Time to Call Time on the Grand National?

[News Hound]

Dave Sawyer from Casinomeister.com opines that it is probably time to 'Call Time' on The Grand National

Read the full article here: Time to Call Time on the Grand National?

 

[itsme123]

Disagree 100%, a very narrow minded view of a race that is now a normal handicap.
It’s the hype that makes it the race it is, the fences have changed the number of runners have changed and the level of horse that runs in the race has changed.
What happens next , ban all jump racing ? What happens when a horse dies in a field, ban ownership?
Simple thing to do , if you don’t like it don’t get involved.

 

[Webzcas]

Fact is, pretty much every year, this happens:

Simple thing to do , if you don’t like it don’t get involved.

No, the simple thing to do is evolve and realise it is a barbaric race. Ignoring it, won't make these needless senseless deaths go away.

 

[paul7388]

Fact is, pretty much every year, this happens:

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No, the simple thing to do is evolve and realise it is a barbaric race. Ignoring it, won't make these needless senseless deaths go away.

It has evolved tho. Hence the reason less runners. Fences a lot safer now than before. The grand national is now far safer than ever and horses die in any
Race. Plenty even die in flat races when they go wrong and have to be put down.

Guessing you want all horse racing banned.

And yes I feel its a Shame for any horse that dies. But the majority of horses are well treated and loved by their owners and staff. Plenty of people and animals die in many sports do we just ban everything now.

 

[Casinomeister]

No one is saying we want horse racing banned. All races no matter what involve risks, race cars, bicyclists, horse racing, dog racing, even in a potato sack race you can trip and hit your head on a rock.

I've been to horse races and it's pretty amazing - and the horses I saw there were pretty pampered.

 

[Mark_Lottomart]

Nobody wants animals to be injured. Of course they don't, me included, but there's a key point to remember... these animals would not exist if it wasn't for the sport. Banning horse racing wouldn't save horses lives, it would mean a significant less amount would be born in the first place.

Racehorses are bred specifically to race, they are looked after better than the majority of humans and are extremely valuable. It's tragic that any would lose their life in a fall, but that's the equivalent of me losing my life in my favourite pub. They have fallen doing what they love most, what they were bred for.

Picking on the Grand National isn't really fair, as others have said they have made lots of changes including creating run-offs to give horses an easier escape to safety, reduced the number and size of fences and this year the field has been reduced to just 34. It was almost double this in the past.

Have a great race everyone, Panda Boy each way for me since my son is obsessed with Pandas!

Mark

 

[Webzcas]

I am not advocating banning all forms of horse racing. But The National with its supersized fences and bloated field is barbaric. Let's just see tomorrow afternoon if any big blue screen go up on the course once the race is underway...

 

[Mark_Lottomart]

I am not advocating banning all forms of horse racing. But The National with its supersized fences and bloated field is barbaric. Let's just see tomorrow afternoon if any big blue screen go up on the course once the race is underway...

So it's just the Grand National itself you'd like to call time on? Since 2000 there have been 16 fatalities in the Grand National. There have been 47 fatalities in other races at the Aintree GN meeting excluding the National. According to PETA there's somewhere between 700 and 800 equine deaths from racing every year. Many of which races don't have those barbaric oversized fences,

16 doesn't sound a lot in comparison... but the GN gets singled out because it's so popular and watched by millions. Is it the thrill of the large fences and bloated field that attracts those spectators? Take those away and does it become the 16:00 at Aintree that Joe public generally aren't interested in?

 

[itsme123]

I am not advocating banning all forms of horse racing. But The National with its supersized fences and bloated field is barbaric. Let's just see tomorrow afternoon if any big blue screen go up on the course once the race is underway...

Fences are no longer super sized and lots of harder races and fences out there. If it’s only the GN that’s banned what will that achieve? If it’s all racing that’s banned 10’s of thousands of people will lose their jobs and 100’s of thousands of horses will be destroyed .
As I said in my first post it’s a narrow minded original post that never looked at the consequences, a bit like the crazies who delayed the start of the race last year and contributed greatly to the death of Hill Sixteen.

 

[itsme123]

And I should caveat all this by saying as a punter the GN isn’t really a race I like , but I do get annoyed when people think it’s justified to ban the race in case a horse dies when there are horses dying every day in fields up and down the country.

 

[Webzcas]

And I should caveat all this by saying as a punter the GN isn’t really a race I like , but I do get annoyed when people think it’s justified to ban the race in case a horse dies when there are horses dying every day in fields up and down the country.

Yes, but you don't see horses dying every year at the Cheltenham Gold Cup or the Derby for instance. The National has too many horses and the fences are way too big, this is the issue.

I mean just because dogs up and down the country die every day does not make it alright to legalise dog fighting

See what I did there?

 

[itsme123]

Yes, but you don't see horses dying every year at the Cheltenham Gold Cup or the Derby for instance. The National has too many horses andthe fences are way too big, this is the issue.

I mean just because dogs up and down the country die every day does not make it alright to legalise dog fighting

See what I did there?

2 horses died on the first day at Cheltenham this year, and 76 since 2000, so you want to ban one race were 15 horses have died since 2000 but it’s ok for other races to go ahead?
Great logic….

 

[paul7388]

Yes, but you don't see horses dying every year at the Cheltenham Gold Cup or the Derby for instance. The National has too many horses and the fences are way too big, this is the issue.

I mean just because dogs up and down the country die every day does not make it alright to legalise dog fighting

See what I did there?

Might not be legal for dog fighting but greyhound racing is legal.

And have you saw the amount of greyhounds that die and are mistreated compared to horses yet no call for a ban on that.

Also at end of month there take 2 minor meetings. At both plumpton and huntingdon 2 horses died at each meeting. So considering the small fields involved statistically a horse is more likely to die at a minor meeting than Aintree.

 

[itsme123]

Since 2000 60 horses have died at the GN meeting , less than Cheltenham, so should we look at banning the gold cup?

 

[Webzcas]

Yeah this has made me think. It is a barbaric sport, if all these gallant animals die for our entertainment. One step away from Bull Fighting...

 

[itsme123]

Yeah this has made me think. It is a barbaric sport, if all these gallant animals die for our entertainment. One step away from Bull Fighting...

So your preference is cull 100's of thousands of horses and put 10's of thousands of people out f work?
Very smart, excellent opinion and more tax for mere mortals such as me to support these jobless.
This is the very reason my first post was to say it was such a narrow minded view, banning the GN will resolve nothing, racing is nothing akin to bull fighting and horses are looked after far better than a lot of people, but sure logic means nothing and as usual some people resort to absolutely nonsensical comparisons when facts are put in front of them.

 

[TheAddict]

I'm not a fan yet but I think the horses should get to ride the jockeys, equality and all that.