Grand National first jump, suddenly veered across the leading group at the 23rd, causing them to either stop, refuse or unseat their riders. Racing journalist Lord Oaksey described the resulting pile-up by saying that Popham Down had "cut down the leaders like a row of thistles". Some horses even started running in the wrong direction, back the way they had come. Foinavon, whose owner had such little faith in him that he had travelled to Worcester that day instead, had been lagging some 100 yards behind the leading pack, giving his jockey, John Buckingham, time to steer his mount wide of the
2012 Grand National sixth obstacle, saw the well-backed Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Synchronised fall. McCoy suffered a soft-tissue injury but Synchronised did not appear to suffer serious injury, and he continued running riderless until the 11th fence where he fell again, fracturing his right-hind tibia and fibula; racecourse vets had to euthanise him. Outsider Alfa Beat was a faller at the Foinavon fence after Becher's, and the next obstacle, the Canal Turn, saw five runners exit the race. Black Apalachi fell while the riders of Organisedconfusion, Tatenen, Killyglen and Becauseicouldntsee were all unseated. Over the tenth, joint-favourite Shaklakaboomboom continued to lead from Planet