No deaths or Injuries in the Grand National 2013!

muff747 said:
I didn't read that CPT was hoping for injuries here either - not a very nice thing to say Calendonia????
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Looking for reasons to pick fault with the National when everything came home safe and sound isn't particularly nice either, is it?

She's a big girl, she dishes it out so I'm sure she can take it.
 
3Beasties said:
She didn't say that she hoped for injuries, she was asking how we can be SURE that there wasn't any......
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With the tone of her post, I'm afraid that's pretty much what she is hoping for, so that she can be proved right that the race is cruel. :rolleyes:
 
Caledonia you will be pleased to know that a horse bearing your name was 3rd in the Bumper just now under up and coming supergirl jockey Lucy Alexander!
 
Well I was glad I kept my nerve and watched the race. As reported there were no serious injuries to horses or jockeys, though Andrew Thornton had a heavy fall from Tatenen and told Ch4 he had whiplash neck injury (shown with ice pack on it). I don't doubt that some of the horses (esp Tatenen) will be a bit sore tomorrow, but thank goodness that's all.
I agree that more jockeys were being sensible and pulling up when their mounts tired. As for safety measures, Bechers has jumped well both yesterday and today, I think a combination of the alterations to the jump and landing side, and also due to jockeys riding it more spread out so able to see clearly ahead. The same can be said of the Chair which I think only claimed AP McCoy who was unseated.
Well done to the Aintree staff, the jocks and especially the magnificent horses, not least Auroras Encore. BTW he looks small, anyone know his height??
 
I thought it was a thoroughly nice to watch, nice relaxed start and a good run from the majority :)

Loved the winner too :) brilliant for the smiths!

So glad there were no fatalities, something must of been done right :)
 
I thought it was a rubbish race; nothing special about it at all now, just a humdrum 4 mile chase you could run anywhere. It's taken away the magic.

PS, to top it all the CH 4 filming of it was total rubbish too.
 
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Maesfen said:
I thought it was a rubbish race; nothing special about it at all now, just a humdrum 4 mile chase you could run anywhere. It's taken away the magic.
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So the magic for you was the expectation of some, if not many, of the runners to suffer bad, potentially fatal falls?
 
Maesfen said:
I thought it was a rubbish race; nothing special about it at all now, just a humdrum 4 mile chase you could run anywhere. It's taken away the magic.
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I agree with that and I fear the death of the national will not be caused by the animal rights people but by apathy as it's just become a long distance race over some piles of brush !
All you need to do now to pick a winner is go for something with a low weight that goes well in the spring......although I am saying that with hindsight !!
 
Maesfen said:
I thought it was a rubbish race; nothing special about it at all now, just a humdrum 4 mile chase you could run anywhere. It's taken away the magic.

PS, to top it all the CH 4 filming of it was total rubbish too.
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Are you saying because no-one died it was boring? I enjoyed it, and I normally avoid it at all costs!
 
Buds_mum said:
So the magic for you was the expectation of some, if not many, of the runners to suffer bad, potentially fatal falls?
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It was the fences that made it unique and they've gone .....in fact they now look easier than alot of other courses.....
 
Wildforestpony18 said:
Are you saying because no-one died it was boring? I enjoyed it, and I normally avoid it at all costs!
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How can you be so stupid to even think that?

The race now with it's soft fences is a shadow of itself, there is no jumping challenge now as you could see by those at the back almost hurdling them. It's just a normal LD chase that could be run anywhere now, nothing special about it at all.
 
It was gaff to be honest. Normal fences that fall apart. No real jumping talent required. No real effort.

The xc course at Cheltenham is more of a challenge now.

It would be like making Badminton a course of small straw bales to jump.
 
bonny said:
It was the fences that made it unique and they've gone .....in fact they now look easier than alot of other courses.....
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But that has potentially saved the lives of many runners, i'm sure they have remained a difficult question.
plus i agree with masefen, the filming was shocking, it did not show the fences at any flattering angle of showing the drops ect.

If you want huge fences which risk the lives of those who tackle it you are essentially baying for blood.

Turning the national into a blood sport.

People will still bid on the winner, it will still be the biggest race for punters. But risks are minimised. As horse lovers this is surely a bonus?!
 
Buds_mum said:
But that has potentially saved the lives of many runners, i'm sure they have remained a difficult question.
plus i agree with masefen, the filming was shocking, it did not show the fences at any flattering angle of showing the drops ect.

If you want huge fences which risk the lives of those who tackle it you are essentially baying for blood.

Turning the national into a blood sport.

People will still bid on the winner, it will still be the biggest race for punters. But risks are minimised. As horse lovers this is surely a bonus?!
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In that case why not take the jumps out altogether ?
 
I thought it was a great race and the fact there were no falls until the 8th fence was testimony to the improvements made. I also think not having the parade meant the horses were a lot more relaxed at the start. A great result for all the connections.
 
Maesfen said:
I thought it was a rubbish race; nothing special about it at all now, just a humdrum 4 mile chase you could run anywhere. It's taken away the magic.

PS, to top it all the CH 4 filming of it was total rubbish too.
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I think we have to move with the times Maesfen, we do not have old fashioned chasers anymore so the course has to be modified to suit the modern day National Hunt horse. It simply could not carry on as it was, for me it made watching it a far nicer experience.
 
bonny said:
In that case why not take the jumps out altogether ?
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Well its a jump race :rolleyes:

I'm not debating the ins and outs of racing horses.

