PETA Celebrates as More Sponsors Cut Ties With the Grand National Disgrace
Update (2 February 2023): PETA can confirm that two more sponsors have cut ties with the Grand National, the most dangerous horse race in the UK. After hearing from PETA and our supporters, Pinsent Masons and SSS Super Alloys have joined the ever-growing list of companies distancing themselves from the disgusting event, where more than 33 horses have now died since 2010 either during or because of the festival.
Original post (3 March 2022):
After hearing from PETA and our supporters, more major Grand National sponsors have followed Chi Chi London’s lead and cut ties with the cruel race! Thank you to the latest companies – Ryanair, Close Brothers Group, and Pertemps – for withdrawing their financial support. PETA is celebrating their compassionate decision and can’t wait to see who will be next.
Thank you to everyone who sent a message to the companies. These actions make a difference!
The Grand National Disgrace
It’s a national disgrace that since 2010, 29 horses have died during or because of the race.
Horses used for racing often die of fatal injuries such as broken backs or are killed after sustaining broken legs. At Becher’s Brook, aptly nicknamed the “killer fence”, horses have slammed face-first into the ground and collided with each other, breaking necks, backs, and legs.
Horses who survive end the race exhausted and often injured.
©Animal Aid
Cruel Indifference to Horses
At the end of their racing days, horses are often discarded like used betting slips – dumped with rescue charities already dealing with many cast-offs, shot at abattoirs, or sold to be slaughtered for their flesh.
Last year, “The Dark Side of Horse Racing” on BBC One’s Panorama revealed that every year, thousands of horses formerly used for racing in the UK and Ireland are sent to the abattoir.
A PETA exposé showed that the majority of horses from around the world who are sold to the South Korean racing industry – and their offspring – are violently killed and sold for meat when they’re deemed no longer useful.
Who Will Be Next?
This race will continue as long as sponsors keep supporting it, but more and more companies are cutting ties. Help us urge the remaining 2023 sponsors to follow the lead of Chi Chi London, Ryanair, Close Brothers Group, and Pertemps and stop their financial support:
