The Gordy Elliott Horror Picture Show

barjon said:
... and moving to artificial surfaces (gulp) to avoid atrocious and/or damaging ground conditions.
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They tried this when AW started (Southwell, maybe?) but it didn't last, I think because of injuries caused by the physical forces of landing after jumping.

Happy to stand corrected re the reason.

Maybe the science could come up with a solution all these years later.

They jump predominantly on hard ground in USA, don't they?
 
It definitely happened at Southwell ( my first time racing was an overnight there with three runners - hated it [emoji1787]) I think it did at lingfield as well, but I don’t remember. There were a lot of fatalities though, which is why it stopped.

Jumping on AW will struggle to be safe I think - though if it’s worse than some of the appalling ground that gets served up in some places would be an interesting comparison.


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reet hard said:
AW jumping didn't work last time, and they're unlikely to provide a safe surface in the forseeable, either.
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Well, the indoor showjumping arenas aren’t grass and I think in that recent video Henrietta Knight was loose schooling on dirt. If forced, it wouldn’t be long before they came up with something.
 
Euronymous said:
They really need to put some effort into not calling it a whip.
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** ESSAY ALERT** (especially for Slim & Co :))**

I reckon it would need to be a newly-conceived word with no historical or sociological nuances but even then it wouldn't take long for reality to hit (pun intended).

We already have several euphemisms:

Stick
Shillelagh
Persuader

As a retired teacher, I started during what became the controversial period of the use of corporal punishment that led to its abolition.

My mother called it 'the strap'. My generation called it 'the belt'. Everybody knew what it was.

If we'd started calling it 'the tawse', its official name, it might have lasted slightly longer with most people ignorant of the term but I reckon if kids started going home and telling their parents they 'got the tawse today' it wouldn't have been long before it took on all the same sinister mood.

The whip will probably have to go. I think the days of people arguing that it's needed as a 'corrector' or 'steering aid' are limited.

Here in Scotland the (__________) (fill in your own adjective(s)) government made it illegal for parents to smack kids. At the time it was (I have no idea if it still is) still legal in England.

We started joking about it in our family. The kids were grown up enough by then for smacking not to be an issue but we used to talk about threatening to take them to Carlisle. They found that very funny and we still use it when we hear about misbehaving children, as in "Yon wee scunner needs takin' tae Carlisle!"

Sadly there is no scope for humour in today's sanitised, hypocritical, politically-correct cess-pit.
 
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barjon said:
Well, the indoor showjumping arenas aren’t grass and I think in that recent video Henrietta Knight was loose schooling on dirt. If forced, it wouldn’t be long before they came up with something.
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But they aren't nearly the size of the smallest racetrack, BJ.
Seem to recall it was the subsurface that caused most of the injuries the last time, and it'd need to be pretty deep down to cushion the impact of a half-ton horse landing on it;essentially on one leg.
 
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trudij said:
Slightly harsh [emoji1787]

God,
Just imagine though - “ XYZ has been banned - take over the yard of mostly superstars for six months and have a
great time” it’s a dream!

Think of the handicap marks they could be on next
Season.......
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Aahh, Trudij, a kindred spirit at last...

:lol:
 
I can see an argument for whips being banned in flat racing because the horses are all so immature. By the same token, I don't believe that 8 strokes of the latest racing whips can do much or any damage to the more mature NH horses and they are a valuable tool in that discipline. Maybe the solution is for the jockey to be given the same number of strokes post race as he has used on the horse during the race.
 
I’d rather see them abolish 2 year old races if I’m honest - and keep the whip but have the rule same as the hands and heels series.


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HawkWing said:
If it has taken 30 years to get to here, I think we will be ok. I would think that there is a world of difference regarding the average thoroughbred's welfare in 2021, compared to 1989.
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Social media has changed everything, not necessarily for the better.
Rapid response has a whole new meaning.
New wealthy are emillionaires for the most part; their wealth and means of income is less tangible than say land,property,oil .
Bad press/social comment can wipe a huge amount of that wealth/income in minutes.
How many will be willing to risk the bad publicity of an equine injury/fatality/cruelty association in this new world.
Brough Scott did not see this coming no more than I did; the World has changed and change is accelerating.
Add in Global Warming and the possible effects post 2030 and who knows what might happen.
 
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Frankel said:
Nooooooo!
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[emoji1787][emoji1787] which part was that to? Public perception of racing will be made 100% better if we don’t race 2 year olds. They think we take something akin to a day old foal and slap a saddle and bridle on it one day, then race it the next.


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HawkWing said:
Think 'crop' is the term used in Australia.
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cant say I have ever heard them using it on racing.com which I watch most days
A term often heard in the Scottish borders at the likes of shows hunting and the common riding........its not as long as a racing whip
 
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edgt said:
Social media has changed everything, not necessarily for the better.
Rapid response has a whole new meaning.
New wealthy are emillionaires for the most part; their wealth and means of income is less tangible than say land,property,oil .
Bad press/social comment can wipe a huge amount of that wealth/income in minutes.
How many will be willing to risk the bad publicity of an equine injury/fatality/cruelty association in this new world.
Brough Scott did not see this coming no more than I did; the World has changed and change is accelerating.
Add in Global Warming and the possible effects post 2030 and who knows what might happen.
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Crowds will return racing and festivals will continue to grow.

Its not just a sport, a full industry too with 25k working within it in Ireland.

Economics rather than ethics alone will keep racing alive
 
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trudij said:
[emoji1787][emoji1787] which part was that to? Public perception of racing will be made 100% better if we don’t race 2 year olds. They think we take something akin to a day old foal and slap a saddle and bridle on it one day, then race it the next.


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Imagine if we were denied seeing that maiden at Newmarket on August 13th 2010.
Being denied seeing the Frank Whittle or the beast in the Royal Lodge in 2010! :ninja:

Nooooooooo!
 
I think the biggest scandal this week is someone with the name Frankel winning part of the NH Ante Post Competition :lol:
 
Frankel said:
Imagine if we were denied seeing that maiden at Newmarket on August 13th 2010.
Being denied seeing the Frank Whittle or the beast in the Royal Lodge in 2010! :ninja:

Nooooooooo!
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Yes and no.

Some people are of the view that we should do away with 2yo racing and run the classics for 4yos.

That way, we'd have seen some colossal 3yo performances from Frankel and he'd still have won the Guineas a year later. They might even have been tempted to run him in the Derby as he would have been more mature.
 
Desert Orchid said:
Yes and no.

Some people are of the view that we should do away with 2yo racing and run the classics for 4yos.

That way, we'd have seen some colossal 3yo performances from Frankel and he'd still have won the Guineas a year later. They might even have been tempted to run him in the Derby as he would have been more mature.
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What about the precocious 2yr olds?

I get the argument on allowing them to mature, but this would be changing the whole fabric of the game.

Anyway, all this elite code talk will have us both carried to the tower!:whistle:
 
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