Departures 2010

Yes, that was particularly beastly in that he'd finished a nice 3rd - not as if the horse had toiled desperately at the back and perhaps was already passing out. Horrid shock for the connections, having presumably yelled him home in some delight.
 
purr said:
Sadly no imagination required, it was there for all to see on ATR.
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If you can bear to watch the replay you can see that when the field went around the stricken horse you could see the horse try to raise his head and the jockey standing several feet away.

So the horse wasnt flayling away trying to stand up nor was the jockey standing WITH the horse - although he wasnt far away.

The screen should have been erected and the cameraman could have taken a tighter shot but I am sure that the course will be relooking at the way it handled the situation.

I remember a fall a couple of seasons back at somewhere like Taunton where at the final fence the horse fell and instantly broke its neck and the conditional on board was so distraught he was crying next to the horse as the camera followed the fight to the finish for the leaders. I think it was meant to be the horses last race and/or the jockeys first professional ride.

Falls happen and I have seen some shockers but its not put me off although its never a nice thing to see.
 
Yes, the horse's head was moving as was his tail end, though I have no desire to watch the replay.

Anyway I have had confirmation that there were vets at the scene quickly but that they moved away when the field approached for safety reasons. No reason for no screens though, but they are taking my comments on board.

And I remember now why I stopped posting here. First day I come back and there are sarky comments... *shoots back to the friendly forums*
 
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Bollocks, that was a cute wee horse. Christ, it's a daily feature - what is wrong? You'd think the ground was kind to falls.
 
purr said:
Yes, the horse's head was moving as was his tail end, though I have no desire to watch the replay.

Anyway I have had confirmation that there were vets at the scene quickly but that they moved away when the field approached for safety reasons. No reason for no screens though, but they are taking my comments on board.

And I remember now why I stopped posting here. First day I come back and there are sarky comments... *shoots back to the friendly forums*
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If you are going to make up the facts as you go along you should expect sarky comments.
 
I watched the race in full via ATR's replay tonight and the horse obviously - and as one would expect - tries to rise just after he's fallen. He doesn't 'writhe', he scrambles his legs trying to find his feet. He hasn't made it by the time the camera pans to follow the field, but nobody could assume he wasn't going to at that stage, in my 'umble opinion. We've seen horses with what turn out to be fatal shoulder injuries rise before - MENTMORE TOWERS comes to mind years ago, when Thommo gleefully announced, "she's all right, she's on her feet" - failing to notice that she was standing on three, not four.

On the second circuit (this is ATR - I don't know what others were watching), you can only see two-thirds of FIONNEGAS's torso (the tail end) and he's not moving a tap. That's why I thought he was dead and ought to have a tarpaulin over him, as I've seen another Irish track do with a dead 'un before. Not perhaps the best solution for viewers, but better than just a sprawled dead horse.

Anyway, I don't see any sarcasm on here - it's a discussion with varying points of view - quite literally, it seems. We can hope that screens will always be employed in future so that viewers aren't distressed, and so that whatever attentions are being paid can be done discreetly.
 
Well, I'm pleased to hear that the vets were actually in attendance and that questions are being asked about why the horse was not kept hidden from public view. I've lost many pets over the years, dogs, cats and my one and only pony, and it's always been important to me that they were treated with total respect throughout the whole process.
 
I wouldn't doubt for a moment that the vet would be attending. He might've been out of shot, but he'd check on any horse on the ground, regardless of a race in progress. Just as a doctor checks on any jockey on the ground, regardless of whether the field's still going.

I saw the doctor presenting his bill for our last Flat meeting at Lingfield: £481. Not sure what the £1 was for! For NH meetings, they double it, clearly expecting to be a lot busier. I imagine that vets follow suit, so they're definitely expected to do their job for that money.
 
According to a report on "The Golden Button Challenge" page on Facebook, World Wide Web, Golden Button Challenge winner under Eddie Ahern and formerly trained by Jonjo O'Neill, had to be put down when breaking a leg out hunting at the Ledbury's opening meet.
 
Tell Massini put down after falling at Newbury. Terrible news for the Tom George stable. A bit shocked I have to say, seeing as he got up.
 
The RP online reports that the vets tried hard to save him, but he'd sustained a life-ending back injury, in spite of getting up. Group 2 hurdler, won on his chasing debut, and this. I imagine the atmosphere of delight and hope at the stable feels like it's been hit with a baseball bat.

Shadz: bad news. In the case of severe injuries in the field, does the Master shoot the horse on the spot? I can't imagine how else you'd despatch a horse which might be miles out in open country or hunting through wooded terrain.
 
I was at Newbury today, awful about Massini, Tom George was devastated, and of course so were connections. Such a game and talented young horse, all gone in seconds. They did try to save him and thought they were making progress for awhile, but his back was broken. Tom is a good trainer and like so many smallish ones he does not often get such good horses. So sad, really marred the otherwise good win by 1833.
 
Very sad about Tell Massini, especially after he got up and walked away for a step or two before Paddy stopped him.

Kri, I've no idea, I've luckily not had to witness it.
 
And it's not over yet: the Wally Sturt-owned, Jim Old-trained 8 y.o. hurdler GALA EVENING was 'fatally injured' in the 1.35 at Newbury as a result of a slip on the flat, four out. It looked to some stable staff with whom I was watching the race that his pelvis might've gone, as he went wrong behind and was PU.
 
Yes, he owned Kempton when he ran there, didn't he? Lightly raced for his age, too.

It looked bad for Eoin Griffin's 9 y.o. gelding KEVCAT at Dundalk in the 9.00 p last night. PU with his near hindleg fixed, possibly gone at the hip or stifle. The RP doesn't say 'fatally injured', possibly because he'd be able to walk into the ambulance and be taken away for the vet to review, so their reporter wouldn't know the outcome. I can only hope it might've been a displaced stifle, but it's a sad end for an old-timer if not.
 
Very sad to hear about Gala Evening, as I'd started to follow horses in long distance flat handicaps over the past few years due to the fact that I could see my old favourites out each season and not have to worry too much about them during the race. Did feel that Me Voici was looking down on Diamond Harry yesterday, and that the win took some of the pain away from the stable.
 
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