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62-508: The Nakayama Grand Jump (中山グランドジャンプ) is a Japanese horse racing steeplechase , held at Nakayama Racecourse every year in mid-April. It is for thoroughbreds , four years old and older, run at a distance of 4250m (2 5/8 miles + 84 feet). With a purse of over 142,660,000 yen, (about US$ 1.3 million), the Nakayama Grand Jump is one of the richest steeplechase races in the world. Held as " Nakayama Daishogai spring" until 1998, it

124-408: A different track each year. The 'National Hunt Meeting' established itself in the racing calendar, in turn moving around such courses as Sandown, New market, Derby, Liverpool, Hurst Park, Lincoln, Leicester and many others. In 1904 and 1905, Cheltenham hosted the meeting, and although Warwick was awarded it for five years after that, it then returned to Cheltenham which became the permanent home of

186-737: A farm and estate in Mineral Springs, North Carolina , about 20 miles (32 km) from Charlotte . The Breeders' Cup Grand National Steeplechase (formerly known as the American Grand National ) is held each October at the Far Hills Races in Far Hills, New Jersey and draws about 50,000 spectators for a single day race-meet. It is the richest event in American steeplechasing with a purse of $ 500,000. During

248-470: A gold trophy designed by King Alfonso XIII of Spain. The Iroquois Steeplechase event is held in Nashville , Tennessee . Beginning in 1941, with one year off during World War II , the race has been run continuously at Percy Warner Park on a course inspired by Marcellus Frost and designed by William duPont. The Queens Cup Steeplechase is held annually on the last Saturday of April at Brooklandwood ,

310-910: A horse hits a timber fence hard enough, it can bring it almost to a complete stop. Most notable US timber races include the Maryland Hunt Cup in Glyndon , Middleburg Spring Races in Middleburg and the Virginia Gold Cup in The Plains . Timber races currently are not held at any major US tracks (since the fences are not portable) but can be found at almost all steeplechase meets. American jump racing happens in 11 states: Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey and New York. The National Steeplechase Association

372-524: A record 22 hurdle / steeplechase events in one season. Each state holds its own Grand National race: the most prestigious is the VRC Grand National at Flemington run in the winter. The jumping season culminates with the set-weights-and-penalties Hiskens Steeple run at Moonee Valley . The Hiskens is regarded as the Cox Plate of jumps racing. The most famous Australian horse in the field

434-419: A steeplechase phase, which was held in its CCI 3 Day event format. This phase is called cross country phase B when in the context of eventing. There was a roads and tracks phase, a steeplechase phase, a second, faster roads and track phase and finally the cross country jumps course. Now only the cross country jumps course remains (changes were due to space required for the additional courses and logistics). Unlike

496-459: A timber race with a very large purse. Every first Saturday in May, more than 50,000 spectators gather at Great Meadow near The Plains, Virginia (45 miles (72 km) west of Washington, DC). The 4-mile (6.4 km) grass course with 4-foot (1.2 m) high timber fences is often referred to as the "crown jewel of steeplechasing". Tennessee State Historian Walter T. Durham's book Grasslands relates

558-504: A whole host of other important races have been added to the National Hunt racing season, although many of these are geared towards generating betting turnover in the form of competitive handicaps that attract large numbers of runners. Given the sport's origins, Irish-bred and trained horses remain a dominant force in national hunt racing today. In 2005 and 2006, Irish-trained horses captured the three main prizes at Cheltenham and won

620-540: Is a form of horse racing particular to France , Great Britain and Ireland , that requires horses to jump over fences and ditches. In the UK , national hunt racing is divided into two major distinct branches, hurdling and steeplechase , as well as flat races called " bumpers ". Hurdling involves horses jumping over hurdles , while steeplechase involves the horses jumping over a variety of different obstacles that includes plain fences , water jump or an open ditch. Some of

682-541: Is also among the oldest steeplechase races in the United States, with its first running in 1922. Up until recently, the Gold Cup was a four-mile (6 km) long hurdle race. The length of this race prompted many jokes - such as the jockeys putting marbles in their mouth and spitting one out each lap to keep track of what lap they had completed. Since the Gold Cup moved to the present course, it has been changed into

