The Grand National horse race in England has been heavily criticised after two horses had to be put down this weekend. They were euthanised because they each broke a leg after falling after a fence jump. The event’s winning horse’s trainer, Paul Nicholls, had the following to say: “there are risks and we all try to minimise them – a lot of people need to grow up, and realise that it is life”.

The first horse, Gold Cup winner Synchronised, threw its rider before poignantly galloping alone in front of the grandstand ahead of the race on Saturday. It was eventually retrieved by officials and reunited with its jockey Tony McCoy at the start. However, it was to die in the race a few minutes later after it fell twice. After falling the first time, the nine-year-old carried on racing riderless for a further five fences before falling again and breaking a hind leg. The decision was then made to put the horse down by lethal injection beside the track where it fell.

Another horse met the same grim fate, leading to angry calls for the Aintree event – first run in 1839 – to be made safer. The RSPCA called for an “urgent examination” and said it had serious concerns about the high number of horses included in the race, as well as the difficulty of some jumps.

See video footage of both events below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0ePpo8vwc4

And here are some clearer photo’s of the incidents:

[Source: Daily Mail]