Continued . . .
Sunloch was the 100–6 victor in the 1914 Grand National Steeplechase (the last one before World War I) at Aintree, winning by eight lengths. He ran again in 1919 but was pulled up. Then, in training for the 1920 chase, he fell, broke his leg, and was euthanized by gunshot. He is buried where he fell.
Now he will receive a plaque. Councillor Peter Lewis, Leicestershire County’s representative for green plaques, said:
“Some folk might say a racehorse seems an odd choice for a green plaque. But the fact is, the strength of feeling among the people who voted and nominated him just shows the impact animals, as well as people and buildings, can have on communities. Sunloch’s performance at the Grand National has already been commemorated at Aintree, so why not a plaque in the town where he was trained?”
Surely the Memorial is full of hidden stories, like Sunloch’s.
