This us Saturday a hore race is run in the Uk called the Grand National, every year horses die jumping over the fences. This is a UK tradition with work places betting in syndicates, every year the Anti National groups push harder for this cruel horse race to be banned.
Here are some facts and opinions on this famous horse race.
The race is one of the most famous steeplechases in the world. It is a unique test of horsemanship for the rider and also a test of a great significance for a horse.
The course is nearly two and a quarter miles in length and has 16 unique fences including the famous Bechers Brook. The fences have an added problem for horses, the famous drop fences where the landing side of the fence is lower than the take off side, this means the horse approaching the fence is unaware of the drop until in the air.
At The Chair Fence the reverse of this occurs. It is the biggest fence on the course and the landing side is higher than the take off.
In the Grand National the horses have to complete almost two circuits of the course and jump 30 fences and then complete a long 494 yard run in which has been the downfall of many in the past.
There are two fences that are jumped only once and this is on the first circuit and they are the famous Chair and the water jump.
Modern steeplechase races have an average of just over 4 equine fatalities for every 1,000 horses taking part.[1] However, the Grand National, a popular steeplechase held annually in England, yielded 7 fatalities out of 439 horses taking part between 2000 and 2010.http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/racing/article-1375310/Grand-National-2011-Aintree-day-horror-millions-2-horses-die.htmlHorse Welfare & Safety
Carefully considered modifications have been made to three of the Grand National fences since the 2011 running of the John Smith’s Grand National.
Racing wouldn’t exist without the jockeys and the horses that deliver what we believe to be the best show on earth, and that’s why it’s essential that, as a sporting industry together, we are always looking for ways to protect the stars that are at the centre of our much loved sport.
As one of the biggest events in the racing calendar, Aintree, as well as the sport’s regulator, the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) review all aspects of the Grand National meeting each year, with one unaltered objective: improve safety and welfare year on year.