Broadway Boy Grand National Fall: What Happened & Is He Okay?

Few sights in horse racing stop the heart quite like a horse taking a heavy fall at full stride – when Broadway Boy tumbled at the 25th fence of the 2025 Grand National while leading the field, social media erupted with one question: is he okay? Here’s what we know about his survival, his recovery, and what the Twiston-Davies team has confirmed since that tense April afternoon.

Horse name: Broadway Boy ·
Race: Grand National 2025 ·
Fall occurred: April 5, 2025 ·
Status after fall: Alive and returned to stable ·
Trainer: Nigel Twiston-Davies ·
Outcome of race: Did not finish

The following table summarises the key details about Broadway Boy.

What has happened to Broadway Boy at the Grand National?

Summary of the fall incident

Broadway Boy was leading the 2025 Grand National by a length when he fell heavily at the 25th fence, Valentine’s Brook, in front of a global television audience. The incident, captured from multiple camera angles, showed the 7-year-old gelding stumbling on landing and crashing to the turf while jockey Tom Bellamy was unseated and landed on his knees.

On-course veterinary teams reached Broadway Boy within minutes. He was assessed at the scene, then walked onto a horse ambulance for transport to the on-site veterinary hospital at Aintree. Bellamy was taken to hospital with a broken wrist.

The British Horseracing Authority later confirmed that both Broadway Boy and another fallen horse, Celebre d’Allen, received “immediate extensive veterinary treatment” on course. Only 16 of the 34 starters completed the race, with 18 pulled up, unseated, or fallen.

Nigel Twiston-Davies, reached by phone during the broadcast, told BBC Sport: “He’s heading home, that’s the main thing.” By Sunday morning, Willy Twiston-Davies confirmed the horse was leaving the hospital and “coming home” to the Twiston-Davies yard in Gloucestershire.

The implication: The speed and transparency of the veterinary response — confirmed by both the BHA and BBC — means the immediate rescue protocol worked as intended. But the fall itself happened at the most public moment of the racing calendar, placing the sport’s safety record under renewed scrutiny.

Is Broadway Boy okay after his fall?

Veterinary assessment and recovery status

In the days following the fall, Sam Twiston-Davies, brother of Willy and a familiar face in jump racing, described the gelding as “stiff and sore”, which is exactly what you’d expect from a horse that took a heavy fall at speed over 4 miles and 30 fences.

By July 2025, the picture had brightened considerably. Willy Twiston-Davies told Racing Post that the horse was “absolutely A1” — stable language for a horse that’s eating well, moving freely, and showing no signs of distress. “He’s walking out of the box nicely, getting down and up fine,” Willy said, though he cautioned that a full recovery to 100% would take time.

The catch: The word “stiff and sore” came from inside the stable. While the family’s reputation supports the positive narrative, the public has no access to an independent veterinary assessment of the horse’s long-term soundness. For a horse who earned over £200,000 in prize money across six wins, that matters to fans and bettors alike.

Is Broadway Boy a stallion or a gelding?

Form and racing details

Broadway Boy is a gelding — meaning he was castrated before his racing career began, a standard practice in National Hunt racing to improve temperament and focus. He was bred in Ireland (hence “IRE” in his registered name) and has been trained throughout his career by Nigel Twiston-Davies at the family’s Grange Hill Farm stable in Naunton, Gloucestershire.

• Six-time winner over fences and hurdles
• Career prize money: over £200,000
• Age: 7 years old as of the 2025 Grand National
• Sire: Yeats (multiple Ascot Gold Cup winner)
• Dam: Anteya

His best performances came in staying chases — distances of 3 miles and beyond — which made him a natural fit for the 4-mile, 2½-furlong Grand National. He went off as one of the market leaders on the day.

The pattern: Broadway Boy’s profile — Irish-bred, staying chaser, gelded, trained in the Cotswolds — is almost a template for the modern Grand National contender. His 2025 run, though it ended in a fall, confirmed his class: he was leading the race’s most famous field at the fence where the race often turns decisive.

Were any horses killed in the Grand National 2026?

The 2026 Grand National, run on April 11, 2026, saw two horse deaths, according to the RSPCA, which monitors equine fatalities at Aintree. The horses — identified as the Gordon Elliott-trained Gerri Colombe and the Paul Nicholls-trained Threeunderthrufive — both suffered fatal injuries during the race.

The RSPCA has long called for modifications to the course and race conditions. The 2026 deaths reignited those calls, with the charity stating that “two deaths in one race is unacceptable.” The British Horseracing Authority responded by reiterating its commitment to ongoing safety reviews at Aintree.

The trade-off: The Grand National remains the most-watched horse race in the world, generating millions in betting revenue and cultural attention. But each fatality — whether of a household name like Broadway Boy’s companion fall Celebre d’Allen (who died three days after the 2025 race) or of lesser-known runners — chips away at public tolerance for the sport’s inherent risks.

Did all horses survive the Scottish Grand National today?

Yes. The Scottish Grand National, run at Ayr Racecourse three weeks after the Aintree meeting, reported no equine fatalities. However, only six of the 27 runners finished the race — a finishing rate of just 22%.

The low finishing rate prompted Racing Post’s commentator to note that the Ayr course, while shorter and technically less demanding than Aintree, still produced a high attrition rate. No horses were reported injured, but the statistic underscores a recurring theme in modern jump racing: lots of starters, few finishers, and constant scrutiny on welfare.

What this means: The contrast between Aintree (one horse died, one horse survived a heavy fall but remains in recovery) and Ayr (all horses safe, but only 6 of 27 finished) captures the sport’s dilemma. Track safety improvements have reduced fatal injuries over the past decade, but the raw numbers still alarm the public.

Timeline of Broadway Boy’s fall and recovery

• April 5, 2025 — 4:15 PM: Broadway Boy falls at Valentine’s Brook fence, fence 25. Jockey Tom Bellamy unseated. On-course vets arrive within minutes.
• April 5, 2025 — Evening: Treated at Aintree equine hospital. BHA confirms extensive veterinary care underway.
• April 6, 2025 — Morning: “He’s heading home” — Nigel Twiston-Davies to BBC. Horse returns to Gloucestershire stable.
• May 2025: Sam Twiston-Davies describes horse as “stiff and sore” but recovering.
• July 9, 2025: Willy Twiston-Davies tells Racing Post: “He’s absolutely A1. Walking out of the box nicely.”
• October 14, 2025: Reports suggest Broadway Boy unlikely to race again. No official retirement announcement.

Confirmed facts versus what remains uncertain

“He’s absolutely A1. He’s walking out of the box nicely, getting down and up fine. He’s making slow and steady progress.”

— Willy Twiston-Davies, joint-trainer, speaking to Racing Post (July 2025)

“He’s heading home, that’s the main thing.”

— Nigel Twiston-Davies, trainer, speaking to BBC (April 2025)

Broadway Boy’s story is, in many ways, a happy one: a horse that took a terrible fall walked away, recovered, and is now under the care of a family that clearly loves their animals. But the broader picture is more complicated. Another horse, Celebre d’Allen, collapsed on the run-in of the same 2025 Grand National and died three days later. Two horses died in the 2026 running. The Scottish Grand National saw 21 of 27 horses fail to finish.

Frequently asked questions