Some goodish news for us on OPENIDE. I couldn't stand the suspense any longer, and left a message on Brendan's mobile's Voicemail. He's just got back to me, fielding some 85 calls of concern re the darling horse, including a man from Australia and a woman from France. He says he's got OPENIDE back home, in no pain, where they're both very happy to return. Says it's too early for a long-term prognosis on him running again, but will update later on. Thanks everyone for their concern - very much appreciated.
Departures 2010
- Thread starter Aldaniti
- Start date
Soba
At the Start
Oh you star Krizon! That's so good to know he's home again, as long as he's still with us and comfy I don't care if he races ever again. Just delighted to know he is okay and what a lovely fella Brendan is to let you know, also nice to hear from him about all those other calls. Sounds like they are both highly thought of. 
My pleasure, Soba. Just couldn't stand the not knowing any longer! Sadly, we've just lost FUTURE VISION in a catastrophic hurdle race at Newton Abbot - off-hind clearly snapped. There's been a total balls-up with flagmen waving wildly at the oncomers on the next circuit, supposedly to 'alert' them to a football pitch-sized screen around him (and Tony Ennis is implying a second horse), which, if the jocks hadn't noted it - and it was well clear of the second-last hurdle, anyway - they shouldn't be in charge of their underpants, let alone galloping horses.
GASPARA, gasping gallantly out front, was sent round the hurdle by Danny Cook, as were a couple of others. There were some wtf? moments from other jockeys, causing the flying fall of one of them which looked awful. Poor GASPARA went on to win, although Cook told the stews he was actually PU, and has lost the race to the 'second'. An absolute balls-up, shambloodybolic.
GASPARA, gasping gallantly out front, was sent round the hurdle by Danny Cook, as were a couple of others. There were some wtf? moments from other jockeys, causing the flying fall of one of them which looked awful. Poor GASPARA went on to win, although Cook told the stews he was actually PU, and has lost the race to the 'second'. An absolute balls-up, shambloodybolic.
Isinglass
At the Start
Thanks Krizon for finding out about Openide. I don't know Brendan and did not want to bother him as knew he was in ireland, but great to know at least the horse is home. Fingers crossed he will be okay, he is a kind of loal hero round here. :<3:
Harbinger
At the Start
- Joined
- Mar 22, 2004
- Messages
- 11,282
I have said for a very long time - years - that racing should be far more transparent about horse deaths, but I got criticised for having a morbid curiosity in the subject, that it depressed people, and even that it had no place in a RACING forum. With forum attitudes like that, from people who hope to make money out of horses, even if they don't give jack-shit about them or their welfare, then one doesn't even need Animal Aid to criticise racing's attitude. Racing, or many or even most of its adherents, pure punters or whatever the interest, manages to kick itself in the balls quite adequately on the issue.
The BHA should stop being coy and refer inquirers to the database that Sara (Headstrong) said it was compiling, albeit with a view to providing that to people researching (Di Arbuthnot was one, she said) the reasons for fatalities and the type of fatalities incurred.
There is also a lot of money put into university research projects by the Levy Board (at least it does this much for the sport/industry/business) as to how best to treat fractures and how to improve horses' health, particularly in bone density, etc. The BHA never refers to these sort of things publicly - one has to be 'on the inside' to even know such work goes on. Why? Why would one have to be an owner, trainer, or breeder to be privy to this information?
The BHA - never mind the idiotic Racing for Change, which appears to be aiming at 3 year-olds - ought to have a far more extensive website where it provides links to information which should be usable by any person, let alone a researcher.
By keeping my own tallies over the years, I've found some of Animal Aid's previous pronouncements well over the top, but overall, yes, far too many horses are getting killed on a regular basis. Right now, we can say the average is one a day in jumps racing, with an annual tally anywhere up to the 300+ mark drawn from both codes. We can say that out of 17,000+ horses in training that that's not a really bad ratio. On the other hand, with every angle of every fall pretty much visible on television nowadays, showing almost every dangling broken leg or fallen horse twitching on the ground - racing does need to ask itself why it allows all of its races to be televised (I know the answer - thousands in picture rights per race) - and yet becomes furtive or worse, high-handed and arch, when serious questions are asked about the mortality rate.
Racing for Change will have to counter its gooey soft-centre approach, with giant numbercloths for the terminally myopic (what next? Stick-on numbers on the horses' bums?) and any amount of trivial footling, and be open and honest. Yes, racing horses does incur deaths. It occasionally kills riders, too, although not on the scale of eventing, where that sport continues to flourish and be enjoyed by thousands, in spite of its human death rate.
Compared to pet owning, where tens of thousands of creatures are euthanized every year because they've been overbred, abandoned, or rescued from appalling treatment too late, racing's annual fatalities pale into insignificance, but as they're so available to see, unlike the terminal suffering of 'homed' animals, they do make the sport look brutal and the BHA's determination to not face questioning makes it look cold-hearted, too. The 'change' in Racing for Change needs to come from within, and NOW, on this subject.
The BHA should stop being coy and refer inquirers to the database that Sara (Headstrong) said it was compiling, albeit with a view to providing that to people researching (Di Arbuthnot was one, she said) the reasons for fatalities and the type of fatalities incurred.
