Cheltenham day one: A fatal start to the festival

Less than three hours into this four-day event, eight-year-old Hansard sustained a fatal injury. The injury took place off camera and was reported after the race. 

Campaign Manager, Isobel McNally, said: “Hansard was a young horse who should have had a lifetime ahead of him, but was instead cut short in the service of an exploitative gambling event. There is no excuse for this.” 

During the 4:00pm feature race (Unibet Champion Hurdle) Tutti Quanti was visibly reluctant to approach the starting line, signalling a clear reluctance to race. 

Footage captured at the start shows the jockey, Harry Cobden, striking Tutti Quanti repeatedly in an apparent attempt to force the horse into position. Moments later, stewards intervened by pulling Tutti Quanti towards the starting line. The incident raises serious concerns about the abuse horses encounter at high-profile racing events and the total disregard of their agency. 

Further resources: 

• Our latest annual report, Victims of British and Irish Horse Racing 2025-26 is available now. 
• Death Watch launched in 2007 after nine horses died during Cheltenham the previous year. We aim to record and expose every single death of horses due to on-course injuries in Britain. 
• In 2026, we’re celebrating the Year of the Horse and asking people to boycott watching or betting on racing.  

For more information or an interview, contact Isobel McNally at isobel@animalaid.org.uk  or 01732 364546.