ANIMAL rights activists have welcomed the removal of meat-processing machinery from next year’s Grand National.
Organisers hoped to increase viewing figures for the 30-fence game of equine chicken by having the course redesigned by the producer of Saw III.
But they have now been forced to make changes after French charcuterie owners said the bits would be too small.
An Aintree spokesman said: “We’ll still have footage of educationally subnormal midgets being suplexed by half a ton of horse and Clare Balding calling somebody a ‘bogtrotting fucknut’, so there’s still plenty of reasons to watch.
“The National remains the jewel in the crown of Britain’s abattoir industry. It’s also the sport of kings, because people with egg in their beard who fish cigarette ends out of beer garden ashtrays are truly kings among men.”
Other proposals rejected were firing the 100-1 outsiders from enormous cannons to give them a head start and mounting whip-operated machine guns on the horse’s buttocks.
Riders will also no longer have to base-jump the 250-feet drop after the seventh fence, known parochially as ‘Becher’s Noose’.
Course designer and animal lover Wayne Hayes said: “What am I supposed to do with this eight-foot high Magimix covered in leaves?”