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744-507: Is an emphasis on safety in Australia which has led to a reduction in the size of obstacles. As jumps races take place at flat racing meetings there is also a need for portable jumps. Most chasing occurs on steeple lanes but also includes parts of the main flat racing track. From Easter to May the major distance races occur: The Great Eastern Steeplechase is held on Easter Monday at Oakbank, South Australia drawing crowds of over 100,000, and

806-415: Is much different. Because of the size of the fences and their solid and unyielding construction, a timber horse is trained to jump with an arc, unlike a hurdle racer. An important factor in success at timber racing is for the horse to land in stride, so that it can carry its speed forward on the flat part of the race course. This is harder than in hurdle races because the nature of the obstacle being jumped. If

868-600: Is officially known as National Hunt racing . French jump racing is similar to British and Irish National Hunt races, with a few notable differences. Hurdles are not collapsible, being more akin to small brush fences. Chases often have large fences called bullfinches, a large hedge up to 8 ft (2.4 m) tall that horses have to jump through rather than over. There are also a larger number of cross-country chases where horses have to jump up and down banks, gallop through water, jump over stone walls as well as jump normal chasing fences. Unlike in most countries where nearly all of

930-461: Is run over 4.3 miles (6.9 km). Notably, the 'Liverpool Grand Steeplechase' (to give its original name) was actually initiated in 1836, although the three earliest runnings have been overlooked in many historical chronicles. Organising steeplechasing in Britain, began with annual events being staged cross country over a number of fields, hedges and brooks, the earliest most notable of these being

992-676: Is the Grand National , run at Aintree in April each year. The race is a different sort of contest from the Gold Cup: it is a Grade 3 race, it is run over a distance of more than 4 miles (6.4 km), there are up to 40 runners, the course at Aintree is essentially flat, and the horses are handicapped (the best horses carry the most weight). Perhaps the most fundamental difference is that the Grand National fences are far bigger than

1054-595: Is the official sanctioning body of American jump racing. Steeplechase Times newspaper covers the sport. Thomas Hitchcock (1860–1941) is known as the father of American steeplechasing. In the late 1800s, he built a steeplechase training center on his 3,000-acre (12 km ) property in Aiken, South Carolina and trained horses imported from England. No less important are the contributions by fellow Aiken seasonal resident F. Ambrose Clark . Clark held many important chases on his Brookville (Long Island) estate, Broad Hollow, in

1116-424: Is trained to jump in as much of a regular stride as possible. This allows the horse to maintain its speed upon landing. Since it is not always possible to meet a fence in stride, the horses are also schooled in how to jump out of stride. An out-of-stride jump can decrease a horse's speed drastically. Hurdle races are commonly run at distances of 2–3 miles (3–5 km). Hurdle races occur at steeplechase meets mainly in

1178-783: The Grand Annual , which has the most fences of any steeplechase in the world, is held in May at Warrnambool, Victoria From the late 1800s to the 1930s the McGowan Family of Brooklyn Park South Australia, were leaders in steeplechase and hurdle racing events. Jack McGowan winning the ARC Grand National, the Oakbank Hurdle, the VRC Cup Hurdle and the Harry D Young Hurdle while his son John McGowan won

1240-838: The Hanshin Racecourse , the Tokyo Racecourse and the Kokura Racecourse also host graded steeplechase races. The most famous Japanese horse in the field was Oju Chosan , who has won Nakayama Grand Jump six times (including five consecutive times), and Nakayama Daishogai three times. Number of jumping races by country in 2008. In 2021, jumps racing in Australia was only run in Victoria and South Australia, though, contrary to common belief, only New South Wales had banned it. All six states and Australian Capital Territory have some history of jumps racing and

1302-831: The Scottish Grand National at Ayr Racecourse ; the King George VI Chase at Kempton Park Racecourse ; the Welsh National at Chepstow Racecourse ; and the Irish National at Fairyhouse Racecourse . National Hunt racing originated in Ireland , particularly in the southern counties. Early races were mainly two-horse contests known as "pounding races" that became popular in the early 18th century. These involved long trips across country where horses were required to jump whatever obstacles

