Last year’s Scottish Grand National winner Macdermott was one of two fatalities in the race, along with The Kniphand. The race was incident-packed with only eight finishers out of 23 runners. Jockey Harry Atkins was knocked unconscious and stood down, but all other jockeys were unscathed.
Animal rights activist Rose Patterson described the race as “carnage” and criticized the racing industry for its cruelty towards horses. She called for an end to horse racing until no more horses die for sport. Animal Rising campaigners were arrested in 2023 for attempting to halt the Epsom horse races and were arrested again in 2025 after the death of horse Oscar Elite.
In addition to the fatalities at the Scottish Grand National, there was also an equine fatality at the 2025 Grand National. Celebre d’Allen collapsed after jumping the final fence and later died from a severe bacterial lung infection. The jockey, Micheal Nolan, was suspended for ten days for continuing to ride the horse when it appeared exhausted.
