According to the British Horseracing Authority, modern steeplechase races have an average of just over 4 equine fatalities for every 1,000 horses taking part in a race.[1] The Aintree Grand National yielded 7 equine fatalities out of 439 horses taking part between 2000 and 2010, a rate of almost 16 equine fatalities per 1,000 horses taking part (or 0.64 fatalities per race of 40 horses). In the five years to 2023, the fatality rate has risen, averaging 25 equine fatalities per 1,000 horses taking part (or one fatality per race of 40 horses).[2][3]
Background
The high number of equine deaths in the Aintree Grand National race has made it a focus for animal rights activists. While course officials have taken safety measures over the years, such as improving veterinary facilities and reducing the severity of fences,[4] some campaign for further modifications and even the abolition of the event that was inaugurated in 1839.[5]
After the 1989 Grand National, in which two horses died in incidents at Becher's Brook (the sixth and 22nd fence on the course), Aintree began making significant changes to the fences that are jumped during the National. The brook on the landing-side of Becher's was filled in to prevent horses rolling back into it, and the incline on the landing-side has been mostly levelled out, whilst retaining a drop to slow the runners. Other fences have been reduced in height, toe-boards have been made taller, and the entry requirements for participating horses have been made stricter, such as the requirement for runners to have been placed fourth or better in a previously recognised steeplechase over a distance of at least three miles.
Some within the horseracing community, including some with notable achievements in the Grand National, such as Ginger McCain and Bob Champion,[6][7][8] have argued that the lowering of fences and the narrowing of ditches, primarily designed to increase horse safety, has had the adverse effect by encouraging the runners to race faster. During the 1970s and 1980s, the Grand National saw a total of 12 horses die (half of which were at Becher's Brook); in the next 20-year period from 1990 to 2010, when modifications to the course were most significant, there were 17 equine fatalities.
List of fatalities
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.[9] The following list details the equine fatalities during, or as a direct result of participating in, the Grand National, that is, the showpiece steeplechase itself rather than all the various races held over the entire three-day "Grand National meeting" (which includes two other races over one circuit of the National course: the Fox Hunters for amateur jockeys and the Topham for professional jockeys).
The list includes, where applicable and where known, the fence at which the fatality occurred.[10]
Summary by fence
The following table summarises the total number of equine fatalities by each of the 16 fences on the course, and includes the current height of each.
^Injuries and Fatalities British Horseracing Authority.
^"Risk of fatalities at Grand National is too high, says academic". Anglia Ruskin University. Archived from the original on 18 July 2012. Retrieved 7 April 2011.
^"BBC News - Who, what, why: How dangerous is the Grand National?". bbc.co.uk. 11 April 2011. Retrieved 14 April 2012.
^"Horse Welfare & Safety". Aintree.co.uk. 14 April 2012. Archived from the original on 14 April 2012. Retrieved 23 April 2012.
^"Animal Welfare Groups Have Called For A Ban On Aintree's Grand National Race After Two Horses Died | UK News | Sky News". News.sky.com. Retrieved 23 April 2012.
^"BBC Sport - Horse Racing - Grand National: Ginger McCain queries smaller fences". BBC News. 10 April 2011. Retrieved 23 April 2012.
^"Grand National: Neptune Collonge Honoured After Horses Die Following Aintree Race | UK News | Sky News". News.sky.com. Archived from the original on 19 April 2012. Retrieved 23 April 2012.
^"BBC Sport - According to Pete trainer wants bigger Grand National fences". Bbc.co.uk. 16 April 2012. Retrieved 23 April 2012.
^"Charity warns that until horse welfare is put first, injury and fatalities are inevitable during Grand National meet - League Against Cruel Sports". Archived from the original on 8 April 2014. Retrieved 8 April 2014.
^"Hill Sixteen becomes third horse fatality at Grand National meeting at Aintree". BBC. 15 April 2023. Retrieved 15 April 2023.
^"Grand National: Eclair Surf becomes second equine fatality after Discorama". BBC. 10 April 2022. Retrieved 11 April 2022.
^Charlie Malam. "Grand National horse Discorama dies after pulling up in race with 'untreatable' injury". www.express.co.uk. Retrieved 9 April 2022.
^Stuart Ballard (12 April 2021). "Grand National horse dies: The Long Mile put down in sixth death in last 10 years". www.express.co.uk. Retrieved 12 April 2022.
^Martin Domin (6 April 2019). "Up For Review dead: Grand National tragedy as 25/1 shot suffers fatal injury". www.mirror.co.uk. Retrieved 12 April 2022.
^ a b"Synchronised and According to Pete die in Grand National". 14 April 2012.
^ a b"Two horses die as gruelling Grand National takes its toll at Aintree". TheGuardian.com. 9 April 2011.
^"Mon Mome seals shock National win". BBC News. 4 April 2009.
^Harlow, Phil (5 April 2008). "Comply Or Die wins Grand National". BBC News.
^Armytage, Marcus (11 May 2007). "Sad end for Graphic Approach". The Daily Telegraph. London.
^"Aintree Grand National Result 2006". Racingbetter.co.uk. Retrieved 23 April 2012.
^"Monty's Pass wins Grand National". BBC News. 5 April 2003.
^ a b"News - Liverpool Local News - Bindaree comes back to win National". Liverpool Echo. 6 April 2002. Retrieved 23 April 2012.
^"Aintree '99: Eudipe team left stunned by loss. - Free Online Library".
^ a b c"Inquiries launched into Grand National deaths". BBC News. 6 April 1998.
^ a b"Horses pay price of failure". BBC News. 3 April 1998.
^"WHERE THEY FINISHED WHERE THEY FELL. - Free Online Library".
^ a b"Available Website". Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 13 May 2012.
^ a b"The Unique Part of the Nationals History".
^"'A mistake at Becher's proved fatal. Dark Ivy came down perpendicular and broke his neck' « Sporting Intelligence". Sportingintelligence.com. 9 April 2010. Retrieved 23 April 2012.
^"Hello Dandy Wins National". The New York Times. 1 April 1984.
^Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: "1983 Grand National". YouTube.
^"Grittar & the 1982 Grand National". Archived from the original on 7 April 2014. Retrieved 6 April 2014.
^"Rubstic". Grand National. 10 March 2010. Retrieved 23 April 2012.
^Patrick Weaver (12 April 2010). "Jonjo O'Neill exorcises Alverton demons". Retrieved 17 April 2011.
^"Rag Trade". Grand National. 9 March 2010. Retrieved 23 April 2012.
^ a b"1977: Hat trick for Red Rum". BBC News. 2 April 1977.
^ a b"Grand National Anorak |".
^ a b"Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 March 2012. Retrieved 17 April 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
^"Grand National Anorak |". Archived from the original on 27 April 2012. Retrieved 17 May 2012.
^"YouTube, a Google company". YouTube. Archived from the original on 4 May 2014.
^Malcolm, Derek (9 January 1967). "Classic report: Foinavon takes evasive action and triumphs". The Guardian. London.
^BBC TV race footage shows the field racing towards Becher's second time with Belsize tailed off. The horse takes a heavy fall at fence 20. Press coverage confirms the fall proved fatal.
^Grand National Ultimate History. https://www.grandnationalultimatehistory.com/races-1959.html
^"The Priston Web". Priston.org.uk. 2 January 1957. Retrieved 23 April 2012.
^ a b c d"1954 GRAN NATIONAL,GREAT FOOTAGE,ROYAL TAN WINS". YouTube. 9 August 2008. Retrieved 23 April 2012.