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Horse Racing

Hinchcliffe's Corner said:
Andy Carroll:

SharpHomelyIggypops-max-1mb.gif
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Still better than maupay.
 
…..as a huge National Hunt racing fan I have to admit yesterdays Grand National wasn’t a ‘great look’ for the sport.

Whilst there will always be fallers the course design doesn’t easily allow loose horses to leave the course. The sight of riderless horses continuing to run and jump is not unique to the National course but it is in the numbers seen. Whilst the course has been significantly modified, there has to be be run off shutes at every fence and a reduction in the number of runners.

Loose horses running across the front of a fence, colliding into others and jumpers landing across fences is undoubtably more commonplace on the National course and needs to be rectified.

The racing on the Mildmay course still has fatalities (Dark Raven sadly lost his life yesterday) but is much more friendly in stopping fallers continuing to jump.

Whilst the sport is dedicated to loving the animals we watch, yesterday wasn’t the greatest watch and more can be done on this particular course.
 
Completely agree @Eggs

I’m a big fan of NH Racing but I love horses even more. I found yesterdays National distressing. The faller at the very first fence appeared to die instantly. As well as the other carnage you describe, watching those two loose horses running on the inside of the track with one eventually colliding with the perimeter fence was also not a good look.

It was carnage and I really fear for the future of the race. I also found ITV’s coverage of the events disappointing. They didnt want to acknowledge the death and carnage before going off air.

As fans, we are not stupid. We know there is over breeding in the search for the next black type horse. We know what happens to those that don’t make it. To try and say ALL horses are looked after for all of their natural lives is just poppycock. I must add that there are responsible owners/trainers that do care for ALL horses but sadly there are some that don’t.

The authorities need to look at where it all starts… the over breeding and work up.
Any auld Joe can breed race horses and it needs to stop.
 

3 horses died yesterday.

Think there'd be outrage if 3 footballers died on a football pitch.


Doesn't really matter, horse racing is boring and fixed anyway.
 
d34noj said:
3 horses died yesterday.

Think there'd be outrage if 3 footballers died on a football pitch.


Doesn't really matter, horse racing is boring and fixed anyway.
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…whilst accepting folk have different opinions than me, i think that’s an unreasoned and largely ignorant view.

You suggest you would want to see all equestrian sport banned, including show jumping, eventing etc. Thousands of people including many youngsters absolutely love their horses, they are awake at dawn to muck them out, feed and exercise them. More often than not, the exercise includes popping them over fences.

So, should we ban people from owning and exercising horses and ponies? Horses are sadly better looked after than many children in our society.

Sport carries risk. You mention football, there are increasing cases of ex-footballers dying with Alzheimer’s linked to heading a ball, so should we amend the rules to stop the ball going over head height? How many boxers have died over the years yet youngsters and adults continue to take part. Rugby players are huge athletes who hit each other at great speed without head protection. American Football is under the spotlight, there was even a death in top level cricket. Drivers die or get seriously injured in motor sports.

Race horses are generally loved by their connections, particularly by stable staff who dedicate a large part of their lives to looking after them for little financial reward. More will die in their stables and out in fields than on racecourses. No idea where they will end up if equestrian sports, even pony racing and show jumping is banned, not forgetting how many jobs are associated with horses.

For those who love the sport, nothing is as bad as seeing horses injured. They are herd animals, they won’t stand quietly in a field for life. What we all support is mitigating the risk of them being hurt and the unedifying scenes in the early stages of yesterdays big race.
 
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I'm disappointed to hear the trainer of Hill Sixteen has said that the horse was hyper before going out because of the delays and that's the reason why it fell at the first. No problem with them blaming the protesters for the horse becoming hyper but surely if you care about the horse, you pull it out the race if it was that bad. Baffling to be honest and not a good look at all.
 

