READING of another young jockey receiving a ban for not pulling up before the last at Aintree set me thinking to the days when a ‘P’ or ‘PU’ for ‘Pulled-Up’ after a horse’s name was very much not a positive.

It was ironic that earlier in ITV’s coverage of the big event I watched a segment whereby Ruby sat with a first-timer in the weighing-room tutoring in what to expect and mentoring in how to proceed.

He and A.P. McCoy spoke to camera of how important it was to recognise when the horse had given of his best – time to retire gracefully from the field of play, as it were. No talk of the ignominy of ‘quitting’ – how I hate that phrase!

From my days ‘vetting’ at racecourses, point-to-points and cross-country events I witnessed enough of riders determined to finish at all costs even if their horse staggered over the line.

It’s not just that this was a bad look (and it truly is), they sometimes seriously set-back a horse’s future career. Better to DNC (Did Not Complete) and keep your powder dry for another day, I say, than blindly pursue glory on the day.

In FEI Eventing an official vet can advise the Ground Jury (equivalent of race-day stewards) that a horse needs pulling up; they in turn can radio the stewards at the next fence to step in and stop the horse.

I understand that this isn’t practical for an individual horse/rider combination in racing so we must rely more on jockeys to self-regulate.

I get why riders hate to see an ‘UR’ for unseated entered subsequent to a race they’ve not completed; I’ve fallen off plenty of times myself and had to walk back to the start – not race-riding mind you so no punters’ pockets were picked, and I generally received a sympathetic reception – but still it’s not nice.

With a ‘P’ I reckon it’s different – the horse doesn’t compete with their reputation in mind or with forethought of how they’ll be received home later – to carrots and a warm mash, or the cold shoulder. They have memory for sure but don’t have, I am confident, our sense of foresight.

Of course owners focussed very much on a future sale would prefer not to have a ‘P’ , ‘DNC’ or ‘RU’ (for Run Out) on the official record. But still, if it means that the horse’s best efforts are preserved for another day AND that day comes to pass, then all is well in the end.

I know that some decry recent changes in the Aintree National – softer fences, less steep landings, a shorter run to the first, fewer runners, run out options for loose horses etc. They even seem to dislike that the class horse is more likely to win – go figure!

We need jumps races to be decided on merit – that includes rider-horse skill in negotiating the obstacles. But we don’t need fallers to accomplish this aim. Horse or rider error, particularly in jumping, often determines the result – why would we want to see either fall? It only increases the likelihood of injury and of other horses being ‘BD’ – Brought Down.

And why if the jockey has to fall would we prefer to see ‘F’ for ‘Fell’ over ‘UR’ in the race record? The horse falling doesn’t reduce the chances of rider injury. I witnessed one poor jockey rolled over by his own mount in the National – and it definitely increases the chances of horse injury.

I understand that when your blood is up and the money is down it’s difficult to always assess the situation correctly.

“Is my horse exhausted or just tired?”

“Has he gone wrong behind or am I just out of balance with him?”

It’s easy, natural even, especially when young or inexperienced, to be to blind to the wider consequences of your actions.

But continuing with an exhausted or obviously injured horse, especially riding out with whip or spurs, is just not on these days.

Both individual and wider reputation is seriously at risk. Regulators have to step up and step in. Hindsight isn’t a reasonabe test of culpability but when a rider could reasonably predict the dire consequences of continuing then they deserve sanction.

In the interest of minimising casualties in race events, we should see more ‘PU’ and ‘UR’ than ‘F’ and ‘BD’; and no beaten horses beaten over the line.

In eventing, hunter trials and team chases it is better to see ‘DNC’ than tired horses whipped over final fences and finish lines. Retiring hors de combat would better serve our horses’ interests and reduce the opportunities for outside observers to point the finger, name, blame and shame.