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View Poll Results: What do you think of the Grand National?
I think it should stay but changes need to be made 70 56.45%
I think it should stay with no changes 8 6.45%
I bet on it 16 12.90%
I don't bet on it 29 23.39%
I don't care one way or the other. 1 0.81%
I think it should be abolished 43 34.68%
Multiple Choice Poll. Voters: 124. You may not vote on this poll - please see pinned thread in this section for details.



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lozzibear
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12-04-2012, 11:45 AM
Originally Posted by EmmiS View Post
Personally I absolutely love it.

I am fairly sure there will be an accident free year largely due to changes in criteria, which means that it's harder for godawful horses to get in. Both of the horses that sadly died last year SHOULD NOT have been in it, as they were NOT good jumpers. There was another horse that decked Aidan the fence before the chair that the yard staff had a sweepstake on how far he'd get round, most of whom wanted an 'early fence' as he's a horrific jumper. Thankfully he's ok.

Also changes have been made, fence heights have been lowered (though this is very contentious, as usually horses jump the bigger fences better, watch a hurdles race and then a steeple chase, the steeple chasers have a LOT more respect for their fences) the landing side on beeches has been levelled and improved, and the ground on the taking off and landing side of the fence has been improved. the Grand National is one of a fair number of races run over those fences, and thus in this season those changes appear to have worked.

Add to this that thankfully the ground is Good to Soft Soft in places, not good good to firm in places and it'll be a lot easier for the horses. It's far better that its muddy, slow ground and less of them finish, than it's firm ground and it does some real damage if they fall.

The main problem with the grand national is the fact they all go off at a cavalry charge, they blaze off like they are going round a 1mile flat race, and it is TOO FAST to jump at speed. National hunt horses don't usually blaze off like that they go off at barely more than a canter. Despite several warnings pre race (they get fully briefed in the weighing room) telling them not to go off like a bat out of hell they still do. Very frustrating.

But don't for a second assume that the people who put their horses forwards don't love them, Andy Stewart (lovely man who owned Ornais) was BAWLING last year, and this is a piece that Dooneys Gate's jockey wrote about him http://www.racingpost.com/news/horse...writersawards/
It is good that there are changes being made... and I hope they work. But more needs to be done, not just at that Grand National, but all races... Look at the deaths at Cheltenham... 5 horses, is 5 too many IMO. That just isn't good enough.

As for the owners not loving them, well all I can say is that I would NEVER put an animal forward for something when I knew the chances of serious injury or death, was so high. I don't understand how anyone could...

33 horses have died in the last 11 years at the Grand National (albeit not all of those in the main race)... that is just ridiculous, and changes should have been made MUCH sooner when there are so many deaths. I just hope the changes this year actually work.

I also think that the way the deaths were handled were disgusting, like they were attempting to sugar coat the truth... refering to two dead horses as 'obstacles'... that is sickening. I often feel that they try to push the deaths away to make people forget about them, and focus on the 'good' side of racing... IMO, the dead horses are the most important thing... Not the winner parading around while other horses are lying dead or injured on the track. The number of horses need to be seriously reduced... that number of horses is just far too dangerous.

Originally Posted by Angie1966 View Post
I have very mixed views regarding the Grand National. I have been a horse owner for 40 years, for the last 10 of those years I have been involved in the rehabilitation and retraining of ex racehorses.

A horse does not avoid potential fatality just because it is a 'good jumper'. Accidents happen, it's a large field!

IMO less horses in the field would reduce the accidents caused by loose horses, fallen horses in front, not being able to approach a fence on the right line because of the crush etc etc. The jumps need to be kinder and the race needs to be shorter. This of course would remove the eliteness of the race.

It is true that TB were bred to race, but not all TB enjoy racing. Some are bred to jump - do they all enjoy their job.......absolutely not!

The boy I have now, I took him on as a 4yo after a very short flat racing career, He was best placed 3rd. They tried him over the flights at which point he fell and fractured his neck. It took 4 years of rehabilitation to retrain him as a dressage horse.

5 years after his racing career ended, The exracers club invited us to do a drill ride at Pontefract racecourse to demonstrate to the punters that TBs have a life after racing and that they go on to excel in other disciplines. My horse (Cello) is the most laid back, gentle, calm TB you could ever wish to meet. On that day I saw a side to Cello that I never want to see again. Just being in the parade ring was almost too much for him. Let me make this clear, he was not excited! He was terrified!

I honestly thought I could calm him. My best friend was riding him, I was leading him. We took him down the shoot and walked to the finish line where the drill ride (to Thin Lizzy's The Boys Are Back In Town) was to take place.

Shortly after this pic was taken we withdrew Cello and returned to the wagon


He chilled out immediately but our rehabilitation had taken a huge step backwards.

I have seen far too many times the emotional and physical trauma caused by racing. Some horses DO love it and I don't have a problem with that. Some horses race purely because they are told to do so.

As a horse lover and owner would I subject my buddy to a 1/20 chance of serious injury/fatality....................absolutely NOT!

But that's where I differ to racehorse owners and trainers, for them it's about the glory.
Excellent post!
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Anne-Marie
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Location: Cumbria, UK
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26-04-2012, 01:28 PM
From what I've read in the papers, lots of people seem to believe if there were fewer horses allowed to race and a reduction in the drop of Beechers in particular, there would be fewer casualties.

I am not against horse-racing in general, but I do find it awful there have been so many fatalities at the National.

This year was no exception - I read that one of the horses that did die had unseated it's rider before the race started and galloped off. The commentator said the horse didn't seem 'up for it' (the race) - wouldn't you think they would have withdrawn it if they knew it wasn't in the right mood and didn't want to race? Perhaps the poor thing had a premonition about what was going to happen, how are we to know or not if animals sense such things?

Don't know if this is true either, but I read that the actual winner was close to exhaustion and they had to work quickly to cool him down and give him oxygen after it had won.

To me, there is far too much emphasis on thrilling the crowd with a 'Wow' spectacle, filling the owners pockets with cash and glory but not enough on the health, safety and wellbeing of the horses taking part.

I'd like to see a much smaller amount of horses allowed to race, reduce the length of the course so they are not collapsing with exhaustion trying to finish and sort Beechers out so the drop is not a huge. On top of this, perhaps there should be some sort of qualifier (if there isn't already) so that only horses who have shown they are fit enough, have the scope and fitness to complete the race are allowed to take part.
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