Grand National claims yet another life
Posted 10th April 2021
The League Against Cruel Sports is renewing its calls for the Grand National to be suspended unless the race is made safer for horses, following yet another death on the Aintree course.
The Long Mile became the latest horse to die during the Grand National - the 54th horse to be killed at the event since 2000, according to figures collated by Animal Aid.
The horse was destroyed after breaking its near hind leg during the race.
His death comes after that of Houx Gris, a horse that was fatally injured after falling in the Top Novices' Hurdle the previous day.
Chris Luffingham, director of campaigns for the League Against Cruel Sports, said: “National Hunt Racing is a hugely popular sport with the public, but this comes at a cost. We’ve all seen the hastily-erected tents around the fallen animals, and experienced the heartbreak that goes with it.
“With an average of nearly 200 horses dying on race tracks across Britain every year it’s clear that racing needs to take animal welfare more seriously, especially for the racing calendar’s most arduous event, the Grand National.”
The League says that for the race to be run more safely the size of the field should be reduced from 40 to 30, the length of the face should reduced, all drops on the landing side of the fences should be removed, and the notorious Becher’s Brook jump should be taken away completely.
It goes on to say that unless the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) introduce these measures and to suspend the race entirely if they can’t be implemented. The Long Mile was the sixth horse to die in the last 10 years - with the race not running in 2019.
ENDS