Editing Grand National (section)

=== History of fatalities ===
{{main|List of equine fatalities in the Grand National}}
During the 1970s and 1980s, the Grand National saw a total of 12 horses die (half of which were at Becher's Brook); in the next 20-year period from 1990 to 2010, when modifications to the course were most significant, there were 17 equine fatalities. The [[2011 Grand National|2011]] and [[2012 Grand National|2012 race]]s each yielded two deaths, including one each at Becher's Brook.  In 2013, when further changes were made to introduce a more flexible fence structure, there were no fatalities in the race itself although two horses died in run-up races over the same course.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/horseracing/grand-national/9974805/Grand-National-2013-Little-Josh-becomes-second-horse-to-die-over-the-big-Aintree-fences.html|title=Grand National 2013: Little Josh becomes second horse to die over the big Aintree fences|newspaper=Telegraph|access-date=8 April 2014|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140515064624/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/horseracing/grand-national/9974805/Grand-National-2013-Little-Josh-becomes-second-horse-to-die-over-the-big-Aintree-fences.html|archive-date=15 May 2014}}</ref><ref name="league1">{{cite web |url=http://www.league.org.uk/news-and-opinion/press-releases/2014/apr/injury-and-fatalities-are-inevitable-during-grand-national-meet |title=Charity warns that until horse welfare is put first, injury and fatalities are inevitable during Grand National meet – League Against Cruel Sports |publisher=League.org.uk |date=3 April 2014 |access-date=8 April 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140408212451/http://www.league.org.uk/news-and-opinion/press-releases/2014/apr/injury-and-fatalities-are-inevitable-during-grand-national-meet |archive-date=8 April 2014 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/horse-racing/26128471 |title=BBC Sport – Grand National 2014: Tidal Bay tops Aintree weights |work=BBC News |date=11 February 2014 |access-date=11 February 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140305160408/http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/horse-racing/26128471 |archive-date=5 March 2014 }}</ref> The animal welfare charity [[League Against Cruel Sports]] counts the number of horse deaths over the three-day meeting from the year 2000 to 2013 at 40.<ref name="league1"/> 

There were no equine fatalities in the main Grand National race for seven years until 2019,<ref>{{cite web |title=The 2014 Grand National |url=https://www.animalaid.org.uk/2014-grand-national/ |website=Animal Aid |access-date=5 August 2018 |date=5 April 2014}}</ref> when one horse died at the first fence.<ref>{{cite web |last=Ostlere |first=Lawrence |date=6 April 2019 |title=Grand National 2019: Willie Mullins' Up For Review dies after falling at first hurdle |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/racing/grand-national-2019-result-horse-dies-up-for-review-fall-first-hurdle-aintree-a8858181.html%3famp |access-date=6 April 2019 |website=The Independent}}</ref> In 2021, one horse was euthanised after the race after suffering an injury on a flat section between fences.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/racing/horse-put-down-grand-national-b1829620.html |title=The Long Mile put down after Grand National 2021 |date=10 April 2021 |access-date=1 September 2021 |website=The Independent}}</ref> Two more were euthanised after suffering injuries in the 2022 event. One of the incidents came at fence 3, the other on the gallop between fences 12 and 13.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Wood |first1=Greg |title=Eclair Surf becomes second horse to die after Grand National on Saturday |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2022/apr/10/eclair-surf-becomes-second-horse-to-die-after-grand-national |access-date=10 April 2022 |work=The Guardian |date=10 April 2022}}</ref> There was one fatality in 2023, following a fall at the first fence, and two other horses taken away by ambulance.<ref> {{cite news |title=Grand National: 118 people arrested over protests that delayed start of Aintree race |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/horse-racing/65285510 |website=BBC News |date=15 April 2023 |access-date=15 April 2023}}</ref>
<ref> {{cite news |title=Grand National puts up defiant, united front in the face of animal rights protestors |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/racing/2023/04/15/grand-national-arrest-protests-animal-rising-latest-police/ |website=The Telegraph |date=15 April 2023 |access-date=15 April 2023}}</ref> The involvement of animal rights protesters was questioned after the race. Sandy Thompson, trainer of the fatally injured Hill Sixteen, claimed along with several other racing personalities that the protesters had (directly or indirectly) caused the death of the gelding and were equally responsible for the number of fallers, because the delay they caused to the start, after storming the course close to post time, got the horses worked up and "hyper".<ref name="auto">{{cite news |title='I stroked his neck. I thanked him. I said sorry' |work=BBC Sport |url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/horse-racing/65309466 |access-date=29 April 2023}}</ref> The protesters have denied these comments, saying they had every right to break and enter and trespass onto racecourse ground and stage a protest despite officials' orders not to.<ref name="auto"/>