Animal Rising have begun a petition to cancel the Grand National after their attempts to disrupt the race at Aintree.
The UK's most watched race has attracted attention from animals right protesters, who attempted to get onto the racecourse as they clashed with police shortly before the scheduled start time of 5.15pm. It led to the race being delayed and the protest group, who had signalled their intent to disrupt the steeplechase, have now begun a petition to get the race cancelled.
Individuals attempted to scale fences to get onto the racecourse, with some being successful before police intervened and had to drag them off. Several arrests have been made with the group highlighting their concerns with a statement alongside their petition.
It read: "As a society, most of us would proudly consider ourselves to be animal lovers. But there are industries that exist and thrive in the UK today that are not displaying this love for animals, and in fact are causing many of them unnecessary and prolonged suffering.
"Horses forced to compete in events such as the Grand National are made to endure repeated whipping and run in dangerous, 'high-risk' events where they may face injury or death. Since 2000, 55 horses have died at the Aintree racecourse, including 15 from the Grand National itself.
"Despite this, research has shown that the majority of attendees of horseracing events like the Grand National are primarily motivated by the social aspect of the event, rather than anything to do with the races themselves. This means that horses are forced to suffer and risk their lives for a part of the event that most attendees are at best indifferent to. These beautiful animals are simply suffering for tradition - and for the gambling industry.
"This is unacceptable. Horses, like all animals, have the capacity to feel joy and pain much like we do and should not be forced to partake in dangerous events against their will. We have an opportunity to come together and build a society that is kind to animals, that considers their pain and their needs, rather than exploiting them for entertainment or food.
"As a society, we are becoming more and more aware of the horrors of horse racing, and of the potential for a brighter, kinder future. We have the power to end cruel horse racing in the UK forever - please help us make this happen."
Lucinda Russell, who trained the favourite and winner Corach Rambler, said: "It is a real pain in the neck. Are the protestors doing it for themselves or for the horses? If they are doing it for the horses then they have got to understand that they are compromising their welfare just now. We can take them back keep them safe and keep them cool, but really it all seems a bit pointless."