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1364-819: The United States . In Ireland, National Hunt racing receives much higher attendances than flat racing, while in Great Britain, it is more balanced, but the different seasons (there is little top-class flat racing in Britain from November to March) mean that most fans of the sport can enjoy both forms of racing at their pleasure. National Hunt horses are often bred for jumping, while others are former flat horses but they do not have to be Thoroughbreds : many French-bred jumpers are Selle Français or AQPS . Many horses begin their racing careers in amateur point-to-pointing where they compete over steeplechase races of three miles (4.8 km). The two main highlights of

1426-943: The 1920s and 1930s. Ford Conger Field was built by F. Ambrose Clark and is the site of the annual Aiken Steeplechase, a part of the Triple Crown in March. The first Steeplechase Meet in Aiken was held March 14, 1930 in Hitchcock Woods. In addition to the Aiken Steeplechase, South Carolina is also home to the Colonial Cup and the Carolina Cup, which is the largest event on the circuit. Both of these races are held in Camden, South Carolina . The Virginia Gold Cup

1488-660: The 1940s and 50s, the Broad Hollow Steeplechase Handicap , the Brook National Steeplechase Handicap and the American Grand National were regarded as American steeplechasing's Triple Crown . Kentucky Downs near Franklin, Kentucky (originally Dueling Grounds Race Course) was built in 1990 as a steeplechase track, with a kidney-shaped turf circuit. At its inception, the track offered some of

1550-568: The 1980s. On October 1, 2021 it was announced that jumps racing will no longer be conducted in South Australia mainly due to the small number of South Australian jumps horses. There were plans to run the Great Eastern and Von Doussa Steeplechase as a flat race. However on 3rd March 2022 it was announced that would not happen. However, many jumps racing supporters attempted to keep jumps racing at Oakbank and that fight went into

1612-690: The Cheltenham Festival is the Gold Cup . All races run at Cheltenham finish with a long uphill run-in in front of the stands. The Gold Cup is a Grade 1 race, run over a distance of 3 miles 2 + 1 ⁄ 2  furlongs (5.3 km). All horses carry the same weight in the Gold Cup. On numerous occasions the hill at the finish has found out the brave. Famous winners of the Gold Cup include Dawn Run (mare, ridden by Jonjo O'Neill), Arkle , Golden Miller, Best Mate, Desert Orchid & Kauto Star . The highest profile National Hunt race

1674-620: The Grand National. Best Mate who captured the Cheltenham Gold Cup three successive times between 2002 and 2004, was Irish-bred, but trained and owned in England . In recent years, French-bred horses have also come to the forefront with horses such as Master Minded becoming the highest rated horse in Britain after winning the Queen Mother Champion Chase. Kauto Star who won the Gold Cup in 2007, 2009 and

1736-462: The Mid-Atlantic and Southeast and on the turf courses of several racetracks – Saratoga, Colonial Downs, Penn National, Monmouth Park and others. Timber racing is conducted over solid and immovable wooden rail fences that, in the most extreme case, may reach five feet (1.5 m) high. The distances are longer, ranging from three to four miles (6 km), and the jumping effort required of the horse

1798-495: The National Hunt calendar are the Cheltenham Festival meeting and the Grand National meeting. The Cheltenham Festival is held at Cheltenham Racecourse over four days in the second week of March. On Friday, it features eleven grade one races, culminating in the Cheltenham Gold Cup , the most prestigious Chase race in the world. The Grand National meeting is held at Aintree over three days every April. Many of

1860-522: The National fences, standardized plastic and steel fences that are 52 inches tall, with traditional natural fences of packed pine (Springdale Race Course in Camden, South Carolina ) and live hedges ( Montpelier , Virginia) in use on a few courses. National fences stand 52 inches tall at the highest point, but are mostly made of synthetic "brush" that can be brushed through (much like the synthetic fences now used in other countries). The hurdle horse

1922-649: The South Australian court system. That resulted in an election in which the anti-jumps faction won, but debate surrounding that vote spilled into more legal action. Soon after, the South Australian government outlawed jumps racing in the state. Jumps racing is opposed in Australia by groups including the animal rights organisations the RSPCA Australia , Animals Australia , and Animal Liberation (South Australia), and by political parties such as The Greens . The equestrian sport of eventing had

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1984-658: The St Albans Steeplechase (first run in 1830). For some years, there was no regulation of steeplechasing . The sport gained a reputation as being a bastard relation of flat-racing and consequently fell into decline. A breakthrough came in the 1860s with the formation of the National Hunt Committee, and the running of the National Hunt Steeplechase. This steeplechase would form part of an annual race-meeting staged at

