Fatal Fall ends Wichita's career.

Wichita and Drumconvis suffer fatal falls


WICHITA LINEMAN, twice a Cheltenham Festival winner, had to be put down after crashing out at the first fence in Monday's Powers Whiskey Irish Grand National. The Tony McCoy-ridden eight-year-old was one of two casualties in the big Fairyhouse event, in which Drumconvis broke a shoulder when he fell at the 12th fence.

Wichita Lineman's demise was the second big blow suffered by trainer Jonjo O'Neill in recent weeks following the death of the high-class chaser Exotic Dancer, who collapsed and died at Aintree’s Grand National meeting.

O'Neill: "It's always terrible losing any horse, but all the more so when that horse is a really good one. Losing Exotic Dancer and now Wichita Lineman is hard to believe - they were two of the best a trainer could have.

"We're not sure exactly what happened to Wichita. He seemed to jump the fence and it looked as if another horse coming behind him hit him.

"AP didn't say a lot when he came in and that's understandable."

Wichita Lineman had won nine of his previous 18 races. He landed two bumpers and four hurdle races, including what was known as the Brit Insurance Novices' Hurdle at the 2007 Cheltenham Festival. He scored his third and what proved to be his final win over fences when landing the William Hill Trophy at Cheltenham last month under a much-lauded ride from McCoy.

Tony Martin said of Drumconvis: "Unfortunately he broke a shoulder and we've lost him."

Drumconvis, twice a winner over hurdles and of one of his six starts over fences, finished second in the National Hunt Chase at Cheltenham last month.

Emma Jane, who blundered and unseated her rider at the sixth fence, split a pastern. Her trainer Willie Mullins said: "She's going to the veterinary hospital but should be okay given time."

sad news,the horse gave his all when winning that race at cheltenham

I'll say nothing. I wouldn't want to offend those who mistake this barbarity for a 'sport'.

Thank you magic, your a gent.

Whatever opinions others may have, in my book the sooner this nonsense is outlawed the better. I know I'm repeating myself, and I know fatalities occur in flat racing as well, but things like the Grand National especially have had their time as far as I am concerned.

However, onwards to the flat season and some real racing!

High majority of national hunt horses are bred for the job and with only a tiny fraction of them being fataly injured. with out the sport there would be no need to sire these horses, meaning thousands of horses not giving the chance of a long life?

ps

spurs and improper use of the whip gets my goat..

I can live with "normal" jumps racing - at a push - but the Grand National is sickening. I admit to watching it with a mixture of fascination and horror, a bit like gawking at a road accident, but I think the world could survive supremely well without it.