Angie Best Condemns Grand National Cruelty
Angie Best – model, Celebrity Big Brother contestant, and former wife of footballer George Best – has urged sports fans to stay away from the Grand National, describing it as the “most unsporting of events”.
Best, who cares for a horse rescued from the racing industry, clearly understands the difference between sport and cruelty. In a statement given to PETA, she notes that the Grand National is a punishing and often fatal event for horses, who are given no choice in whether or not they race:
Britain is a great sporting nation with a proud legacy of achievements, but the Grand National is a disgrace that tarnishes us all. Horses used for racing are bred for greed and speed and are pushed far beyond their natural abilities when they’re whipped to run and jump at neck-breaking pace. Those who don’t suffer heart attacks – or sustain horrific injuries when they crash face-first onto the track – may develop debilitating medical conditions, including bleeding lungs and gastric ulcers. If they make it to retirement age alive, many are discarded like used betting slips – abandoned, neglected, or sold to be slaughtered and butchered. Real sports involve only willing participants, so I urge all sports fans not to fuel this most unsporting of events and instead to join me in staying well away from Aintree this race-day.
What You Can Do
Join Angie Best in speaking out against the cruelty of the Grand National by sending a message to ITV CEO Adam Crozier asking him to stop broadcasting the event.
