Its Grand National Week!

minesadouble

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i remember the death of Dark Ivy too, he probably sticks in everyone's memory because of his looks and colour and because he received so much media. Attention prior to the race.
The loss of Roll a Joint sticks in my mind as he was such a gutsy little horse and was one of my favourites of the time.
I don't feel traumatised by it though.
When I was about 7 I remember a riding school horse that had been hit by a bus being led back to the yard where I kept my pony. It was covered in blood and later died in the stable. That sticks. In my mind though while it was upsetting I wouldn't go so far as to say I felt traumatised.
 

splashgirl45

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i remember the death of Dark Ivy too, he probably sticks in everyone's memory because of his looks and colour and because he received so much media. Attention prior to the race.
The loss of Roll a Joint sticks in my mind as he was such a gutsy little horse and was one of my favourites of the time.
I don't feel traumatised by it though.
When I was about 7 I remember a riding school horse that had been hit by a bus being led back to the yard where I kept my pony. It was covered in blood and later died in the stable. That sticks. In my mind though while it was upsetting I wouldn't go so far as to say I felt traumatised.

the only person who said traumatised was bonny, the rest of us said we were affected by dark ivy the same as you were affected by roll a joint...slightly different!!!!
 

bonny

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the only person who said traumatised was bonny, the rest of us said we were affected by dark ivy the same as you were affected by roll a joint...slightly different!!!!
Why do you all keep going on about him then ? I’ve watched and been involved in racing for many years and can remember a lot of sad occasions of horse deaths but I don’t watch now remembering them, there wouldn’t be any point or enjoyment in the present if I did. In the same way, I’ve seen horses die eventing, showjumping, hunting and at home, either you accept it happens or choose not to be involved in the horse world. Bad things happen but for me I’d rather remember the star horses and the great races rather than constantly dwell on the down side.
 

bonny

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Not all are going on about him, just a few.

And as far as I remember what makes us human is our compassion. Something you seem to be wholey lacking.
Really, I’m not human because I can watch the grand national without dwelling on horses lost in it !
 

bonny

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You’re one of the rare members of our race lacking in compassion. Thankfully they’re far and few between.
You have no idea, I am as sentimental as the next person about animals, I’ve sat and cried at the deaths of my own horses and the deaths of strangers horses but I also love racing and reading Facebook etc every year at this time it’s worrying how many people want it banned. This was supposed to be a thread about one for Arthur’s big day, ironic that the stable lost a horse too. There are highs and there are awful lows in all aspects of horse ownership and I for one wish we could celebrate sometimes without dwelling on the lows. That doesn’t make me lack compassion
 

minesadouble

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the only person who said traumatised was bonny, the rest of us said we were affected by dark ivy the same as you were affected by roll a joint...slightly different!!!!

Apologies - I knew I'd picked the word up from somewhere!
I was saddened by Roll a
Joint's death but it hasn't stopped me enjoying the Grand National.
We all process things in different ways I guess.
 

Tihamandturkey

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You guys HAVE to read this Twitter thread! It is just utterly awesome! I know it's PETA but it really is well worth it !!!

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That's priceless 😆
 

Orangehorse

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You have no idea, I am as sentimental as the next person about animals, I’ve sat and cried at the deaths of my own horses and the deaths of strangers horses but I also love racing and reading Facebook etc every year at this time it’s worrying how many people want it banned. This was supposed to be a thread about one for Arthur’s big day, ironic that the stable lost a horse too. There are highs and there are awful lows in all aspects of horse ownership and I for one wish we could celebrate sometimes without dwelling on the lows. That doesn’t make me lack compassion
I'm the same.
 

bonny

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For anyone reading this thread who isn’t as old as some of us, Dark Ivy died in the 1987 grand national so 32 years ago and since then the race has changed out of all recognition. I don’t think saying it’s time to move on justified the comments about me from two posters but each to her own.
 

be positive

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For anyone reading this thread who isn’t as old as some of us, Dark Ivy died in the 1987 grand national so 32 years ago and since then the race has changed out of all recognition. I don’t think saying it’s time to move on justified the comments about me from two posters but each to her own.

What has also changed since then is how racing is reported, I think it remains in peoples minds in part because the photo was in all the newspapers the following day as well as being shown in the replays/ new reports, while is was probably done to sell papers, shock people, the owners, trainers, grooms and respect for the horse were given no consideration at all.
We are given better information now without the need to replay any tragic incidents and there is far more consideration given to the feelings of everyone involved.
 

tristar

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For anyone reading this thread who isn’t as old as some of us, Dark Ivy died in the 1987 grand national so 32 years ago and since then the race has changed out of all recognition. I don’t think saying it’s time to move on justified the comments about me from two posters but each to her own.
sometimes things happens and change the way you view a situation, in this case the grand national, for me i no longer watch because there are to many horses, too many jumps, too fast, too many horses have died and with age it has coloured my perspective of what i thought was a national event and spectacle, to something i feel is distasteful in the extreme, simply put i consider it to be too much to ask of a horse

i think seeing a bad end to a decent horse is the thing that turns the tables for a lot of people, they make a choice about what they think is acceptable to them, or not as in this case
 

bonny

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sometimes things happens and change the way you view a situation, in this case the grand national, for me i no longer watch because there are to many horses, too many jumps, too fast, too many horses have died and with age it has coloured my perspective of what i thought was a national event and spectacle, to something i feel is distasteful in the extreme, simply put i consider it to be too much to ask of a horse

i think seeing a bad end to a decent horse is the thing that turns the tables for a lot of people, they make a choice about what they think is acceptable to them, or not as in this case
So you came onto a thread about One For Arthur’s attempt to win the National again to say that you find it distasteful in the extreme, why not just ignore the thread if that’s how you feel ?
 
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Everyone is entitled to their own opinion and I would hope that Tristar can take away a slightly different view of the National and Racing from this.

No ones mind is ever changed by ignoring the situation and everyone (or most) is open to learning.
 

Bob notacob

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Out hacking Bob the notacob, some years ago ,we fell in alongside another rider and got chatting. Turned out he worked for the jockey club .He asked me my opinion of the national (which I found strange as he didnt even know my background). I told nim in no uncertain terms that I would put the fences back up to full height circa 1925. That would slow the beggars down I said ,and make them ride a clear line rather than a racing line. More riders would hit the deck but less horses killed. My new acquaintance then explained that ne was ditrectly involved with trying to make the national safer. He went on to explain the conundrum. Racing folk understand that bigger fences slow and spread out the field ,but the general public simply wouldnt get it. This was why the first fence was moved . It was at best a bandaid on the problem . However the problem of the easier fences still speeds up the race . Go look at the old Pathe newsreels of the 20,s and 30,s . Yes there was some appalling amateur riding that wouldnt be permitted now ,but the race was safer.
 

Clodagh

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sometimes things happens and change the way you view a situation, in this case the grand national, for me i no longer watch because there are to many horses, too many jumps, too fast, too many horses have died and with age it has coloured my perspective of what i thought was a national event and spectacle, to something i feel is distasteful in the extreme, simply put i consider it to be too much to ask of a horse

i think seeing a bad end to a decent horse is the thing that turns the tables for a lot of people, they make a choice about what they think is acceptable to them, or not as in this case

Although my views are not as strong as yours, I do actually agree with everything you say. I used to love it, now I watch it if I am in the house.
 
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