where a pre-race warning before the replay should apply.
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