Having waited since 2019 to watch the Grand National in person, it was certainly worth it for racegoers who were treated to a nail-biting race that saw 50-1 outsider Noble Yeats storm to victory. Amateur rider Sam Waley-Cohen bowed out from the saddle with a bang as he triumphed in his last ever race.
However, while viewers were witness to a spectacle of racing, there were also concerns raised about the wellbeing of the horses who fell during the event. The famous steeplechase came on a day of tragedy at Aintree which had already seen one racehorse die.
There were then concerning scenes during the National as green screens were installed around Eclair Surf, who fell at the third fence. Riders were diverted around the jump on the second circuit while the horse and jockey were attended to. Eclair Surf has since died from those injuries, his trainer Emma Lavelle confirmed.
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Another horse Discorama has also died, having been put to sleep after sustaining an "untreatable" injury amid a fall at fence 13. The news was confirmed by trainer Paul Nolan, marking the third Grand National Festival death this year.
Two horses died prior to the main race event. There were distressing scenes at Aintree on Saturday when, hours before the main event, Elle Est Belle suffered a suspected heart attack as she finished fourth in the novices hurdle. Solwara One, ridden by jockey Sam Twiston-Davies, had become the first fatality of this year's race week on Friday.
The RSCPA has condemned the deaths, saying that "the death of any horse is always one too many", while animal rights activists and campaign groups have long called for stricter safety measures to be introduced within horse racing. These calls have been intensified following the recent Cheltenham Festival, where four horses lost their lives in just four days.
Since the first Grand National in 1839, 86 horses have died during the race itself, with nearly half of these deaths taking place between 2000 and 2012. Last year, The Long Mile had to be put down during the main race having suffered an injury while running on the flat course, two years after Up for Review lost his life at Aintree.
At Aintree alone, 55 horses have died since 2000, including 15 during the Grand National itself, while in 2021 there were 200 horse fatalities across Britain. Two horses - Solwara One and Elle Est Belle - have died at the 2022 Festival. While modern steeplechase races have an average of just over four equine fatalities for every 1,000 horses taking part, the National had seven fatalities out of 439 horses taking part between 2000 and 2010. Since changes to the course were introduced in 2012, there have been four deaths during the iconic steeplechase. You can read the full statistics about the number of horses that have sadly died at the festival over the years here.
Chris Luffingham, director of external affairs at the League, said: “Enough is enough. Animal welfare should be at the heart of horse racing and much tighter safety measures need to be implemented – the first step is to create a new independent regulatory body which focuses purely on the welfare of the horses. The use of the whip in the sport should be banned as it is forcing horses to go beyond what they are able to cope with and results in stress, injuries and deaths. The lives of horses are being sacrificed for ‘entertainment’ and gambling.”
Meanwhile, Animal Aid’s horse racing campaigner, Jade Emery, called for the event to be banned, adding: "If a horse’s life is worthless to the racing industry, as we have seen every year at the Grand National meeting, then the industry itself is devoid of morals. It’s time to challenge the acceptance of this race meeting, and the associated deaths, and see it banned from taking place."
