# Velo cycle race: mare and foal die



## hopscotch bandit (13 May 2019)

I've just heard but its all over social media how a mare and foal died when a bet was unable to drive down a road that was closed as part of the route of the Velo cycle ride on Sunday. The foal was stuck and the vet called. The mate eventually haemorraged. So very sad.


----------



## Velcrobum (13 May 2019)

This has now been reported on BBC news website

www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-48238576

IMHO absolutely disgusting and that must have been so traumatic for the mare and the owners.


----------



## Penny Less (13 May 2019)

Erm that site directs me to a page about Elon Musk ?


----------



## hopscotch bandit (13 May 2019)

Penny Less said:



			Erm that site directs me to a page about Elon Musk ?
		
Click to expand...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-48247437  scroll down for info about the horse


----------



## cobgoblin (13 May 2019)

Makes you wonder if they would have let an ambulance through doesn't it? 

Vet should have rammed his way through.


----------



## Velcrobum (13 May 2019)

Penny Less said:



			Erm that site directs me to a page about Elon Musk ?
		
Click to expand...

Ooops

meant to post as HB has   www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-48253277


----------



## ozpoz (13 May 2019)

I'm not a fan of these massive races where hundreds of people are forced to be confined to their homes on their day off. 
To lose a mare and foal in these circumstances is tragic and unnecessary.


----------



## Elf On A Shelf (13 May 2019)

There was a 100 mile cycle race round here on Sunday, no roads were closed but it was a bloody pain and a faff! Trying to get past a bunch of lycra clad W******S  that are riding 3 or 4 abreast on busy roads, not looking when they cross rounds or come out of junctions etc. I am surprised no one got splatted!


----------



## Honeylight (13 May 2019)

I think I read that an elderly person nearly died at the same time as they couldn't get through in an ambulance.


----------



## TWMD (14 May 2019)

Apparently a cyclist also died and a marshall was seriously injured- only heard via social media though.


----------



## hopscotch bandit (14 May 2019)

TWMD said:



			Apparently a cyclist also died and a marshall was seriously injured- only heard via social media though.
		
Click to expand...

The cyclist was in his 50's, died of severe head injuries later in hospital.  Huge sympathies to his family.  You would think it would be safe when all the roads are closed.  So sad


----------



## Velcrobum (14 May 2019)

Apparently it was in a steep bendy downhill section near Colehill. Sounds like he lost control and crashed.


----------



## hopscotch bandit (14 May 2019)

Velcrobum said:



			Apparently it was in a steep bendy downhill section near Colehill. Sounds like he lost control and crashed.
		
Click to expand...

Yes my friends who used to hunt around there were saying how dangerous the road was in that location.


----------



## Velcrobum (14 May 2019)

The Marshall was subjected to road rage attack and broke a hip. The vet was held 1.2 miles away from the farm for 20 minutes. Can't copy and paste the details but info on BBC News website.


----------



## Tiddlypom (14 May 2019)

_â€˜In Knowle, Solihull, horse-owner Helen van Heyningen said a mare and her newborn foal also died as road closures meant vet Jack Wallace could not reach them in time.
He told the BBC a steward would not let him through the road block for more than 20 minutes, and when he arrived the foal had already died and the mare was "undoubtedly suffering and thrashing on the ground".
"If I had been able to get to the foal in a timely fashion, there is a good chance I could have saved either the mare or foal," he said.
Organisers said they were "extremely saddened" to hear the news and had started an investigation.â€™_


----------



## Velcrobum (15 May 2019)

Copied and pasted from another horsey forum

Just a quick Google around leads to a significant company behind this.  CMS Active Ltd and CMS Sport and Entertainment International Ltd (Lord Coe is a director).  All clear on Companies
House if you have a look - this is a big organisation.  Also there appears to be no planning requirements from the council etc for these sort of events (?).  Having organised a public event
for 3 years planning is where it all starts.  Surely if they had to apply for planning from the Council these events would have little chance of gettting off the ground, we had to produce
a traffic management plan, approved by the police and AA signs for miles around in advance.  Massive public liability insurance was needed also.

So a *profit making* organisation is running this event I sincerely hope Ms van Heynigen has good solicitors and sues them for damages. If the vet had been able to get there in a timely manner he might have saved one or even both of them. Even if not saveable at least they would have been given analgesia +/or PTS instead of suffocating (foal) bleeding to death (mare). What an increadibly horrible situation to be in and have to witness.


----------



## Velcrobum (18 May 2019)

So 17,000 riders taking part cheapest entry fee was Â£83, next level Â£120 and the Business 100 class would have been even more expensive as that type of entry had a hefty hospitality package attached. So minimum income from entries would be Â£1,411,000!!! The event had heavy sponsorship as well so a bit of a nice earner especially as it was primarily manned by volunteers.


----------



## laura_nash (18 May 2019)

There's more info on H&H news: https://www.horseandhound.co.uk/news/mare-foal-die-vet-held-cycle-race-steward-687110

Must of been horrific for the owners.  Sounds like basic disorganization and poor communication.


----------



## Mule (18 May 2019)

I'd have been spitting blood ðŸ˜Ÿ


----------



## Sandstone1 (18 May 2019)

I can never understand why cyclists are allowed to race on public roads.


----------



## ester (19 May 2019)

Plenty of runs are races and carried out on public roads?


