The Grand National is unquestionably, one of the most exciting days in the British sporting calendar. Bookies around the country will be fielding bets from a huge number of people on the most popular day of the year for gambling, with even those who do not usually indulge tempted to have a flutter on their favourite horse.
Yet the Grand National, which takes place on Saturday, has not been without its share of controversies in the past few years, especially when the number of equine deaths is taken into account. In the majority of modern steeplechase races the average number of deaths per 1000 horses is six, but at the Grand National this rocketed to six per 439 in the decade between 2000 and 2010.
As a result, organisers at Aintree have made the decision to replace the traditional birch fences with plastic brush in order to regulate the jumps and therefore reduce the risk to both horses and jockeys.
The fences will still be the same height, thus retaining the level of difficulty, but the wooden cores of old ones will be replaced by plastic and covered with a minimum fourteen inches of spruce – which can be clipped by horses without causing injury.
Equine consultant David Muir of the RSPCA welcomed the changes, praising Aintree for stepping away from tradition in favour of animal welfare.
He said; “The old fences were unique to Aintree – they were completely solid and four or five wooden posts deep.
“If a horse hit them, it would be catapulted into almost a somersault.
“I pushed very hard to have them taken away.”
Now that the risk to safety has been reduced, it is expected that many part-time gamblers will now feel able to place a bet without burdening themselves with guilt. This brings us to one of the most popular elements of the annual race – the office sweepstake.
Workplaces across the nation will download a sweepstake form in order to get into the spirit of the day before the race. It couldn’t be easier to join in the fun – simply print off the form and follow the simple instructions!
Firstly, cut the pieces of paper containing the name, trainer and jockey silk into individual tickets, then fold them and place them in a hat. Collect the money from colleagues BEFORE allowing them to draw a name, then record who gets which horse on the form at the bottom (no-one wants a Monday morning dispute to start their week!)
Alternatively, your workmates can choose their horses rather than picking them at random – as long as you follow the “no swag, no nag” rule anything goes. Remember to account for all the horses to ensure there is a winner, who will presumably celebrate their good fortune by treating everyone in the office to a post-work drink on Monday!
Does your office tend to participate in sweepstakes for events such as the World Cup or Grand National, or will you be attempting to introduce the competition this year?
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