Mozza1987 said:
I'm disappointed to hear the trainer of Hill Sixteen has said that the horse was hyper before going out because of the delays and that's the reason why it fell at the first. No problem with them blaming the protesters for the horse becoming hyper but surely if you care about the horse, you pull it out the race if it was that bad. Baffling to be honest and not a good look at all.
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…..many horses are on a short fuse anyway ahead of racing. Like humans, they all have different temperaments. When they turn up at a racecourse, they know exactly what they are there for. You will often hear phrases like ‘he’s on his toes in the paddock’ or ‘he lost the race on the way to the start’. Sometimes jockeys will get them settled at the start or after the flag goes up.

I guarantee that trainer would’ve withdrawn Hill Sixteen had he known it would fatally fall at the first. Him and everybody connected with the horse will be distraught this morning. Sandy Thompson trained Hill Sixteen in the Scottish Borders. I know Thompson was a very good Rugby Union player in his time, once playing in a famous game against the All Blacks, he’s a proper decent man.
 
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Eggs said:
…..many horses are on a short fuse anyway ahead of racing. Like humans, they all have different temperaments. When they turn up at a racecourse, they know exactly what they are there for. You will often hear phrases like ‘he’s on his toes in the paddock’ or ‘he lost the race on the way to the start’. Sometimes jockeys will get them settled at the start or after the flag goes up.

I guarantee that trainer would’ve withdrawn Hill Sixteen had he known it would fatally fall at the first. Him and everybody connected with the horse will be distraught this morning.
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Mate come on. I know you love horse racing as do I and I'm no way saying this race should be banned and I don't think many others in here are either but if he is now claiming the horse was that bad because of the delay due to the protests then withdraw the horse and don't run the risk. It wasn't like he was just running in a standard race, there are 40 horses charging down to the first fence.

This race does need changing in my opinion as that wasn't entertaining that first circuit yesterday. The fences aren't my biggest problem in all honesty because they have done great work with that. I do however feel the field should be reduced to at least 30 and the start much closer to the first fence as for me that's where the risk just isn't necessary and doesn't make a good watch. No way will you ever reduce the risk to zero as that's not possible but more can be done for this race.
 
Mozza1987 said:
I'm disappointed to hear the trainer of Hill Sixteen has said that the horse was hyper before going out because of the delays and that's the reason why it fell at the first. No problem with them blaming the protesters for the horse becoming hyper but surely if you care about the horse, you pull it out the race if it was that bad. Baffling to be honest and not a good look at all.
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I think it is more a case of hyper analysing what happened after the fact rather than willful neglect of the horse.
 
bullybeef said:
Completely agree @Eggs

I’m a big fan of NH Racing but I love horses even more. I found yesterdays National distressing. The faller at the very first fence appeared to die instantly. As well as the other carnage you describe, watching those two loose horses running on the inside of the track with one eventually colliding with the perimeter fence was also not a good look.

It was carnage and I really fear for the future of the race. I also found ITV’s coverage of the events disappointing. They didnt want to acknowledge the death and carnage before going off air.

As fans, we are not stupid. We know there is over breeding in the search for the next black type horse. We know what happens to those that don’t make it. To try and say ALL horses are looked after for all of their natural lives is just poppycock. I must add that there are responsible owners/trainers that do care for ALL horses but sadly there are some that don’t.

The authorities need to look at where it all starts… the over breeding and work up.
Any auld Joe can breed race horses and it needs to stop.
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Yip ITVs coverage was a disgrace imo.

I'm a massive hypocrite cos I love watching these magnificent animals race over jumps or on the flat but there are big problems in the racing industry with over breeding etc
 
If You Know Your History said:
Yup.

It just seems unnecessarily cruel to keep the sort of pernicious fences that have made the national so notorious.

The animal rights activists were dismissed by the media as being ill-informed, but what happened at Aintree yesterday proved them right.
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I don't consider myself informed, but the discussion on itv was essentially a one sided rant from the pro racing side. Moronic comparisons with humans choosing to run marathons, and other daft arguments being made with a very head in the sand style argument
 

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