Grand National 2012

I'd have to research the ratings of top weights over the last 40 years to know if your gut feeling is correct or not.  I am aware the handicapper has been more lenient rating high grade horses in recent years to level the playing field somewhat - not to encourage better horses to compete, but to give them a chance.  The number of years of horses carrying over 11st failing was too much of a coincidence, so i wouldn't disagree with the re-framing tactics.

Quoted from mariner91

Have to agree. The horses love to race, they enjoy it. It is sad that some die but most sports have risks.

I have no strong feelings either way but how on earth do you KNOW that?

Quoted from barralad

I have no strong feelings either way but how on earth do you KNOW that?

I work with a lady who trains 4 racehorses, to listen to her talk, she knows. She knows each and every one of them better than she knows her self. She sometimes tells us how they refuse to train, as if to say "nah, cant be arsed today love, not feeling it, no chance" and then they are left alone for that day, other than gentle exercise. She knows her horses very very well, and would never do anything to hurt them.

Quoted from barralad

I have no strong feelings either way but how on earth do you KNOW that?

Why would Synchronised, who had lost his rider, carry on running and jumping if he didn't enjoy it? Its not like somebody was instructing it to carry on running.

Quoted from 1106

"Animal Rights Activists" are a pet hate of mine, with thier holyier than thou attitudes. These cretins normally are pushy veggies as well, making comments about how bad people are for liking a joint of beef for Sunday lunch and telling anyone who'll listen (and those who are too polite to tell them to shut the hell up about the lifestyle choices) how we should all be veggies.

Quite often in my view these activists have several scruffy children in tow, who have been made veggies as well by parents who have no idea what a growing veggie child needs for good health. These morons seem to care more about animals than thier own children. I flipping well hate Animal Rights Activists.

What an unbelievable load of brainless excrement.

Quoted from petethemariner

I am sick of the same  anti GN media hype thats trotted out every year,, why d'ont they concentrate on the millions of REAL animal abuse cases that happen every year in the suposed country of 'animal lovers'?

Well done on your win Pete. (and others)
Good question !
There's a lot of terrible injustice in the world and it's not all complete co-incidence if you ask me.

Anyway, anyone hear the story of that stranded seagull ?
25 firemen and none of them were allowed to wade through 3 feet of water for health and safety reasons.
Apparently it took a member of the public to go in there and save the bird !
And no I don't like the Daily Mail (not any more anyway !)
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/new.....fety-says-risky.html

Also this stupid new whip rule is completely out of order (guess no-one in racing likes it) and just another extension of this health and safety killjoy mentality where no-ones meant to take any risks and everyone supposedly has to be protected over everything (even though that's impossible.)

The website Marinette posted says:

"Our report, A Hiding to Nothing (a meticulous analysis of 161 races involving 1500 horses, that were run between October and November 2003), shows that whipping horses is more likely to drive them off a true line and place them and other horses in danger. The same evidence shows that whipping horses is less likely to produce an 'improvement' in behaviour. Rather, they become fearful, hesitant and less likely to perform to their potential."

Wow !
I thought the whip straightened a horse onto the right line if it started to hang a certain way.  
At least that's what jockeys seem to have done for decades on end...
Not sure about the last bit either tbh.

Quoted from barralad

I have no strong feelings either way

Forigive me for asking and hope you both don't mind but I notice it's not the first time you and marinette have casted doubt or been in agreement over the same issues.
Just out of interest are both of you in full support with everything we see changing in Britain today ?
Not a criticism, just feels like you don't tend to speak out in protest against many of the changes we see.
NHS reforms ? Low interest rates for savers ? Surely there must be something you both object to ?

I'm quite laid back on this topic. If people want to zoom around a racetrack at high speed, jumping over dangerous fences and thrash a whip every two seconds then that's their business.

Just leave animals out of it.

origive me for asking and hope you both don't mind but I notice it's not the first time you and marinette have casted doubt or been in agreement over the same issues.
Just out of interest are both of you in full support with everything we see changing in Britain today ?
Not a criticism, just feels like you don't tend to speak out in protest against many of the changes we see.
NHS reforms ? Low interest rates for savers ? Surely there must be something you both object to ?


I can assure you 80's-I cannot/won't speak for Marinette-that there are many, many things happening at the moment that I don't agree with. I just choose a more practical way than discussing it on the non-football section of a lower league football team's website.

Quoted from 1600

Surely there must be something you both object to ?

Quite possibly!

The grand national has been going on for years unlike its something new. Nobody moaned all them years ago