Horse goes into the lake at Kempton

Gamla Stan

Gamla Stan

At the Start
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Anybody see the build up to the 7.20 Kempton? Blue Warrior had been hard to load and went into the stalls with a blindfold on, he dived through his stall and forced it to open, dived through the rails and fell into the lake all with the blindfold on. Luckily he's ok and didn't seem bothered by it afterwards so we can laugh! Amazing scenes though, never seen anything like it.
 
He almost ran straight into the car parked alongside the rail which really would have been nasty.

I seem to recall there was a horse that was killed at Newton Abbot a few years ago in an incident of that kind.

Apart from decorative reasons is there any justification in having a lake there anyway,does it really serve any purpose?
 
Good shout Grey although I wouldn't have thought that there would be much of that going on at Kempton as all the turf meets would be during the winter when watering isn't needed.
 
I remember seeing a horse go into the starters car at Ripon once, the horse was fine but the car would have needed some work afterwards!
 
Sadly the top class filly Niche wasn't so fine when she ran into a van at Hannon's in 1993
 
Several horses have fallen into lakes on courses, I don't remember any fatalities though I expect there have been some*. A couple have fallen in the river at Windsor in the past. I was driving to the races at Plumpton with a trainer a few months back, with someone else, and they were going over some hair-raising incidents (inc horses at Plumpton ont he level crossing and the station platform)

Racecourse carparks in the infield are imo quite a hazard. Lord Atterbury ran into the infield cp at Aintree after his fall (or dive, as I always maintain! ) at the first in the GN a few years ago, and badly injured himself, iirc on a range rover.

* I do now remember hearing that one very decent horse drowned after falling into a lake as he'd been tubed, and the water of course went down the 'ole, poor boy
 
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I don't know, the lengths (get it) horses will go to not to be associated with Robert Winston nowadays is getting a bit extreme.
 
Flame said:
I don't know, the lengths (get it) horses will go to not to be associated with Robert Winston nowadays is getting a bit extreme.
Click to expand...

:lol:

The horse probably enjoyed the experience more than he would have enjoyed the race. Robert Winston riding in a maiden... :ninja:
 
Was watching this live and the worst thoughts went through my head a horse swimming in that tempreature of water in the pitch black with a blindfold on, you just have to thank the racetech lads for their quick thinking as the red ring they through around the horse's neck as it had its front legs stuck in the bank was vital in saving him. Really heart warming stuff seeing him trott out like nothings happend, a true warrior!
 
There was a very nasty incident at a Point-to-Point at Eyton-on-Severn last season where a loose horse ran off the course, jumped over a wooden fence and plummeted straight into the River Severn. The poor creature was washed away by the current and the body was finally recovered ten miles downstream.
 
A horrific incident and the horse was lucky to escape with nothing more than a few minor cuts.
 
From Sporting Life

kempton-water_1843247.jpg

Kempton - will have a jet ski moored in the water

KEMPTON REACT TO WARRIOR AFFAIR

A jet ski will be moored in Kempton Park's lake following this month's incident when a horse had to be rescued after breaking through the running rails and ending up in the water.
The move was announced following a safety review led by the racecourse's managing director Amy Starkey.
The John Best-trained Blue Warrior sustained only minor cuts as a result of his impromptu dip during the all-weather fixture on January 14.
He was coaxed from the lake by stalls handlers and ground-staff carrying ropes and life-buoy rings.
A new rail will be erected along the perimeter of the lake that is adjacent to the racetrack.
A jet ski will also be purchased and moored in the water.
"The most suitable craft will be identified and it should be in place by the end of February," said Starkey.
"In the event of a similar incident - as well as the new rail being a deterrent to a horse entering the water - the jet ski will make it easier for the staff to assist an animal."
 
I heard from the vet that works at the course that it was going to be a rowing boat.:blink: I am not sure that a jet ski is a serious suggestion or not? It just seems a ludiucrous idea to me.
 
Watch out for a new TV series, Pondwatch, in which assorted lifeguards and babes lie around on the Kempton infield complaining that they have nothing to do since they're not allowed use the jet ski during racing.
 
Definitely! Unless they think the sound of it will encourage it to bolt out of the lake? What are these people thinking of. It's not April the 1st is it?:confused:
 
Thanks for posting that Granger

The horse was in the water for a good 5-6 minutes which may not have been the case had he not had the blindfold on. He must have been terrified. It was clearly a freak incident but I am really not sure what use a jetski is going to be. Will it be the responsibility of the stores handlers to jump on the jet ski to assist a stricken horse in the lake or will they employ someone for every meeting to sit by the lake... just in case. :confused: Health and safety would probably have a field day with this.
 
The biggest danger of having a boat moored on the lake is going to be the propellers; the horses cannot see them and don't know they are there which could lead to horrific accidents if tangled up or running into them.

Short of using a rowing boat (yep, since that'll manage to catch up with a horse and not be in danger of capsizing!!) I can't see that anything other than a jetski would be worth using.
 
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