Grand National changes show those in charge of racing have caved in – why won’t someone stick up for our sport?
HORSES have always died in the sport of horse racing.
That will never sit comfortably with anyone, but those of us who love the game believe we can justify the losses.
It appears those in charge of British racing, however, struggle to do so.
You don’t have to be intelligent to understand the pressures on a sport like horseracing in the modern era.
We all get it. Everyone can speak out publicly about anything these days, even when they have no understanding of what they are talking about.
You could certainly argue that Brexit proved that better than anything – a nation voting for something that no-one – not even the power brokers – understood.
As I have said, horses will always die racing.
When something dies from doing something that is not relevant to us, or something that we don’t comprehend, it’s very easy to speak out and say that isn’t acceptable.
In the world of horseracing, the most obvious way to cope with the fact that not all horses will always come home safe and sound from a race is the simple fact that none of them would have been born in the first place if the sport did not exist.
On top of that, there is the incredible life that most racehorses live, both while active in the sport and in their subsequent activities after retirement.
And away from the equine side of horse racing, I’d like to big up the huge fun and enjoyment the game gives millions of people.
To emphasise the close to 100,000 jobs that come about from this magnificent sport, and of course the revenue that it brings in for government.
So when we specifically look at the Grand National changes, I can only say that I’m left disappointed by our leaders.
Yes, we always need to consider improvements in safety. But tinkering has never worked before and won’t work now.
What is happening with the Grand National is exactly the same as what has happened with the whip rules.
Essentially, those in charge have caved in rather than stood up for the sport and, quite simply, there will come a time when there’s nothing more for them to chip away from.
If we continue on this path, one day, hopefully long in the future, the thoroughbred will be left with nowhere to race.
That will mark the end of one of the most beautiful breeds ever seen.
The current evolution of the Grand National dictates a belief that fatalities can be cut out in the Sport of Kings. They can’t.
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