Big Grand National changes to improve racehorse welfare
The Jockey Club's CEO says these are part of their "relentless focus on welfare"
Big changes have been made to the Grand National with the aim of improving the welfare of racehorses.
From the next event in 2024:
- The maximum number of runners will be reduced from 40 to 34 to reduce the risk of incidents during the race.
- The first fence will be moved 60 yards closer to stop the horses from building up too much speed too early.
- The race start will be brought forward to make sure the ground conditions are as suitable as possible.
A host of infrastructure improvements will also be made, including:
- Altering the alignment of the running rail on the inside of the course to help with the early capture of loose horses
- Reducing the height of Fence 11 by two inches on take-off side, with some 'levelling off' on landing side to reduce the height of the drop
- Introducing foam and rubber toe boards on every fence
- More investment in pop-up irrigation to allow for more effective watering of the course
- Widening the walkways in the paddock
These follows changes made since 2012, which include modifying every fence, levelling off areas to reduce the landing side drop, and introducing a fully equipped cooling and washdown area post-race for the horses.
One horse died at the 2023 Grand National after suffering a fatal injury at the first fence.
Nevin Truesdale, Chief Executive of The Jockey Club, said:
"The Randox Grand National is the most iconic race in the world and one which transcends our sport. It is part of the fabric of British sporting life alongside the likes of Wimbledon, the FA Cup and the Open golf and is loved and watched by millions of people all over the world every year. For many it is also their introduction to horseracing and I believe that a competitive, fair and safe Randox Grand National is one of the best ways of ensuring the sport continues to thrive for generations to come and remains an important part of Britain’s culture and economy.
"That means our sport, like many other sports have done, needs to recognise when action needs to be taken to evolve because the safety and care of horses and jockeys will always be our number one priority. In making these changes at Aintree we are underlining our relentless focus on welfare and our commitment to powering the future of British racing."
Sulekha Varma, The Jockey Club's North West Head of Racing and Clerk of the Course at Aintree, said:
“The welfare of our racehorses and jockeys is our number one priority at Aintree and we have invested significantly in equine welfare over many years. We continually review the Grand National and following an in-depth, evidence-based review process this year, we are announcing several changes as part of its continued evolution.
"Reducing the field by too great a number could create a faster race"
"One of our key areas of focus is reducing the risk of incidents during the race. We know from research papers and internal analysis of jump races that there is a direct correlation between the number of runners and the risk of falling, unseating or being brought down. However, we also must consider that reducing the field size by too great a number could create a faster race and have an adverse impact in terms of safety. Using the information available to us and considering the experiences of participants, our conclusion is that 34 should be the maximum number of runners in the race which we hope will result in the least number of incidents.
"Another key area of our focus was addressing the start of the race and implementing change to slow down its earliest stages. Relocating the first fence will reduce the opportunity to build up too much speed on the approach and re-introducing the standing start should also help to reduce speed.
"We also considered the start time of the race, which was traditionally much earlier in the afternoon but changed to 5.15pm in 2016. While this has helped build excitement among the crowd throughout the afternoon, it has proved challenging in managing the ground. Returning to an earlier race time was recommended by both the BHA Executive and Horse Welfare Board in their feedback.
"The benefits and relevance of the pre-race parade of horses in front of the grandstand was also brought into question. We hope that allowing jockeys to canter their horses in front of the stands at their own pace will help create a calmer environment during the build-up to the race."
Retired jockey Ruby Walsh, who rode two Grand National winners, said:
"The Grand National is the showcase event for a sport I love dearly. It’s iconic and I don’t think you can overstate how important the Grand National is – it’s a Saturday in April when non-racing people watch our sport. People enjoy it and it’s up to us in racing to make sure that they continue to enjoy it.
"I think these changes represent the evolution of the Grand National. The world is ever-changing and the Grand National and indeed horseracing, like any other sport, has to be prepared to change. Risk can never be removed but you have to try and minimise it.
"Horse welfare is a huge part of horseracing – it’s a team sport between horse and rider and we are responsible for the welfare of the horse. I think the changes announced today by The Jockey Club will enhance the Grand National as a horse race and help to ensure its future.
"I would say the biggest effect of the earlier start time will be with the ground. We all know what a big conversation climate change is in the world and it’s very hard to keep the whole of the Grand National course on the soft side of good with the race being run later in the afternoon.
"With the rolling start, horses tended to bunch towards the inside but with the re-introduction of a standing start they will have to be spread out across the track which will give them more room going towards the first fence. The first fence is also going to be closer to when jockeys look up and see it they are more likely to be in a straight line and they should jump it before they track across the course. The effect of that should hopefully be to create less speed. The slower you go, the safer things are. Horses are competitive and will race each other but these changes should help to slow down both horse and rider.
"An effect of being able to bypass fences and the levelling off on the landing sides of fences means that more runners bunch towards the inside and therefore the reduction in field size will in my opinion make a considerable difference.
"You hope small things make for big progress. A lot of thought and effort has gone into this process – it was a proper and thorough review. For me, it’s evolution. It was 10 years since the last changes were made and you can look and see what has worked and what needs to be evolved.
"There are lots of people who don’t like change but all sports change. Soccer is not the same game it was 30 or even 15 years ago and looking at the Rugby World Cup, rugby has had to evolve. Racing is the same in that we have to evolve to ensure the future of the sport."
Emma Slawinski, RSPCA Director of Policy, said:
"This is a welcome step from The Jockey Club and we are very pleased to see the organisation taking horse welfare seriously and making changes to the Grand National as a result, including decreasing the current maximum number of runners.
"We have always urged horseracing authorities to act on the wealth of science and evidence and believe this is the only way to demonstrate a commitment to improving and protecting horse welfare and ensuring a good life for those involved in the sport. The BHA and The Jockey Club will know that the RSPCA will continue to urge them to go further for the good of horse welfare.
"We believe that racehorses should have a good life on and off the track and should never be exposed to unacceptable risk of injury or death. Any steps from The Jockey Club to meet that aim are a positive step forward, we look forward to seeing this announcement pave the way for further changes and remain keen to work with them."