Activists call to boycott Aintree Festival as horses ‘sacrificed for entertainment’
Runners and riders in the William Hill Handicap Hurdle on day three of the 2024 Randox Grand National Festival at Aintree Racecourse, Liverpool, April 13, 2024
ANIMAL welfare activists have called for a boycott of the Aintree Festival over the number of horse deaths during the annual racing event.
A total of 65 horses have died at the three-day festival over the past 25 years, according to figures from Animal Aid.
Calling for the boycott in the run-up to this year’s event, which starts on Thursday, League Against Cruel Sports chief executive Emma Slawinski said: “The death toll at the Aintree Festival is an indictment of racing’s track record in prioritising animal welfare — horses are being sacrificed for entertainment and for the profits of the gambling companies.
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