Aintree Marred By Drunken Brawling On Ladies Day

MissAdventure

Two horses have died during Ladies Day at the Grand National Festival.

Both horses fell at jumps and were treated on the track, at Aintree Race Course in Liverpool.

Giovinco who was being ridden by Stephen Mulqueen, fell at the final fence of the Mildmay Novices' Chase just before 2pm, and required treatment on the track.

He was treated by vets for an extended time, but could not be saved from the injuries sustained in the fall.

Giovinco was trained by two-time Grand National winner Lucinda Russell, and was seven years old.

A second horse, Pikar, was killed when he broke his neck after a fall, campaign group Animal Aid said.

Pikar, ridden by Stephen Mulqueen and trained at Dan Skelton's yard, fell at the second last hurdle in the last race of the day.

www.horsedeathwatch.com

You’ve beaten me to it Iam64
A regular at Burghley Horse Trials I am equally irritated by the Hooray Henrys and Henriettas getting off their faces on the X Country day,even if they are in Rugby shirts and Barbours instead of skimpy dresses.
So no, it’s not to do with snobbery despite the inverted snobbish virtue signalling.
Just bad behaviour

As far as I'm concerned, anyone going along to be entertained by this is common.

What a total disgrace, regardless of how wealthy, or poor they are.

RosiesMaw I totally agree, been to numerous three day events (eventing daughter) bad behaviour is bad behaviour whoever is responsible 👏👏👏

Iam64

I enjoyed going to the three day event at Badminton. Fantastic horses with highly skilled riders. It was more Barber coats and Hunter wellies than stilettos and strapped frocks but plenty of entitled young men with Home Counties accents drinking excessively, throwing up and some of them goading the police presence

Yes, one could become inebriated or someone could get shit-faced, but it amounts to the same thing.

MissAdventure

As far as I'm concerned, anyone going along to be entertained by this is common.

What a total disgrace, regardless of how wealthy, or poor they are.

What do you mean?It’s a race course and yes, it’s very entertaining.

GrannyGravy13

RosiesMaw I totally agree, been to numerous three day events (eventing daughter) bad behaviour is bad behaviour whoever is responsible 👏👏👏

There’s always some at any sporting event, it’s true.

I think you’ll find that nearly 70 horses a year are killed by cars so should people be banned from hacking out? Imo the worst death for any horses is colic and that can happen to pretty much an horse any time. And the saddest of deaths is when a mare dies foaling. No idea how many horses die as a result of field accidents or even stable accidents when they get cast in their box, but I bet it’s a lot. The people who go racing to get drunk probably don’t care about the horses but all the race goers and people who work in racing that I know are heartbroken when a horse dies. As for the lads and lasses that look after them inconsolable doesn’t come close I recently literally spent three days crying because a favourite ex racer of mine died of pneumonia despite the best efforts of her vets over several weeks.

I'm sure that's a comfort to the dead horses.

Racing is a cruel industry.

It is.

RosiesMaw

You’ve beaten me to it Iam64
A regular at Burghley Horse Trials I am equally irritated by the Hooray Henrys and Henriettas getting off their faces on the X Country day,even if they are in Rugby shirts and Barbours instead of skimpy dresses.
So no, it’s not to do with snobbery despite the inverted snobbish virtue signalling.
Just *bad behaviour*

Yes!

MaizieD

So many people clutching their pearls as though there have never been brawls at a race meeting before, yet the OP says:

But then this kind of behavior has happened at Royal Ascot within sight of the late Queen.

There are hundreds of race meetings every year, some are big and well known, most are not. They all offer the same opportunities for drinking and brawling, but I doubt that any other incidents make the headlines, because they're not at prestigious/famous meetings.

So the world as we knew it hasn't come to an end.

But this thread has been a splendid opportunity for further displays of what I would describe as snobbery...

Lots of “normal” people enjoys horse racing, eventing and show jumping.

My husband has been going to the races for many years and I too often join him.

I used to attend Point to Point racing with my parents.

Whatever the “rights” and “wrongs” of horse related sporting competitions, it’s only latterly that large groups of young men and women have behaved in drunken brawling manner and it really is not acceptable behaviour.

whatever the rights and wrongs of horse related sporting competitions, it’s only latterly that large groups of young men and women have behaved in drunken brawling manner and it really is not acceptable behaviour

I haven’t seen research evidence on this but it seems true to me. I’m not tea total, enjoy a drink and festivity but - as a country we do seem to have a problem with Some People (them again) drinking to real excess then behaving badly. When I go away to Greece or Spain for example, I’d avoid the areas dominated by British tourists .

Germanshepherdsmum

Racing is a cruel industry.

Totally agree. It is an appalling industry GSM. Animals should not be put in danger of death or to line people's pockets. The real savagery is on the race track. The spectators have a choice. I would question anyone (whether they are brawling or not) who seeks out this form of entertainment.

The cruelty also happens behind the scenes. Many of us will have seen undercover footage of horses being kicked and punched.

Kate1949

I'll get the socks.

👍

I was brought (dragged) up to believe that anyone who uses the word 'common' to mean low class rather than not unusual was definitely not from the cultured middle class. Being common myself, in the proper sense of the word, I try (but don't always succeed) to use the English language as precisely as possible. I find the fact that race horses die and are injured every year far more shocking than the antics of a load of uncultured plebs.

Completely agree

I also love red shoes. I once had a friend who said every woman should own a pair.

I've just recommended using hairspray to zap fruitflies so technically I don't love all animals .
If I did : I'd join a Jain sect .
I loved anything equestrian all my life , but now I'm more aware of racing horse
deaths . I've wanted the jumps modified at Aintree and other courses .
But having looked at the websites - the situation is far worse than I thought .
So many are maimed and put down at the racecourse and more are killed in training .
We don't eat horse meat in this country , but they do abroad .
And that's where so many end up and at a tender age .

People only breed horses to make money . People only train horses to make money . People only ride in races to make money. People only follow racing to bet on horses intending to make money. People work with horses obviously have to like them but do it to earn money. Without the racing there would be far fewer horses. Don’t horses damage the land they graze on. But it’s all about money.

Without the racing there would be far fewer horses
Don’t horses damage the land they graze on.

If all the horses were left free to run wild they would breed more and eat more grass