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Nigel Farage has warned that the Grand National will become “like any other jumps race” if changes continue to be made in the name of safety.
It comes after a reduction from 40 to 34 horses was announced following a death at the Aintree Festival earlier this year.
The Jockey Club announced the first cut in the number of runners in 40 years after the final event was spoiled by Animal Rising activists.
Speaking on GB News, Farage argued that the horses have been “trained” for the occasion, and that they “love” competing in the Grand National.
Nigel Farage has criticized new security measures at the Grand National
PA/GB News
“We understand that the Grand National was heavily scrutinized,” he said.
“They want to limit the number of horses from 40 to 34, they want to move the 11th fence down a few inches, they want to move the start line back so horses can’t get to the front at the same speed.
latest developments
“I feel like we’re introducing these because of the protests. It’s almost like we’re giving up.
“The Grand National is a global event.”
Former Grand National-winning racehorse trainer Oliver Sherwood spoke to Farage about the developments, echoing the former Brexit Party leader’s sentiments.
He argued that Animal Rising activists caused the “death” of the horse, which died in the most recent incident, because they “boiled” them.
Former Grand National winning horse racing trainer Oliver Sherwood talks to Nigel Farage
gb news
“It’s bad to lose any horse, I’m adamant that the majority of trainers in the industry prefer those [Animal Rising] Caused death.
“Those animals are trained for another, and some of them boiled over.”
There have been calls to reduce the line number of runners to 30, but course entry clerk Sulekha Verma said this could be a counterproductive move.
“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, being dislocated, or being knocked down,” he said.
“However, we must also consider that reducing the field size by too many numbers could lead to faster races and have adverse effects in terms of safety.”
At the three-day national meeting in April, three horses died when Animal Rising protesters attempted to stop the race.
Racing chiefs claim the changes were not made as a result of the protests.
Merseyside Police said 118 people had been arrested over the disruption and an investigation was ongoing, although no charges had yet been laid.
