Shortened Grand National Course in 2016

[Grey]

Bring back the days when horses and jockeys used to get properly punished for their errors and the public was royally entertained.

 

[simmo]

Personally I am most amused that page 1 of this thread is blocked at my work due to being "offensive and tasteless". Grasshopper been at the grasshopper again?

 

[Grasshopper]

I've added my customary * to the term "Animal Welfare wa*nk-socks", simmo........see if that helps. :lol:

 

[Tanlic]

It is hardly that, reet.

The Nash is a unique enough test as it is. As I said, knocking 6 inches off the top of the fences seems to have laddered a lot of tights. I don't see the fuss myself.

Make a huge difference to the gallop and to the risk they take thinking "aint so bad".......they go way too fast to start and by halfway many tire and disaster...some escape some downt
...........Go look where most casualties occurred and why not just numbers......You want to be a rocket scientist study the entire rocket not just the nose

 

[Ricko]

This is a very interesting debate. Is there a record anywhere of the numbers of fatalities through the years at each fence?

 

[Cruella]

This is a very interesting debate. Is there a record anywhere of the numbers of fatalities through the years at each fence?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_equine_fatalities_in_the_Grand_National

 

[Ricko]

Thanks Cruella.

 

[simmo]

Fence by fence summary since 1950:

[TABLE="width: 256"]
<tbody>[TR]
[TD="width: 64, bgcolor: transparent"]Fence
[/TD]
[TD="width: 64, bgcolor: transparent"]Fatalities
[/TD]
[TD="width: 64, bgcolor: transparent"]Height
[/TD]
[TD="width: 64, bgcolor: transparent"][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="bgcolor: transparent"]1 & 17
[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: transparent, align: right"]2
[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: transparent"]4'6"
[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: transparent"][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="bgcolor: transparent"]2 & 18
[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: transparent, align: right"]1
[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: transparent"]4'7"
[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: transparent"][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="bgcolor: transparent"]3 & 19
[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: transparent, align: right"]3
[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: transparent"]4'10"
[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: transparent"][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="bgcolor: transparent"]4 & 20
[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: transparent, align: right"]7
[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: transparent"]4'10"
[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: transparent"][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="bgcolor: transparent"]6 & 22
[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: transparent, align: right"]11
[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: transparent"]5'0"
[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: transparent"]Bechers
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="bgcolor: transparent"]8 & 24
[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: transparent, align: right"]6
[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: transparent"]5'0"
[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: transparent"]Canal
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="bgcolor: transparent"]12 & 28
[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: transparent, align: right"]1
[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: transparent"]5'0"
[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: transparent"][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="bgcolor: transparent"]13 & 29
[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: transparent, align: right"]1
[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: transparent"]4'7"
[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: transparent"][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="bgcolor: transparent"]14 & 30
[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: transparent, align: right"]1
[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: transparent"]4'6"
[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: transparent"][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="bgcolor: transparent, align: right"]15
[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: transparent, align: right"]3
[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: transparent"]5'2"
[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: transparent"]Chair
[/TD]
[/TR]
</tbody>[/TABLE]

 

[Cruella]

So 15 fatalities in total across the 12 fences in the list under 5'0", and 20 at the 5 which are 5'0" are over.

Starting to make that 'bigger fences make the jockey jump it better' theory look a little misguided.

I imagine the reason Becher's is the worst fence for fatalities has more to do with the drop on the landing side than the height of the fence per se.

 

[simmo]

Probably worth further noting that the fence heights are the current heights, rather than the height at time of the fatalities - which will probably make them even higher.

 

[Diamond Geezer]

Some of the fences have brush through spruce on them , are those the heights to the top of the spruce or to the top of the harder birch (albeit replaced by more forgiving plastic birch these days) under them. ? It could be horses, having become used to brushing through them, were taken by surprise or became more careless and were caught out by the harder birch beneath them.

 

[chroniclandlord]

Most of you have decided to selectivity ignore this stat. There was a period in the early 2000's when were hearing about fatalities every year. It was leaving a very bad taste in my mouth. It's a small sample of races, but the measure they have brought in since seem to have helped and it has only increased my enjoyment of the race.

One of you mentioned Beechers Brook not being the great fence it was. Well 14 horses have been killed trying to jump that fence in the race so I'm quite happy it's no longer the fence it was.


If you really feel the national is now just another race, well then that's a great shame for you. Personally I think that's crazy talk. Its still the most anticipated race of the year for me and no less a spectacle really.

An excellent post. It would be difficult to argue with any of it.

 

[Grasshopper]

Make a huge difference to the gallop and to the risk they take thinking "aint so bad".......they go way too fast to start and by halfway many tire and disaster...some escape some downt
...........Go look where most casualties occurred and why not just numbers......You want to be a rocket scientist study the entire rocket not just the nose

The suggestion that smaller fences makes them go off too fast, get tired, and then die as a result, it is simply not borne-out by the facts.

Alt-truth has no place here. :lol: