THE BERKSHIRE EQUESTRIAN CENTER

In the world of horse sports, there is death.   Death does not just happen at the Grand National held at Aintree Race Course outside of Liverpool. It happens everywhere.... including the United State, both at public tracks, "town & country" steeplechases, and all-too-often in training.   

However, The Grand National is the poster child for its "tradition," "carnage," and frankly despite recent changes, the "reluctance" to change and then grudgingly after repeated outcries from animal rights groups and scorn by the media.*  See just a small sample of article-links be.

Below you will find two galleries of photos.   The first should sicken you both for its carnage and for the arrogance to call this and similar races "sport," when they are nothing but "demolition derbies" which would not even be tolerated by NASCAR.  The second set of photos shows you the grandeur of this spectacle and how diametrically opposed its glamour and frivolity is to the injury and death to the competitors on the field.  It is boasted that the British love their horses. The foot-dragging to the safety improvements for Grand National and all steeplechase puts that "love" into question.   

Simply put, were I the Czar of Horse Sports, I would make a rule:  

What needlessly happens to the horse has to happen to the owner and the rider.  

This would end the carnage!  That would drive demand for even safer jumps which are still competitive. 

I underlined "needlessly" because as in any sport... despite every attempt to be safe... injuries and death occur.

And, as experienced horse owners, we have seen horses literally injure themselves to death, or their ultimate demise.  

"Johnny"        

John David Sottile

General Manager

* The United States has its own issues with track deaths.  See further below.   However is not with The Breeder's Cup, which was by stewarts in the American Thoroughbred community to be the "Super Bowl" of racing for various types from 2 Y.O. on up, sprints, distance, dirt, turf, and jumps.  It first ran in 1984. 

On October 27th, 1090, The Breeders' Cup was run at Belmont Park.  The day was tragic. Go For Wand, the favorite filly, shattered her cannon bone in the last 100 yards of a stretch drive.  She could not be saved.  Then Mr. Nickerson suffered either a heart attack or an aneurysm as he fell in the backstretch which caused two other horses to be injured.  The Breeders' Cup was in trouble.  To the credit of all, the organization immediately undertook studies and steps to prevent such a disastrous day in the future. 

While there have been improvements in the racing industry, there are still too many deaths... and too few corrective measures being taken.

http://www.breederscup.com/history/event-year

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Racehorse_injuries

http://www.horseracingintfed.com/default.asp?section=Resources&story=570