Equine Retirements, Long Term Injuries and Departures

[trudij]

The BHA supposedly do look at every fall to determine cause and take any necessary action. As with any speed orientated sport there are going to be accidents (compare it to Formula 1) - unfortunately horses are relatively fragile and as yet we don't have the veterinary expertise available to mend every single one without it suffering further complications and distress.

As proved with Barbaric


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[moehat]

Predictive text or Freudian slip trudij! Either way Barbaric does apply, even though connections did what they did out of love for the horse. Also look at poor St Nicholas Abbey and Red. I do wish a lot of people I know understood how difficult it is to treat horses.

[trudij]

Predictive text or Freudian slip trudij! Either way Barbaric does apply, even though connections did what they did out of love for the horse. Also look at poor St Nicholas Abbey and Red. I do wish a lot of people I know understood how difficult it is to treat horses.

Neither - I renamed him - I’m not sure there was much love for the horse there at all.
( but that’s just my opinion)


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[G-G]

It was around the time that I was with Mike, so would have been 2011/12ish? I remember that one - didn’t we lose 4 or 5 on the first day? Horrible horrible time.


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Possibly, yes. There were at least 4 put down in the days following the end of the meeting that I was made aware of, so may have been more.

[G-G]

Pretty sure Cheltenham did take action after we lost so many at one festival. I think they have always had a policy of watering since that fatal year, just to ensure safe jumping and landing ground.

They changed something about the second last fence because there were so many falls there a few years ago. Not sure if that coincides with the year I am thinking of?

[trudij]

They changed something about the second last fence because there were so many falls there a few years ago. Not sure if that coincides with the year I am thinking of?

No - I think they moved the fence a bit after Granit Jack died at it - that was a year or so before...


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[Ardross]

Interesting that both Nico de B and Lizzie Kelly wondered whether the Grand Annual was the right race to have as the get out stakes ? I would promote the Martin Pipe up the card and return the County Hurdle to its traditional slot .

[Bonjers]

Poliglote.

[Ardross]

Interesting that both Nico de B and Lizzie Kelly wondered whether the Grand Annual was the right race to have as the get out stakes ? I would promote the Martin Pipe up the card and return the County Hurdle to its traditional slot .

Apparently, Alastair Down also calling for the Grand Annual to be moved.

[Maruco]

What reasons does Alastair Down give Ardross?

[wilsonl]

Due to pumped up human emotion going into the last race (the jockeys that is) and a 2m hurdle race being safer than a chase under those conditions.

[Ardross]

Due to pumped up human emotion going into the last race (the jockeys that is) and a 2m hurdle race being safer than a chase under those conditions.

Yes I don't remember jockeys riding madly when the County Hurdle was the last race of the meeting as it was traditionally until 2009.

[Diamond Geezer]

Was dark in those days , they started at 5.50 if they were lucky, remember standing in front of the winners enclosure when Winnie The Witch came in, everyone else had gone home.

[archie]

It's speed that kills and the number of runners is a contributory factor.

Totally unconnected with that, I'd make the bumper the last race.

[wilsonl]

Bumper used to be the last race, as I'm sure you know Archie, but it's bordering on a novelty race as it is and runs the risk of attracting little interest if moved to the very last. I'd imagine that's one of the reasons for the move in the first place.

I'd put the Gold Cup last personally. There's a real "after the lord mayor's show" feel about the course for the last three races on Friday at present and this would eliminate that immediately. I'm not sure what the chances of a low winter sun are in this month - as that would completely scupper the idea - but I don't ever recall it causing a problem with the County or Grand Annual.

Something quite fitting about saving the best to last as well - in an Arc type way.

[chroniclandlord]

I'd make the bumper the last race.

David Muir from the RSPCA has suggested that too.

[Maruco]

I wouldn't change anything because I really don't see what difference it'll make. The issue was the landing side of the fencw. We've never seen this problem before, and now there are suggestions things should be moved around. The same number of races would have been run on the same courses so the ground would have been an issue anyway.

[archie]

The first circuit pile-up in the Grand Annual was caused by too many runners and too many gung ho jockeys. There is no 'tradition' argument for the last race being the Grand Annual and, if the bumper is so unpopular, it will result in a much more ordered exit from the course for spectators. It's a no brainer if it keeps the RSPCA onside.

[G-G]

Bumper used to be the last race, as I'm sure you know Archie, but it's bordering on a novelty race as it is and runs the risk of attracting little interest if moved to the very last. I'd imagine that's one of the reasons for the move in the first place.

I'd put the Gold Cup last personally. There's a real "after the lord mayor's show" feel about the course for the last three races on Friday at present and this would eliminate that immediately. I'm not sure what the chances of a low winter sun are in this month - as that would completely scupper the idea - but I don't ever recall it causing a problem with the County or Grand Annual.

Something quite fitting about saving the best to last as well - in an Arc type way.

I agree: make the GC the last race. Start earlier that day if the sun is a concern. Very much an anti-climax feeling for the races after it. It would make getting out of the course/car parks more of an effort, but so what? I personally love the bumper and always stay for all the races anyway so makes no difference to me what order they are in, but think the GC would 'sit better' as the last race.

[reet hard]

Can' see them ever running the CGC as last race on the card, There's normally fresh turf railed off for it, and the furore over the over the ground for the last race, this year, would be magnified tenfold.