The Grand National

Image by SorcerySoap HocusPocus from Pixabay. 

Please see the bottom of this article for links to the sources I have used in researching this subject.
In recent years, the Grand National steeplechase has become an increasingly controversial event in the horse racing calendar. There have been calls for the race to be banned, and even demonstrations at the Aintree racecourse where it takes place. The most recent of these was in April 2023. So, why has an annual horse race, whose history goes back to 1839, now seen in such a negative light?

It boils down to the changing attitudes towards animals and their welfare. What was once seen as a harmless form of entertainment is now seen as a form of animal cruelty by some individuals and animal welfare organisations such as PETA and Animal Aid.

The Grand National has up to forty horses (This limit was imposed in 1984), jumping over 30 fences which are higher than a standard fence, over a four-and-a-half mile race(This was reduced in 2016 to four and a quarter miles.). There are multiple concerns regarding the welfare of the horses during and after the race. PETA states in their website article The Grand National: 9 Things They Don’t Tell You About Horse Racing:

“Since 2000, 63 horses have died at the Grand National Festival. Of those victims, four died in 2023, and four died in 2022. Horses may fall face-first into the ground and break their neck or back, dying almost immediately. Those who endure this traumatic experience – a stomach-churning mess of tangled limbs and broken bones – are often euthanised during or after the race.”

Animal Aid, which does not support horse racing in any form, states on its website:

“The Grand National is a deliberately perilous horse race that is staged at Aintree Racecourse in England. It’s run over a stamina-sapping four-and-a-quarter miles and has 30 hazardous fences that the 40 horses who take part are forced to jump. Throughout its history, the race has been infamous for killing horses.”

According to grandnational.org.uk, changes have been made to increase the safety of the Grand National, not only for the horses but also for the jockeys.

“Over the years, Aintree race officials and the British Horse Racing Authority have introduced a number of safety-related changes to the Grand National to make the race safer. This is not only focused on the horses but also on the jockeys. 40 horses running over 30 of the most demanding fences naturally comes with its risks.”

I’ve mentioned two of these changes already. Others include:

• Plastic inserts in the fences.
• Making the take off and landing sides of the fences more level where they previously had not been.
• Providing hosing facilities so the horses can be cooled down quickly after the race.

So, do these changes go far enough?

Animal Aid certainly doesn’t believe that they have:

“The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) is responsible for racehorse welfare but has failed to curb the number of fatalities at the course, as well as at other racecourses across Great Britain.”

However, the statistics table for the last ten years on grandnational.org.uk would suggest that there has been a positive impact due to the changes that have been made. However, it does stick out that there have been horse deaths in the last 4 Grand National races.

So, what’s the answer? Should it be banned, or does more need to be done to ensure the welfare of the horses? I don’t know. The horse racing industry is well established in the UK, supports the economy and employs many people. The Grand National itself is an event that many still look forward to, even those who do not usually go to races or bet on horses.

The issue of the Grand National and animal welfare is an issue I suspect will rage on for many years to come.

All opinions expressed in the article are mine, not Kelp Social’s.

References

https://www.animalaid.org.uk/the-issues/our-campaigns/horse-racing/ban-the-grand-national/
https://www.peta.org.uk/blog/the-grand-national-9-things-they-dont-tell-you-about-horse-racing/
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2023/apr/15/grand-national-delay-start-animal-rights-protest-extinction-rebellion
https://www.grandnational.org.uk/grand-national-deaths-safety-welfare.php
https://www.thejockeyclub.co.uk/the-grand-national/about-the-event/grand-national-event-history/
https://news.paddypower.com/guides/2023/03/02/how-many-horses-grand-national-total-number-history-record/