Little Josh | STOP ANIMAL ABUSE

Grand National meeting: Another Death – Little Josh suffers fatal fall at Aintree

April 5, 2013

“OMG…I FXXXXXG HATE THIS BLOOD SPORT….As a horse owner & lover for over 40 years; this just breaks my heart! TWO dead already, what is the Grand National going to be like…please pray all the horses get round the course safely; and go home safely, not dying of heart attacks or burst arteries after the race. R.I.P Little Josh x”

The Grand National meeting at Aintree suffered its second fatality today as the Little Josh, ridden by Sam Twiston-Davies, had to be put down after fracturing his shoulder.

The news comes after the meeting’s first casualty yesterday, when Battlefront suffered a suspected heart attack after being pulled up in the John Smith’s Fox Hunters’ Chase.

It is a further blow for Aintree officials after the course revamp before the meeting.

Carnage: Runners and riders are left strewn across the Aintree turf during the Fox Hunters’ Chase

Fox Hunters’ Chase In which Battlefront died of a heart attack after being pulled up

Aintree has revamped the course fences to make them safer for competing horses after criticism of the meeting’s Saturday showpiece branding it dangerous after seeing two fatalities – According to Pete and Synchronised – in last year’s National.

John Baker, Aintree and North West Regional Director of Jockey Club Racecourses, expressed his sympathies but defended the sport.

Tragic: Battlefront, ridden by Katy Walsh (left), suffered a suspected heart attack after being pulled up

‘British racing is very open that you can never eliminate all risk from horse racing, as with any sport.

However, welfare standards are very high and equine fatalities are rare.

‘With 90,000 runners each year, we have a fatality rate of just 0.2 per cent.’

Andrew Tyler, director of Animal Aid, described the carnage at Aintree as ‘utterly depressing’.

He said: ‘The Aintree authorities and the British Horse Racing Authority have been claiming that major new safety measures and efficiencies would eliminate much of the risk associated with racing on the Grand National course.”

Notorious: Bechers’ Brook (above) has claimed many casualties in the past

“But today’s Fox Hunters’ Chase, (4/4/2013) in which Battlefront lost his life, was stomach-wrenchingly chaotic from start to finish Several horses fell or were pulled up, tired and potentially injured.”

“It was both utterly depressing and served as confirmation that the Aintree authorities have got it badly wrong once again.”

“Please sign the petitions in the following related posts related articles…this race has to stop or at the very least, the jumps much smaller & a shorter distance to run!”