Summer jumping could soon present a reputational risk to British racing - we need to consider its future
For welfare and sustainability reasons, there should be a thorough examination of jump racing through the summer
Once upon a time, the jumps season would have reached its conclusion this coming Saturday.
Rewind back to the first Saturday of June in 1993 and there were meetings at Stratford and Market Rasen, whose card included the End Of Term Handicap Chase and the Last Chance Selling Hurdle. The races carried those names because the two fixtures represented not only the season's full stop but also the final opportunity to watch jump racing in Britain for the best part of two months. After that it all changed.
Summer jump racing was introduced in 1994, meaning the end of the 1993-94 campaign merged into the start of the 1994-95 season. A total of 21 meetings were programmed to take place across June and July. This year no fewer than 47 fixtures are set to be staged across those two months, including many at tracks that race throughout the year, including in the depths of winter.
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Published on inLee Mottershead
Last updated
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