13 Apr 2026
A vet and senior official has insisted a top jockey acted “absolutely” as he should following social media criticism.
Allister Webb
Job Title
Aintree Racecourse, Liverpool. Image: UAV4 / Adobe Stock
A prominent welfare charity has called for a public boycott of the Grand National meeting following two equine fatalities at this year’s event.
The League Against Cruel Sports issued the demand amid criticism of a leading jockey following one of the fatal incidents at the three-day festival.
But one of the sport’s most senior officials, who is also a vet, insisted he had behaved “absolutely as he should have done” in the incident.
Debate over the safety of ethics of horse racing was reignited after Gold Dancer was euthanised shortly after winning a prestigious novices’ chase on Friday 10 April.
Although he lost his back end after jumping the final fence, he continued to run to the finish before being dismounted shortly afterwards.
League chief executive Emma Slawinski said the horse, along with Get On George which suffered a fatal injury at the track on Saturday, were victims of a “heartless spectacle” that overlooked cruelty.
She said: “Year after year we see horses dying at Aintree for people’s entertainment and a cheap bet.”
The RSPCA also said it was “devastated” by the incident, which it reported was the 42nd fatality linked to competitive racing in the UK already this year, amid significant social media concerns over the actions of the horse’s jockey, Paul Townend.
But British Horseracing Authority director of equine health and welfare James Given, himself a registered vet and former racehorse trainer, said he did not believe Townend would have been able to notice the injury during the race.
He told ITV Racing: “It was only when the action changed from a canter down to a trot that the pain became [apparent] and he behaved absolutely as he should have done.”
Meanwhile, three horses were assessed following falls in the Grand National itself with two – Quai De Bourbon and Top Of The Bill – subsequently reported to have returned to their stables.
But the latter’s jockey, Toby McCain-Mitchell, was given a 10-day suspension for failing to pull him up when he had noticeably weakened prior to his final fence fall.
The third horse to be assessed, Mr Vargo, was taken to an equine hospital though his trainer, Sara Bradstock, said she was hopeful he would be able to go home today (13 April).