on 04-04-2019 10:46
Hi everyone!
The Grand National, "the world's greatest steeplechase", is approaching fast and runs this weekend in Aintree on Saturday 6th April.
I wasn't very familiar with this myself, so did some reading online. There's a whole festival built around it! Have any of you ever attended this?
The entertainment starts on Thursday (today) with some music (The Mersey Beatles are performing!) and of course, horse racing. Friday is Ladies Day with of course horse racing, but also all the stylish hats and fashion being spotlighted, celebrating individuality and creativity. And then Saturday is the Grand National day with the main race, which I read takes about 8 minutes, with 40 runners and riders taking part in Jumps racing.
ITV have the broadcasting rights for this one until 2020, so you can follow the race from home on TV, or via their live stream on the ITV website or the ITV player app.
Do any of you follow horse racing and interested in checking out this one on Saturday? 🐴🐴🐴
on 04-04-2019 10:50
I used to have a flutter on this every year but came to realise how cruel this is on the horses
Trainers and punters will tell you that horses love to jump...
Not when they are being whipped and made to land in ditches. Sorry, I long ago stopped watching this spectacle and take no interest in it at all
on 04-04-2019 11:01
on 04-04-2019 11:01
@jonsie wrote:
I used to have a flutter on this every year but came to realise how cruel this is on the horses
Trainers and punters will tell you that horses love to jump...
Not when they are being whipped and made to land in ditches. Sorry, I long ago stopped watching this spectacle and take no interest in it at all
Oh how sad for the horses if that's the case @jonsie I wasn't aware of the controversy around this but will go have a further read!!
on 04-04-2019 11:55
on 04-04-2019 11:55
on 04-04-2019 12:32
on 04-04-2019 12:32
I agree with @jonsie and @Mi-Amigo it's a cruel race and I stopped watching it long ago, as I couldn't bear to see the way the horses were treated.
As @Mi-Amigo pointed out watching it and betting on it just perpetuates this awful race year on year.
on 04-04-2019 12:42
on 04-04-2019 12:42
This is such a major race in this country but it's cruel. Not only do the horse get whipped, but a few years ago they reduced the height at Bechers Brook from 5ft to 4ft 10in, due the the falls.
The animal welfare charity League Against Cruel Sports counts the number of horse deaths at 40 over the three-day meet from the year 2000 to 2013.#
Once a horse breaks it's leg, as a racehorse, it's life is over... so it is shot on course. The only concession is they surround the poor animal with a white screen before they shoot it.
If I could ban this race I would do so without second thought.
Veritas Numquam Perit
04-04-2019 13:35 - edited 04-04-2019 13:39
04-04-2019 13:35 - edited 04-04-2019 13:39
on 04-04-2019 15:37
on 04-04-2019 15:37
04-04-2019 16:11 - edited 04-04-2019 16:12
04-04-2019 16:11 - edited 04-04-2019 16:12
I definitely agree with all animal hunting being banned. It's a cruel sport, if one can call it sport.
I've never understood the pleasure one can get from killing defenceless animals big or small.
on 04-04-2019 19:31
on 04-04-2019 19:31