Grand National protesters blamed for horse’s death & more

The 2023 Grand National was the 175th annual running of the Grand National horse race. It took place on Saturday 15 April 2023, at Aintree Racecourse near Liverpool, England, and where three horses were killed. "Ignorant" animal rights protesters are to blame for the death of Hill Sixteen during last Saturday's Grand National at Aintree,… Continue reading Grand National protesters blamed for horse’s death & more

All 39 horses come back safely from main event, but four dead overall at famous Aintree meeting

Silhouette of Grand National runners jumping fences at Aintree, Liverpool. Photo: Alex Livesey/Getty Images

Although the 39 horses who started under orders in the 2016 Aintree Grand National steeplechase all reportedly came back safely, that cannot be said for the four horses who were killed overall at the three day event. The Sporting Life reports: The Mouse Morris-trained Rule The World led home 16 finishers in the world's most… Continue reading All 39 horses come back safely from main event, but four dead overall at famous Aintree meeting

Hereford horse lovers demonstrate against horse racing

Hereford horse lovers protest horse racing .

Cross-posted from the Hereford Times A DEMONSTRATION was held in Hereford to oppose the return of horse racing to the city and the Grand National. Members of Hereford Animal Protection League met in the city centre on Saturday to hand out leaflets to members of the public about why they are opposed to horse racing.… Continue reading Hereford horse lovers demonstrate against horse racing

Second horse dies at Grand National meeting at Aintree, England

A horse owned by Albion chairman Tony Bloom has died following a fall at a high-profile race meeting. The Bloom-owned Little Josh fell at the fourth from last hurdle at Aintree, unseating rider Sam Twiston-Davies, who was wearing the Albion-inspired blue and white colours. The horse limped on but broke a shoulder in the fall… Continue reading Second horse dies at Grand National meeting at Aintree, England

More than a thousand racehorses a year sent to UK abattoirs

Fallen Grand National horses may be slaughtered in the UK.

by CAHAL MILMO Cross-posted from The Independent The monitoring and tracking of horse numbers in Britain and Ireland is so lax that tens of thousands of animals may have been exported illegally and entered the food chain, experts have warned. Officials at Aintree have been forced to deny that fatally injured horses could have entered… Continue reading More than a thousand racehorses a year sent to UK abattoirs

BHA surprised by RSPCA Grand National attack and so are we

According to Pete falls and later dies from injuries sustained in the 2012 Grand National.

There are a lot of articles on this issue, but we will go with The Guardian's coverage. The British Horseracing Authority said on Wednesday it would not be drawn into "any knee-jerk reactions or decisions" following a call by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals for Becher's Brook, steeplechasing's most famous… Continue reading BHA surprised by RSPCA Grand National attack and so are we

Grand National: Plotting the best course to safer racing

Synchronised prior to the 2012 Grand National.

Grand National. Safer racing. Can it be done? Yes, but careful study needs to be done before any changes are made. Injury and fatality free racing. Can that be done? In the digital world perhaps, but not in live racing. In an article for BBC Sport Frank Keogh spoke with three former National Hunt jockeys,… Continue reading Grand National: Plotting the best course to safer racing

Grand National – Time to ban this cruellest of sports?

Guest Commentary Cross-posted from The Scotland Herald (with permission) So what did you do last weekend? Put a bet on the Grand National by any chance? Perhaps you won the sweep in the office and are a few quid up (lucky you: what are you going to spend the money on?) or maybe you just… Continue reading Grand National – Time to ban this cruellest of sports?

Tragedy and insensitivity overshadow Grand National as two horses die

LIVERPOOL, England (April 10, 2011) -- Two horses who die at Aintree in front of thousands of spectators and a worldwide television audience of 600 million watching the 2011 Grand National are ignored by insensitive BBC commentators calling the race. The fatalities occurred during the first circuit when Ornais fell at the fourth breaking his… Continue reading Tragedy and insensitivity overshadow Grand National as two horses die

A National institution that is neither grand nor great (UK)

The Grand National is not real racing, it's only sold that way to get millions of irregular punters interested, argues Paul Haigh (The Guardian) Every year we are invited to believe that the Grand National provides a wonderful shop window for racing, an advertisement for the sport that money on its own simply could not… Continue reading A National institution that is neither grand nor great (UK)