Animal rights organisations have criticised the Grand National after a horse that was leading the race suffered a grim fall, while a second collapsed shortly after the competition.
Broadway Boy, a seven-year-old horse ridden by Tom Bellamy, took what was described by spectators as a “sickening fall” at the 25th jump, appearing to land on his head and not moving immediately afterwards.
The horse, owned by David Proos, was assessed on the course and later walked on to a veterinary ambulance to be assessed at his stable.
Bellamy appeared to fall clear of his horse and was later taken to hospital for assessment.
Celebre D’Allen, a 100-1 runner aged 13, collapsed during the race and was later walked on to a veterinary ambulance to be taken for assessment.
His rider, Micheál Nolan, faced a stewards’ inquiry for not pulling the horse, one of the older competitors, from the race at an earlier stage.
With final odds of 66-1, Broadway Boy was one of the youngest competitors in the race and had been described as a contender when on good form.
Kandoo Kid and Perceval Legallois also fell, while Duffle Coat unseated his rider.
The race winner, Nick Rockett, was cooled down with water after finishing the race two and a half lengths ahead of I Am Maximus, the favourite.
Last year, after a number of new measures to improve safety for the horses and their riders – including reducing the field from 40 to 34 competitors and softening the fences – there were no Grand National fatalities.
On the opening day of the 2025 festival, racer Willy De Houelle suffered a fatal fall in the second race, with the jockey Rachael Blackmore taken away from Aintree in an ambulance.
Ben Newman of the animal rights charity, Animal Rising, said: “On Thursday, Willy de Houelle became the Grand National’s 66th victim since 2000 – a staggering toll that exposes the industry’s values of profit over welfare. Today, numerous falls and clashes have resulted in two lives hanging in the balance. These horses deserve better.
“ITV’s cowardly refusal to replay the 25th fence where Broadway Boy fell, while commentators gushed over racing’s welfare standards, shows the depths to which the industry will sink to save itself. When the public sees the grim reality and suffering within horse racing, they rightfully recoil.”
The organisation Animal Aid said it was “disgusted and appalled that Broadway Boy suffered a horrific fall in the Grand National race, and that the racing industry – rather than give the public an update on his wellbeing – had the gall to spout empty rhetoric about the ‘welfare’ of race horses.”
The statement added: “The lack of information provided about the welfare of these horses is despicable and demonstrates the sheer lack of care the industry has towards these horses. This is ‘welfare-washing’ at its most insidious.”
Spectators posted on social media criticising the event as “shameful” and “disgusting”. They also hit out at the official broadcaster, ITV, for how slow it was to provide information in the aftermath of what appeared to be the death of a horse on live television, though the picture cut away immediately after the fall.
One person described it as “one of the most unsettling things I’ve ever seen”, while another said they were “sat breaking my heart over that fall from Broadway Boy”.
Viewers were updated half an hour after the race’s finish, with ITV racing presenter Ed Chamberlin revealing that both horses were being assessed by vets.
