Aintree ‘shames British racing’ with horse death says animal rights organisation

Envoye Special was put down after running loose and falling during the Foxhunters’ Chase

Aintree have been accused of “shaming British racing” after the death of a horse at the Grand National meeting this week.

Envoye Special was put down after unseating jockey James King, running loose and falling on the Grand National course during the Foxhunters’ Chase on Thursday.

The Keiran Burke-trained nine-year-old brought the total of horse fatalities at the three-day Grand National meeting to 60 since the year 2000, with four dying last year, including two that were injured in the Grand National itself - the meeting’s showpiece race on Saturday afternoon.

Animal Aid - an animal rights organisation that campaigns against animal abuse - have condemned Aintree and horse racing as a whole for the continued deaths in the sport.

“Aintree continues to be a prolific killer of horses – it adds horses to a never-ending list of deaths that shames British racing,” said Animal Aid’s Horse Racing Consultant, Dene Stansall.

“The racing industry as a whole, including the British Horseracing Authority, the owners, the trainers and the jockeys are responsible for upholding this cruelty – they know the risks, yet they continue to gamble on horses’ lives.”

Animal Aid have calculated that, since 2001, over 3,000 horses have been killed in jump races alone and an offshoot of protest group Extinction Rebellion called Animal Rising have outlined their plans to disrupt the Grand National on Saturday in protest.

Famous Clermont ultimately won the Foxhunters’ Chase, which is for amateur jockeys and takes place over the Grand National fences, and the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) expressed their regret at the death.

A BHA spokesperson said: “Our thoughts are with everyone connected to Envoye Special.

“No one will be more affected by this news than the trainer, owner and stable staff who have provided the horse with first-class care throughout his life.

“Following his fall he was attended immediately by one of the 13 veterinary surgeons on site, but the nature of the injury meant that, sadly, the horse had to be humanely put down.”