I am saying the grand national has improved safety measures. This is, as someone who despises seeing the screens go up around these beautiful animals, a good thing.

Its not run for people to coo at the lovely ponies jumping big jumps.

Its about betting on a winner. end of.

people will not stop doing this just because it isn't so blood thirsty.
 
its sad that we are already arguing over the 'entertainment' value of the race when it has even been 3 hours since it finished. im glad everyone made it off the course in one piece and all get to go home to bed tonite
yes it seemed easier for some horses - but may be it saved these horses lives? id rather see more horses complete the course under their own power rather than finish off in a trailer!
i think the jockeys had a greater feel of responsibilty - as it sounds like they had a stern 'talking to' last night about their responsiblity towards english racing and the view the world has of the grand national - i was pleased to see so many jockeys took the decicion to pull up their mounts and that they looked to give more respect to the course!
it was a lovely win with a wonderful story behind the 'team' members!
 
cptrayes said:
I hope that you are correct, but I don't see how it can possibly be said at this stage that there are no injuries.

Thank goodness there were no deaths.
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Caledonia said:
You are so sick. I'm horrified that you're hoping for injuries. If there had been ANY major injuries, the horses would have been boxed off in an ambulance.
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Caledonia how on earth do you come to that conclusion?

I agree that we can't possibly know there were no injuries, only that none were made public or had such immediate consequences as to be obvious. I have no agenda here, I have mixed feelings about the GN. It's clear to me though that cptrayes's comment is a reasonable observation and wonder at your strange over reaction to it. :confused:
 
FionaM12 said:
Caledonia how on earth do you come to that conclusion?

I agree that we can't possibly know there were no injuries, only that none were made public or had such immediate consequences as to be obvious. I have no agenda here, I have mixed feelings about the GN. It's clear to me though that cptrayes's comment is a reasonable observation and wonder at your strange over reaction to it. :confused:
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Caledonia clearly knows nothing about adrenalin and the fact that injuries come to light the following day.
 
justabob said:
Caledonia clearly knows nothing about adrenalin and the fact that injuries come to light the following day.
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I'm fully aware, thanks. No idea why you feel the need to insult me when you don't know anything about me.

FYI, the real damage in any injury only totally shows 48 hours after. That said, any significant injuries would have had the horses boxed off. As it was, there is no more likelihood of anything having happened that couldn't have happened out hunting, or eventing, or even hacking.

My response was to someone who seems visibly upset that she can't find a reason to slag off the National further, not a lack of knowledge on my part. I don't recall quoting you, justabob?
 
FionaM12 said:
Caledonia how on earth do you come to that conclusion?

I agree that we can't possibly know there were no injuries, only that none were made public or had such immediate consequences as to be obvious. I have no agenda here, I have mixed feelings about the GN. It's clear to me though that cptrayes's comment is a reasonable observation and wonder at your strange over reaction to it. :confused:
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Not a strange reaction at all to someone (cptrayes) who desperately clutches at straws to pick holes in racing.

I have had RUK on all day who have kept updating information, there have been numerous statements and comments all over the media (FB, twitter) that EVERY horse has come home safe and sound.

I for one am hugely delighted about that, and and quite sickened by those that are dismayed, like cptrayes, because it doesn't suit her agenda.
 
So pleased to hear changes were made and all horses safe and well at the end of the race.

I won't support it because of the course but if changes and good and safer perhaps I will entertain it next year.

Such a fantastic result
 
Did anyone see the footage on Red Rum shown on C4 today? It showed the Grand National in it's full glory, big, difficult fences tackled at a sensible pace. Back then there weren't as many fatalities, yes there were some but not as many as there have been in recent years.

The National has been made 'safer' in previous years but in doing so they made the race faster, meaning that horses are less likely to bounce back from a fall so to speak. Speed kills and I believe that, coupled with sub standard horses that do not have the jumping ability to tackle the fences has been a major contribution to the deaths over the last couple of years.

The race had to either go back to it's roots with the big imposing fences or be made even safer (easier) which as some have said took the whole concept of 'Grand' out of it. Whether the changes this year has made a difference to the number of fallers or not nobody will know, it could just be that the Nationals run of bad luck is over, for this year at least.

One change I did like, which I wasn't keen on when I heard about it, was the changes at the start. Far less faffing about, the horses got down to the start and got on with the job they had to do. Maybe that was the reason why no horses fell until later on in the race?

Either way, I love the National, I have grown up with it and always watch it but I do admit to being nervous before the start of today's race due to the 'improvements' made in previous years that I think have created the recent problems.
 
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Equilibrium Ireland said:
Caledonia spoke her mind due to previous threads on racing. All of which include CP wishing pretty much all racing was banned.

Terri (((FF)))
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Caledonia said:
I for one am hugely delighted about that, and and quite sickened by those that are dismayed, like cptrayes, because it doesn't suit her agenda.
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Oh I see. So your comment was based on your opinion of cptrayes, not on the content of her post?

I suggest in that case that you also have an agenda.
 
My thoughts exactly OP, finally a good horse race rather than the usual carnage, they listened to the public and it paid off.
 
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