National Fences getting even easier and losing that special appeal

Couldn't agree more.

Bring back the bad old days.

Agree but we now live in the 21st century and the horse and jockey`s welfare is the most important thing.

Bechers Brook unrecognisable now. No Brook for Capt Becher to fall in nowadays.

[img]https://community.cdnbf.net/community.betfair.com/user/themightymac/d3840e49add8b5c5697f6a3359c562bc.jpg?v=269550[/img

Grand National is now a new race and a very different challenge.

photo disappeared above

still big it up on the approach to bechers. 

then they get there and it's the same size as all the other fences ??

Depends what you see as the special appeal. If it is 60% of runners falling and a couple killed then the special appeal has gone for good.

harpers jumped poor , Beechers Right up the inside pinged it

were there any fallers in last years National

the one before bechers.

so the one before the one thats the same size as all the other ones

ALL tracks have been told to make their fences easier imv...

horses hitting fences half way up and just keep galloping...

Ludlow is hideous imv...

THEY haven't announced anything but there is no doubt in my mind the word has got through to make the fences powder puff...

farcical.

Still stiffer that Gowran though!

beches like a big hurdle

The excitement has disappeared. It isn't a challenge anymore. You may as well shut it down, and if it's now just about preventing any horses being killed you may as well shut the whole sport down.

death and taxes..........

Indeed DD
The National course needs jeopardy and should have an element of fear about it.
There again I detest drop fences, where the horse has no idea of the landing.

Aintree's fences are like that last 'laurel hedge' thingy they jump in the cross country race...

totally powder puff nonsense...

differentdrum is spot on...

just end the sport coz there comes a point where it becomes laughable...

and that point has most certainly been reached now.

red rum could do these fences blindfolded

Red Rum would not have won one National let alone 3 and two seconds over the course as it is today.

So depressing to watch.
No difference than the boring cross country non events.
Come April 12 or more irish horses from the top of the handicap will be in contention at the last with the winners time a course record.

looks to me like Sandown got the 'make the fences powder puff' memo.

Southwell brush hurdles now the most challenging chase course in the UK.

wouldn't disagree tbh jackdaw...

it's become farcical now imv.

Stand By for another 25 Horse in with a chance when they Jump the 4th last In April ,Unless its a bog

BHA and Aintree care more about the minority view and the press than actual racing fans which is why they have never stood there ground over the years and retreated and retreated instead.

It wont be long before the White Flag is raised.

Didn't even bother watching the race at the weekend, the national fences have lost all appeal.
Pleased a group of people that don't even watch the sport and want it closed down.

I'd sell the land on the national course now and build some houses on it

Kempton has also got the 'make them easier' memo imv...

Montecam ploughs through a fence and didn't even break it's stride.

watch 1.25 race @ huntingdon...how many standing up even 5 years ago?

Huntingdon has clearly got the 'make the fences easier' memo...

ploughing through fences now...

just take them away imv...

jumping has become pointless now.

fair to say Fontwell got the 'make them powder puff' memo.

LOW SUN nanny society now at Warwick...

i'm sorry but these hurdles are perfectly jumpable...

the sport just becomes more farcical BY THE DAY.

agree completely hh

sad to see the sport crumble before our very eyes wsb...

every NH race should just be a bumper now imv.

powder puff fences everywhere...

if the sun pops out hurdles/fences are omitted...

awful from those in power.

its really noticeable if you watch old races on youtube

espmadrid for example

wincanton in particular look at them compared to now
badger beer chase 95

.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MrShTtl8tLo

bright sunshine as well just got on with it

a proper water jump as well

Ludlow's fences have been shockingly powder puff for the last few years wsb...

horses ploughing through them and just keep galloping...

other tracks are now following Ludlow's lead...

it looks hideous...

IT IS HIDEOUS.

tricky trevor isn't all that tricky

its an industry led thing hh not the tracks themselves

obv each track have different groundstaff so there will be differences in how much birch they are putting in fences

unless portable of course

oh it's blatantly obviously industry led wsb...

the dumbing down effect has been happening for years now...

Operation Creep.

They might as well just sellotape newspapers across the track at Ludlow, getting more brush through every meeting

Ludlow has been a farce for years in hell...

other courses following suit now...

nanny society stuff tbh.

harder to jump Ludlow's hurdles than it is their fences imv.

Yes fences are laughable now but rather that than the Death Traps of Days gone by.

Pardubice in Czech Republic is brutal and one could argue that it needs to be modified for the safety of horse and rider. No genuine racing fan wants to see horses badly injured or killed just to make a spectacle.

Only an eejit would argue "but horses get killed on the Flat". True, but I can assure you that a horse in the Pardubice or the National or even a hurdle race at Bangor has more chance of getting killed than a horse running on the Flat.

It was great event back in the day but they should just scrap it now. The National has run it`s course in history, like throwing Christians to the lions back in the day.

pardubice has been heavily sanitised in recent years, taxis fence been modified a number of times & isn't the taxis of old

Correct wondersobright

Doncaster fences look like they have been 'easily packed'...

Billy Boi Blue demolishes one and just kept galloping.

no need to pick your feet up

McCain horse ploughs through one at Doncaster...

the 'make them easier' email clearly reached Donny too.

winner 3 out

freeze the video with the horse's front legs just about to touch the ground, the horse is literally IN the fence

oh i know wsb...

it's hideous tbh.

it's clear there is an agenda...

the direction of travel is blatantly obvious.

give it a few years we'll have hologram fences...and no I'm not joking

the direction of travel is obvious wsb...

it won't be reversed now...

pretty farcical if you ask me.

I agree

favourite ploughing through fences at Musselburgh there...

they clearly got the memo.

Chemical Warfare walks through a fence at Newcastle...

utterly laughable.

never even looked like falling as well hh...hologram fences

it literally walked through it wsb...

that's not the game i once new...

shocking imv...

clearly courses have been asked to make them easier...

no doubt about it imv.

the donny of old...

.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BuaEscz9XLE&list=PLfn5x2SD03q5AUWCbaPHyls7pkpKqqORC&index=2

back in the day donny fences were regarded as fairly soft in comparison to other tracks

like brick walls compared to these days