Second Horse Dies at Aintree Grand National Festival

A second horse has died at this year's Grand National festival at Aintree Racecourse, where Get On George was humanely euthanized on Saturday after pulling up during the William Hill Handicap Hurdle. The six-year-old gelding, trained by Joel Parkinson and Sue Smith and ridden by jockey Jack Tudor, lost his action around a bend in the race, prompting Tudor to dismount quickly so veterinary staff could assess the animal on the course. Officials confirmed the horse suffered a fatal injury to his near-hind fetlock, a joint in his rear left leg, leading to the decision to put him down for welfare reasons.

This marks the second fatality at the three-day event, following the death of Gold Dancer on Friday. That six-year-old, trained by Willie Mullins and ridden by Paul Townend, won the Mildmay Novices' Chase despite falling at the final hurdle and limping across the line. Vets attended immediately after the finish, but the horse could not be saved due to a severe injury. Aintree Racecourse issued statements on both incidents, expressing heartfelt condolences to the horses' connections and noting that expert veterinary teams made the euthanasia decisions on site.