National meeting. First fatality.

They have tightened up the entry rules, it's much harder to get into now and the days are gone of no hopers taking part.

Do you know, back in my youth, I was down at the two mile start at Kempton Park - in those days that was almost into Hurst Park or out in the water works!! A wet day, gloom falling last race - a bumper - all the jocks having a giggle with Mr Starter - all of a sudden he calls out :- RIGHT, let's be havin' you - TRIERS TO THE FRONT!

Who would get away with that these days - even in jest?
 
He broke his shoulder - was heartbreaking seeing Sparky having to ask on twitter for news.

RIP, Little Josh, you were such a star. :(
 
Another wasted life :(

See to me a wasted life is seen in the poor horses and ponies that get bred indiscriminately by clueless idiots, who then precede to abandon them so they slowly starve to death or seen them live in Europe for me.

Not of a horse who was doted on by his groom, trainer, owners, jockey and fans, who had a wonderful life and was full of adrenaline so would have felt no pain when he died.

I know which horses I feel sorry for the most....
 
I'm sorry but I am allowed an opinion, even if it's not the same as yours! Another beautiful and brave horse is dead and I find that very sad seeing as it's all down to making money. So yes wasted and all for the greed of man, you really can't see that? But go ahead and slate me for having a heart.

And for the record my old pony broke her shoulder at the age of 35 (the vet said she had a form of osteoporosis) and it wasn't pleasant for her or me :(
 
I think the issue people have is that you are regarding yourself as having a heart because you don't support the racing, whereas I certainly have a heart and I love it, having a heart is not exclusive to those who oppose jump racing.

And pretty sickeningly Little Josh appears to have died because even in the RSPCAs words he went through the (new style) fence and then fell, whereas with the old fences he probably would have just stopped. Their words not mine!! No wonder they want to wait for the post mortem in full before they 'decide if any more changes are needed' blinking cheek, little josh would still be here if the change to the fence structure had never been made, in all likelihood!!

RIP Little Josh.
 
This is goulish in my opinion.....do some of you just watch racing in case there's a fatality and then you can wring your hands over it and mutter about how bad racing is ? 100's of horses have died today for all sorts of reasons.....

No, people watch racing for entertainment. Nobody on this forum wants to see a horse die, how heartless do you think we are? But it happens, and keen racing enthusiasts will see/read up on horses dying from racing and being horse lovers will post it on here. Yes 100's have horses have died today but we don't know about them, if we did they'd get a thread too.
 
Really sad about Little Josh. I watched the race and it wasn't a nice fall and a couple of others were brought down as a result. Looked ok as they all got up so it's very sad that he had to be PTS. Not sure whether the fall itself caused the injury or if he was hit by another horse. Very sad.

However, there were 29 horses in the Topham today - to me that looked a much better number to be running over the National fences - in the main they all had space to see the fences. It looked a lot better than seeing 40 horses doing the same. I still don't see why they haven't made a reduction in runners for the GN the biggest change. That would make the most sense to me.
 
Believe me I used to love racing too! I almost sold my NH tb mare as a pointer but the people looking wanted something racing fit and ready to go. Oh and Daryl Jacobs did the try out on her over fences that she hadn't ever seen, at a height we hadn't ever done together (full up NH fences) and she kept up with the two in training horses. I was incredibly proud of my mare but in the end very glad she didn't go racing.

Off tangent slightly I know but just wanted people to realise I'm not a fluffy bunny hugger just, as I've got older, had a big change of heart over the wastage that racing produces :(
 
Another wasted life :(

Hardly wasted is it? A horse who spent his life racing, doing something he enjoys rather than a horse who spends its life tethered to the roadside or being used to breed more unwanted horses again and again. No, I think he had a fantastic life compared to the majority of horses out there. Yes it's a shame he passed away, years before the average life expectancy of a horse, but he died doing what he loved.
 
I'm not in favour of this race in the current format. It's far too dangerous.

The organisers must think we are stupid when they say "the safety of the horses is paramount" . Rubbish!

This morning I heard on the radio "a freak one off tragedy". Rubbish!

People who bet on this race are guilty of supporting it.

Horses deserve better.
 
I think his shoulder went before he took off, hence why he didn't take off, and that alone made him 'fall' and then others who had nowhere to go went into him. Still very sad all the same. Bless him.
 
I'm not in favour of this race in the current format. It's far too dangerous.

The organisers must think we are stupid when they say "the safety of the horses is paramount" . Rubbish!

This morning I heard on the radio "a freak one off tragedy". Rubbish!

People who bet on this race are guilty of supporting it.

Horses deserve better.

At the end of the day, everyone is entitled to their own opinions! I personally cannot see the problem in horse racing if done safely.
 
lachlanandmarcus and bonny, I salute you.

Well said. If a horse dies in a race people jump straight to the gun and fire it at the sport, though there are horses being neglected etc out there every single day and I really think animal aid etc should pay more attention to that. You guys said it
 
Didnt a top showjumper (was it Hickstead?) collapse and die of a heart attack while in the ring. Quick lets ban showjumping too!

Oh, and of course a footballer, that i only know his name due to incident - Fabrice Muamba - had a heart attack on the pitch, heart stopped for 78 mins (according to wiki) that happened in front of thousands, and I would guess on tv, quick lets ban football too :rolleyes:
 
Potato! - Yes, I think it was Hickstead. Collapsed, fitted and died infront of thousands. Truely sad but couldn't be helped! RIP Hickstead x x x
 
lachlanandmarcus and bonny, I salute you.

Well said. If a horse dies in a race people jump straight to the gun and fire it at the sport, though there are horses being neglected etc out there every single day and I really think animal aid etc should pay more attention to that. You guys said it



It's back! It's the two wrongs make a right argument :D

The NH racing deaths are additional, not instead of. Any other horse sport that killed 2% of the participants during the event year, and more put own at home directly due to injuries caused during the event, year after year after year would be stopped. NH racing continues because of the amount of money it generates. If fox hunting had generated revenues like it for the economy, it would never have been banned.
 
It's back! It's the two wrongs make a right argument :D

The NH racing deaths are additional, not instead of. Any other horse sport that killed 2% of the participants during the event year, and more put own at home directly due to injuries caused during the event, year after year after year would be stopped. NH racing continues because of the amount of money it generates. If fox hunting had generated revenues like it for the economy, it would never have been banned.

More utter bollo* peddled - 2%??? Please back that up. :rolleyes:
 
It's back! It's the two wrongs make a right argument :D

The NH racing deaths are additional, not instead of. Any other horse sport that killed 2% of the participants during the event year, and more put own at home directly due to injuries caused during the event, year after year after year would be stopped. NH racing continues because of the amount of money it generates. If fox hunting had generated revenues like it for the economy, it would never have been banned.

If you really believe that, then how do you explain point to pointing ? Not much revenue generated there ......
 
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