Race horse jumps into crowd at Australian event
A shocking incident has highlighted the importance of equine insurance, after a race horse leapt a fence at an Australian competition.
Seven members of the public were injured, including a two-year-old girl and an elderly woman, when Banna Strand jumped over the two-metre partition and crashed into a group of spectators.
An eyewitness told radio station 3AW: "It's veered off to the left and jumped over the fence and gone straight on top of the crowd. There were four-year-old children, elderly lying all over the road and screaming in terror."
The accident occurred during the Grand Annual Steeplechase at Warrnambool race track, in south-east Australia.
It is not the first time the course has been the subject of controversy, after a local branch of the RSPCA described the site as "the killing fields".
Last month, Aintree and Ayr race courses were criticised after two mounts died in both the John Smith's Grand National and the Scottish Grand National races.
May 05th 2011
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