Devastating footage shows the moment that a horse that died after participating in the Grand National failed to make a jump. Hill Sixteen died after racing in the Grand National showpiece race and was the third horse to die at this year's festival.
Hill Sixteen fell at the first fence on Saturday evening and suffered what has been described as an "unrecoverable" injury, and was put down. The 80/1 runner was being ridden by Ryan Mania and was trained by Sandy Thomson.
A Jockey Club spokesperson said: "Sadly, while racing in the Grand National, Hill Sixteen sustained an unrecoverable injury. Our sincere sympathies are with connections. Recite A Prayer and Cape Gentleman were assessed on course by our skilled veterinary staff and walked onto the horse ambulance for further assessment in the stables."
Read more: How many horses died or were injured in the 2023 Grand National?
Footage shared by animal rights group, Animal Rising, shows the moment the horse failed to make the jump. In the footage, the horse appears to flip sideways, throwing the jockey forward, before landing limp with stiff legs.
Animal Rising described it as "absolutely heart breaking", they added: "This is what we were trying to stop from happening. Several horses fell during this race. How many will be killed due to their injuries? Absolutely heart breaking chaos for horses that never got a choice in the matter."
The showpiece race was delayed by 15 minutes as animal rights activists gained entry to the racecourse. Sharing footage of the moment the protesters made their way over the fence to their Twitter page, Animal Rising said: "Supporters managed to get onto the track and delay proceedings, making headlines around the world. Subsequently, people all over the UK are having conversations right now about animal rights and our relationship with animals and nature. Our aim was always to start this conversation and we are glad that it is finally happening."
Earlier in the day, one of the group's spokespeople was arrested, according to Animal Rising. The group said: "We will no longer be bystanders as beautiful horses like Envoye Special meet their cruel fate in the name of 'sport.'"
Seventeen of the 39 horses who started made it to the finishing line. The death toll at the Aintree Festival has now reached 62 horses since the year 2000. Hill Sixteen was the third horse to die at Aintree, after the deaths of Envoye Special and Dark Raven during this year's three-day horse racing festival at Aintree.
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