A sweet couple who have been together “through thick and thin” get engaged at the Grand National
- Jordan Paget popped the question to partner Sarah McGuiness at Aintree today
- The 27-year-old said the best place to propose was the Grand National
- Their magical moment was caught on camera amidst the crowd in the stands
Two lovebirds got engaged at Aintree Racecourse amid chaos at today’s Grand National.
Jordan Paget, 27, popped the question to his girlfriend Sarah McGuiness, 28, surrounded by friends on the final day of the Merseyside horse event.
The couple – who have been through thick and thin together – were filmed by the Liverpool echo during their unforgettable moment.
Wearing a mint blazer, Jordan got down on one knee in the stands at Aintree amongst scores of spectators eager to watch the race.
He later told the publication that he couldn’t have imagined in a “better place” than the Grand National.
Jordan Paget (right) popped the question to partner Sarah McGuiness (left) at Aintree today
“We’ve been through thick and thin together. I knew this was the girl I wanted to marry,” Jordan said.
After his proposal, Sarah appears to wipe away her tears before eagerly saying yes, as many around them cheer.
Each year, the Grand National has a TV audience of up to 600 million in more than 140 countries, as well as tens of thousands of spectators on the course.
Jordan and Sarah’s engagement came just hours before animal rights protesters stormed the track in an attempt to stop horse racing.
The Animal Rising campaigners, armed with ladders, were seen climbing fences at the edge of the track just before the race was due to begin.
A total of 23 activists have now been arrested after police attempts to pull protesters away from the chaos on the road.
Prior to the chaos, Rose Patterson, 33, was also detained on suspicion of conspiracy to cause public disturbance in connection with possible coordinated disturbance activities at Aintree.
Meanwhile, a 25-year-old woman from London and a man were previously detained outside the racecourse on suspicion of conspiracy to cause a disturbance.
Their magical moment was caught on camera amidst the crowd in the stands at Aintree
A spokesperson for Merseyside Police said: ‘We continue to work with The Jockey Club and other partners to keep people safe during the Grand National Festival.
“We are aware of some people planning to protest at the event. This has been taken into account in our plans.
“We respect the right to peaceful protest and expression, but criminal behavior and disorder will not be tolerated and will be dealt with severely.”
A spokesperson for the British Horseracing Authority added: ‘While we respect everyone’s rights to protest safely and legally, we condemn any action that is unlawful, particularly if it endangers the safety of horses, jockeys, officials or fans .’
