Jockey who was banned after riding tragic Celebre d’Allen at Grand National DELETES his social media accounts following backlash from Aintree race – as outraged fans call for major rule change
Micheal Nolan, the jockey who rode Celebre D’Allen in the Grand National, has deleted his social media accounts after suffering abuse in the wake of the horse’s death.
It was tragically announced on Tuesday that Celebre D’Allen had passed away on Monday night aged 13, just two days after collapsing at the Aintree showpiece event with ‘nothing left to give’.
The gelding, a 125/1 outsider trained by Philip Hobbs and Johnson White, weakened in the late stages and collapsed after the last fence, requiring veterinary attention.
Jockey Nolan was handed a 10-day ban after the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) confirmed that he had breached riding rules by continuing on a horse that was clearly struggling. That came following a stewards’ enquiry which saw Nolan and the Veterinary Officer interviewed.
And, following news of Celebre D’Allen’s passing, Nolan suffered a torrent of abuse online.
Several furious viewers had taken aim at the jockey as one said: ‘Absolutely disgusted by what you did to that poor horse.’
Micheal Nolan, the jockey who rode Celebre D’Allen in the Grand National, has deleted his social media accounts after suffering abuse in the wake of the horse’s tragic death
Celebre D’Allen (2nd right) died aged 13 on Monday night, two days after collapsing at Aintree
Nolan (right) was hit with the 10-day ban after the horse had ‘no more to give’ before collapsing
Another furious commenter labelled Nolan a ‘horse abuser’, before a further individual said: ‘You got off lightly with your ban, practically whipping a horse to injury or death, you should be ashamed, owners should steer clear of you…’
Another added: ‘In my opinion, the 10 day ban given to Michael Nolan was not enough. A 13 year old horse thrashed over the Grand National fences on a hot day, when he clearly had no more to give was awful to see, and has now had devastating consequences. RIP Celebre d’Allen.’
An extra individual fumed: ‘Michael Nolan should be banned for life IMO, should never be allowed to ride in a race again those jockeys have a duty of care to the horses and he’s let Celebre D’Allen down, he rides many horses each week and knows when they are beaten. 0 excuse should be banned.’
Nolan’s accounts on X and Facebook were subsequently deleted following the abuse, while he was also heavily criticised by animal rights groups.
‘It is absolutely abhorrent that after racing until he had ‘no more to give’ in the Grand National, Celebre D’Allen has died,’ Animal Aid’s director Iain Green wrote in a statement.
‘The jockey riding him to the point of collapse received a pitiful 10-day suspension.
‘To allow a horse of this age to race in the most punishing and notoriously dangerous race on record is nothing short of criminal, and the responsibility for this falls with the British Horseracing Authority (BHA).
‘Horse running for their lives is not sport, it is blatant and disturbing animal abuse.’
Nolan suffered online abuse after the horse’s death from fans and animal rights groups
The jockey subsequently deleted both his X and Facebook accounts in the wake of the abuse
The death of Celebre D’Allen continued to be a major talking point on social media and several fans highlighted the tragic incident as a chance to call for a major rule change at Aintree.
The horse was 13 years old – the eldest in the field – and fans felt that an age limit has to be introduced for the showpiece event in the future.
One said: ‘He should never have been entered in that race. Never. Not at 13 years old. That nasty jockey needs banning for life! Poor, poor Celebre D Allen, he did not deserve the way he was treated!’
Another fan added: ‘Not been a 13 year old winner in 100 years. Celebre D’allen was an out and out 3 miler. Have your day in the sun as an owner/jockey. Pull him up when necessary. Nolan’s had nearly 1200 rides in the last 5 years. He’s no amateur, in fact he’s good on his day. No excuses. RIP.’
A further fan chimed in with: ‘Desperately sad. It’s easy to reflect but the horse was 13 years old and the jockey clearly was not interested in the horses welfare. Celebre D’Allen is now dead. Credibility lost for all parties.’