----------



## Equibrit (27 June 2019)

There seems to be a second incident for this type of cycle event. They just caused the fall of a 5 year old from a pony.
Is there drink involved ?

https://www.letsgovelo.co.uk/sportives 

"Our cycling events are some of the most social and enjoyable sportives in the country. We have created the Brewery Cycle Series with the majority of our cycle events taking place from amazing breweries, as well as distilleries and cider mills all around the country. The rides take you on amzing country routes which are fully marked and well organised, with homemade refreshments along the way and a chance to meet friendly like-minded people and have a great day out. Once back at the event HQ you'll have a chance to sample the hosts refreshments. "


----------



## MyBoyChe (28 June 2019)

I wonder how much thought is given to the organisation of some of these events.  Our local marathon, in parts, shares the route with a bridleway, a completely off road section that is a public bridleway.  I emailed the organisers and asked if the runners would be following the highway code and giving way to horses on this section and, if requested to do so by riders, would slow down or stop.  They were a bit taken aback as apparently it hadnt occurred to them, I was told the serious runners wouldnt slow down as they were running for times.  The main roads were closed on a rolling basis during the course of the race, I suggested they needed to roll this out to the bridleway or at the very least, make sure warning signs were put up at all the places where horses could join the route.  They promised this would be done next year...we shall see!  I pointed out that runners coming up quickly behind my horse were at great risk of being skittled out as he leapt sideways in shock, and whats more, it would be their own faults!!  I have also had cause to complain to our local cycling club who hold time trials during the summer evenings close to our yard.  I asked, tongue in cheek,  if they were exempt from the highway code and when told that "No they have to obey all the usual highway regs" suggested they remind their riders not to undertake horses at any time, not to overtake horses at speed, specifically on blind bends and if they could shout out a warning it would be super helpful.  I have noticed over the last year or two that the average club cyclists are much more considerate, I normally get a shout as they approach.  Btw, is it no longer law that a bike on the highway must have a warning bell?


----------



## Leandy (28 June 2019)

Equibrit said:



			Is there drink involved ?
		
Click to expand...

In fairness, it would appear that they are meant to sample the host's refreshments at the end of the ride!

I have been mulling over the ongoing complaints from victims of these kinds of incidents that even if those who were immediately involved in the actual accident stop, many others just carry on at full speed seemingly oblivious to their own and others danger where there is a loose/out of control horse involved.  Given that I'd hope that most people are decent citizens and not complete selfish ****s, I can only conclude that most of these people HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA why the horse has behaved as it has.  They have NO IDEA that a speeding bike has caused the horse to spook/get agitated and so the HAVE NO IDEA that the way to help defuse the situation again is to STOP AND GIVE THE HORSE AND RIDER TIME TO SORT THEMSELVES OUT.  I wonder whether they actually just think they are minding their own business and WHAT IS THAT SILLY RIDER DOING ON THE ROAD WITH AN OUT OF CONTROL HORSE?  It seems to me that there must be a significant amount of people who, through lack of understanding of animal behaviour, make no connection between the two events whatsoever.  Education, education and education would seem to be the answer.


----------



## ester (28 June 2019)

Iâ€™ve recently started going out with our local cycling group, we have a shared use tarmac wide pathway and they are even more cautious than me when passing horses (probably because I can read them a bit better though I donâ€™t presume).
I hadnâ€™t been able to follow up on the recent incident but it sparked a lot of comments on hh Facebook re cyclists racing which given the description it certainly wasnâ€™t at all. The comparison with fun rides seemed appropriate for what a lot of us are doing.


----------



## Velcrobum (28 June 2019)

Apparently this cycle event is going to be held again next year I hope the marshalls are better briefed.................

There was a cycle *race* that finished just outside our drive last Sunday. No warning, no signage and they were using cars to block a busy main road so the peleton did not have to stop. A jobsworth marshall told me I could not leave my drive as the road was closed I corrected him. Then later they had blocked my drive by parking in it......................


----------



## MiJodsR2BlinkinTite (28 June 2019)

If the public highway is to be used for cycle races and is obviously considered by them to be nothing more than a racetrack, then perhaps they wouldn't mind paying road tax for the privilege??


----------



## ester (28 June 2019)

Do we need to have a road tax discussion yet again . I also think it likely that most competitive cyclists also drive a car.


----------



## {97702} (28 June 2019)

I am very local to this incident - the mother of the affected child is my ex-YO. There was no alcohol consumed prior to starting the event, this was a serious event for people who are interested in such things.

As usual there is a whole lot more to this than makes the media story


----------



## Fragglerock (29 June 2019)

ester said:



			Iâ€™ve recently started going out with our local cycling group, we have a shared use tarmac wide pathway and they are even more cautious than me when passing horses (probably because I can read them a bit better though I donâ€™t presume).
I hadnâ€™t been able to follow up on the recent incident but it sparked a lot of comments on hh Facebook re cyclists racing which given the description it certainly wasnâ€™t at all. The comparison with fun rides seemed appropriate for what a lot of us are doing.
		
Click to expand...

I think that the Velos's are timed - they might not be called races but timing does add a competitive element.  Some will be doing it as a fun ride but you can bet there will be those who are trying to get the fastest time.  Many years ago I got caught up in a 'charity ride' on my friends young horse - the first lot of riders were certainly racing (down a steep tarmac bridleway).  The latter (a couple of hours later) were obviously on a fun day out - it was only after the event when I complained to the organisers that I found out they they were being timed.


----------



## ester (29 June 2019)

Oh absolutely, it seems to be a boy thing  and strava has a lot to answer for too.


----------



## Tiddlypom (29 June 2019)

Ruddy Strava!

Lads out to beat their previous time/a mates time/a randomers time for a route . Which of course does not lead to some poor decisions on the road as they fume against a perceived hold up .


----------