There is also a lot of money put into university research projects by the Levy Board (at least it does this much for the sport/industry/business) as to how best to treat fractures and how to improve horses' health, particularly in bone density, etc. The BHA never refers to these sort of things publicly - one has to be 'on the inside' to even know such work goes on. Why? Why would one have to be an owner, trainer, or breeder to be privy to this information?
The BHA - never mind the idiotic Racing for Change, which appears to be aiming at 3 year-olds - ought to have a far more extensive website where it provides links to information which should be usable by any person, let alone a researcher.
By keeping my own tallies over the years, I've found some of Animal Aid's previous pronouncements well over the top, but overall, yes, far too many horses are getting killed on a regular basis. Right now, we can say the average is one a day in jumps racing, with an annual tally anywhere up to the 300+ mark drawn from both codes. We can say that out of 17,000+ horses in training that that's not a really bad ratio. On the other hand, with every angle of every fall pretty much visible on television nowadays, showing almost every dangling broken leg or fallen horse twitching on the ground - racing does need to ask itself why it allows all of its races to be televised (I know the answer - thousands in picture rights per race) - and yet becomes furtive or worse, high-handed and arch, when serious questions are asked about the mortality rate.
Racing for Change will have to counter its gooey soft-centre approach, with giant numbercloths for the terminally myopic (what next? Stick-on numbers on the horses' bums?) and any amount of trivial footling, and be open and honest. Yes, racing horses does incur deaths. It occasionally kills riders, too, although not on the scale of eventing, where that sport continues to flourish and be enjoyed by thousands, in spite of its human death rate.
Compared to pet owning, where tens of thousands of creatures are euthanized every year because they've been overbred, abandoned, or rescued from appalling treatment too late, racing's annual fatalities pale into insignificance, but as they're so available to see, unlike the terminal suffering of 'homed' animals, they do make the sport look brutal and the BHA's determination to not face questioning makes it look cold-hearted, too. The 'change' in Racing for Change needs to come from within, and NOW, on this subject.
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Isinglass
At the Start
Shame, brave horse. Damn. 
Just saw the finish of the race on RP review of the day then came here to check Mid Valley's well being. The presenter made no mention of Mid Valley's death bar saying how the result might have been different had he not fallen at the second last. Poor show.
Hi, bloodnok - in fairness to ATR, Tony Ennis did announce that there had been a fatal outcome to the horse's fall one or two races later in the day, because I'd only just started tuning in and heard the horse's name. I hadn't seen the race but when I looked thru the RP online tonight, it does have it down as a fatality. I still think the wrap's the best place, at the end of the fixture, to tell us how fallen jockeys and horses are, even if we've had an idea throughout the day (you can see the jockey getting up, or the horse ditto). At least then none of us are left wondering wtf?
What seems extra sad is that the horse was priced at 33-1, making his effort seem even more gallant, literally against the odds, bless.
What seems extra sad is that the horse was priced at 33-1, making his effort seem even more gallant, literally against the odds, bless.
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Did Noel Meade's SKY HALL (Nina up) survive his last fence fall into the rails in Punchestown's Saturday 5.35 hurdle race? I've just seen the replay and it didn't look good. Also surprised, pleasingly, that the other crunchers taken during the day didn't seem to affect horses or riders.
Diminuendo
At the Start
My dear friend Sporazene.
Has he been pts now? We were informed elsewhere he was suffering from a brain tumour, but that news wasn't going to be made public until a decision had been made. I'd say our dear friend - I can't think of anyone who didn't love the horse.
Isinglass
At the Start
Terrible way for him to go, hope he did not suffer, was such a bonny horse and loved life. Very unfair.
Soba
At the Start
Ach no.... I didn't know he was ill Dims, then again how do you even bring that up in a conversation with folks. How berluddy awful for all concerned. Such a lovely horse to have had around the NH game and such a damn shame he has gone the way he has.
That is one hell of a punch in the guts hearing that.
Diminuendo
At the Start
Soba
At the Start
I loved the photo of the upturned wheelbarrow you took Dims and him standing there looking at you with a face of pure innocence. Had to love him.
Diminuendo
At the Start
That was a funny moment. He was special and he knew it.
I'd stupidly left ATR on after wanting to watch RIGOUR BACK BOB (won his hurdle) and have just seen RAISE YOUR HEART crash and come home following the field in the Beginners' Chase with his off-fore dangling. Jesus Aitch. Lovely horse, favourite, just gone at the second last and now gone forever. Not too sure about Nina's horse, contesting Bob, who also fell very nastily, twisting on his neck.
ATR just announcing that CENTIGRADE collapsed and died following his race at Windsor this afternoon.
ATR just announcing that CENTIGRADE collapsed and died following his race at Windsor this afternoon.
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Grand horse with a good future I'd earmarked for him, Gal. RP doesn't say that MEATH ALL STAR was injured, so hopefully he and Nina were fine. Quite a lot of penultimate/last hurdle/fence falls today from horses well in contention at Down Royal and Limerick. I'd vowed to stop watching chasing but it was difficult today, with a mixed lot from Windsor and the Curragh, to not see some of it. I'd particularly wanted to see weeny RIGOUR BACK BOB again, and then when I saw RYH was also running, snuck a peek and wished I hadn't.
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