​Horse Breaks Leg At Cheltenham Festival In Horrific Fall And Is Put Down

A horse has had to be put down after falling and breaking its leg at Cheltenham, becoming the 36th death at the festival since 2007, according to animal rights activists.

Five-year-old Sandsend, who was rated at 11/1, tripped over and suffered a broken leg during the 2.10pm race, before running on without its jockey, Katie Walsh.

The horse then had to be put down immediately after the race, with ITV Racing host Ed Chamberlin telling viewers: "Desperately sad news. Our thoughts are with everyone connected."

Walsh appeared to have managed to avoid injury during the incident, which happened during the Randox Health County Handicap Hurdle that was eventually won by Bridget Andrews on Mohaayed.

Isobel Hutchinson, director of campaign group Animal Aid, said: "This devastating incident highlights the barbaric cruelty of this profit-driven 'sport'.

"The brutal leg break suffered by Sandsend was truly horrifying to witness. We can only imagine the agony and terror that he must have suffered, through no fault of his own.

"How many more horses will have to die, before action is taken to stem the tide of deaths? We believe that the current regulator simply isn't fit for purpose."

PA

Many shocked viewers took to social media to pay tribute to the fallen horse.

One person tweeted: "Heartbreaking to see a horse break its leg like that, when he's doing what he does best. RIP Sandsend."

Another said: "RIP Sandsend, I believed in you, I backed you and I am genuinely sad about your passing, a brilliant horse and a loss to racing."

One person wrote: "Horrible to hear about Sandsend. Sickening to see the problems he suffered. The dark side to this game we all love. Very upsetting."

Sandsend sadly hasn't been the only horse to have died during the Cheltenham Festival run. On the first day of the popular event, one horse called Mossback fractured a front leg in a race, before course vets were forced to humanely put the six-year-old down.

Race winner Rathvinden also seemed in some discomfort after the race and was unsteady on its feet due to tiredness. It was unable to attend the winner's enclosure once the race had finished but several buckets of water were thrown over it and it recovered.

Another horse, Report to Base, was also fatally injured in a fall, becoming the second horse to die on the day.

Topics: SPORT, UK News, UK, Animals

Jess Hardiman

Jess is a journalist at LADbible who graduated from Manchester University with a degree in Film Studies, English Language and Linguistics - indecisiveness at its finest, right there. She also works for FOODbible and its sister page Seitanists, which are both a safe haven for her to channel a love for homemade pasta, fennel and everything else in between. You can contact Jess at [email protected].

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