An extra upset individual added: ‘Absolutely heartbreaking, particularly for those who loved and cared for him. I’m a racing fan but you have to question the decision to run a 13 year old in the GN in the first place. Jockey’s ban needs to be reviewed and extended. RIP Celebre D’Allen – you deserved better !’
Meanwhile, Philip Hobbs and Johnson White Racing, the horse’s trainer, said in a statement on Tuesday morning: ‘We’re heartbroken to share that Celebre D’Allen has passed away. He received the very best treatment by the veterinary teams and was improving.
Other upset fans called for a rule change that would see an age limit introduced for the race
‘However, he deteriorated significantly last night and could not be saved. He was a wonderful horse and we will all miss him greatly.’
Celebre D’Allen had started well in the Grand National but appeared to be in difficulty after the second-last fence. Nolan continued to ride before finally pulling up after jumping the last.
The gelding was later able to walk into a horse ambulance and was taken for further assessment.
The Sun and ITV’s Matt Chapman revealed on Saturday evening that Celebre D’Allen had suffered heatstroke and would remain at Aintree overnight for monitoring.
And on Sunday there was a brighter outlook on Celebre D’Allen’s condition with the gelding looking in fine fettle on social media.
Taking to X, Hobbs and White’s joint-account shared a video of the horse along with the caption: ‘Celebre D’Allen bright and breezy this morning @AintreeRaces after running so well in the Grand National.”
Elsewhere, the BHA’s full statement on the incident read: ‘An enquiry was held to consider whether Micheal Nolan, the rider of CELEBRE D’ALLEN (FR), had continued in the race when the horse appeared to have no more to give and was clearly losing ground after the second-last fence.
‘The rider and the Veterinary Officer were interviewed, and recordings of the incident were viewed. The rider was suspended for 10 days.’
Celebre D’Allen had looked in a brighter mood on Sunday after receiving veterinary attention
The 13-year-old gelding (pictured in 2023) started well at the Grand National but was clearly struggling towards the end, however jockey Nolan only pulled up after the final hurdle
Then, in a statement following Celebre D’Allen’s death, the BHA’s acting chief executive Brant Dunshea wrote: ‘All of us at the BHA are saddened to learn of the death of Celebre D’Allen following Saturday’s Randox Grand National.
‘It has been clear to see since Saturday afternoon just how much the horse meant to his connections and we send our condolences to them today.
‘As with all runners in the Grand National, Celebre D’Allen was provided with a thorough check by vets at the racecourse. This health check includes a trot up, physical examination of limbs to check for any heat, pain or swelling, and listening to the heart to check for any murmur or rhythm disturbance.
‘This marks the final step in an extensive process of checks to ensure a horses’ suitability to race in the National, which also includes a review of veterinary records and assessment by a Panel of experts to consider a horse’s race record and suitability to race. As part of this process the horse would also have been examined by the trainer’s own vet on the two occasions, a month apart.’
They continued: ‘Celebre D’Allen received treatment from the team of expert vets after pulling up and then collapsing towards the end of the race.’
‘Having been immediately attended to by the teams on site, he was given all the time he needed to respond to treatment on course before being transported back to the first-class veterinary facilities at the racecourse stables, where he remained overnight, continuing to receive care and attention.
‘He subsequently travelled to a nearby stud which was connected to the horse’s owners on Sunday, having shown improvement overnight.
‘The BHA and Aintree racecourse will analyse the race and this incident in detail, as is the case every year and with every fatal injury in any race. This will include the horse being sent for post-mortem.
‘The process of reviewing every fatality allows us to build on our existing data and help us understand how all reasonable avoidable risk can be reduced in order to keep our horses and riders as safe as possible.
‘This process previously led to the changes that were made to the Grand National in 2024, including the reduction in the number of runners. Prior to Saturday’s race there had been no fatal injuries in the previous nine races run over the Grand National course since the 2023 National.’