2046-578: The best horses come to these festivals, which are watched by a huge television audience worldwide. Hundreds of millions of pounds are gambled on these festivals . Other important festivals are: the Galway Races – a hugely popular mixed (NH and flat) meeting in Ireland; Punchestown Festival – the Irish equivalent of the Cheltenham Festival; The Tingle Creek at Sandown Park Racecourse ;

2108-705: The biggest National Hunt events of the year in the UK are the Grand National and the Cheltenham Gold Cup . The National Hunt season primarily occurs during the winter months when softer ground conditions make jumping safer for horses. The horses are significantly cheaper compared to sport horses for other equestrian sports, reason being the majority are geldings and have no breeding value. Jump Racing primarily takes place in France , Great Britain and Ireland , with some events also taking place in Australia , Canada and

2170-706: The biggest jumps, along with Pau. The Grand Steeple Grade I race is held at Auteuil in June. The Velká pardubická Steeplechase in Pardubice in the Czech Republic is the location of one of the longest steeplechase races in Europe. The first Velka Pardubice Steeplechase was held on 5 November 1874 and it has been hosted annually since. In the United States, there are two forms of steeplechasing (or jumps racing): hurdle and timber. Hurdle races occur almost always over

2232-453: The eastern states of Queensland and New South Wales shut down jumps racing, while Tasmania ceased jumps racing in April 2007 due to economic unfeasibility and a lack of entries. The jumping season in Australia normally takes place from March until September. (some minor races are held either side of these months). Horses used for steeplechasing are primarily former flat racing horses, rather than horses specifically bred for jumping. There

2294-471: The fences at Cheltenham and a number of fences incorporate significant drops. The best known fence is Becher's Brook which is 5 ft (1.5 m) high, but has a 7 ft (2 m) drop on landing and is often regarded as the biggest challenge on the course. Winners of the Grand National include Red Rum (won 3 times:1973, 1974, 1977), runner up twice (1975, 1976)); Mr Frisk (1990, the last winner to date to be ridden by an amateur jockey and still holds

2356-514: The first 3 of a Grade 1 or 2 chase in the previous season from taking part. The two biggest Hunter Chases are the Aintree Fox Hunters' Chase and Cheltenham Foxhunter Chase . The Aintree Fox Hunters' is run as the feature race on the first day of the Grand National meeting over one circuit of the Grand National course. This gives amateur riders the chance to jump these famous fences before the professionals. The Cheltenham Foxhunter

2418-633: The first recorded steeplechase of any kind in England took place in Leicestershire in 1792, when three horses raced the eight miles from Barkby Holt to Billesdon Coplow and back. The first recorded hurdle race took place at Durdham Down near Bristol in 1821. There were 5 hurdles on the mile long course, and the race was run in three heats. The first recognised English National Steeplechase took place on Monday 8 March 1830. The 4-mile (6.4 km) race, organised by Thomas Coleman of St Albans ,

2480-560: The fixture. Further prestigious races were added to the card during the 1920s, such as the Cheltenham Gold Cup and Champion Hurdle. As steeplechasing entered its modern era, the Cheltenham Festival became the pinnacle of the season, providing a series of championship races at which virtually all top horses would be targeted. With the introduction of sponsorship (starting with the Whitbread Gold Cup in 1957),

2542-546: The history of the Southern Grasslands Hunt and Racing Foundation, a group that organized the first international steeplechase held on U.S. soil 80 years ago at Grassland Downs, a 24-square-mile (62 km ) course located in Gallatin, TN between 1929 and 1932. In addition to holding an inaugural race in 1930, two international steeplechases were held at Grasslands in 1930 and 1931. The winners were awarded

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2604-509: The horse's agility. The variety in obstacles is used to make the horse demonstrate agility, power, intelligence, and bravery. The long format was phased out at the FEI level between 2003 and 2008, but several countries continue to run long format events at the national level, including the US, Great Britain, and Canada. National Hunt racing National Hunt racing , also known as Jump Racing ,

2666-602: The horses used for jump racing are thoroughbreds, many of the horses in French jump racing are AQPS (Autre Que Pur Sang), a breed of horse now known as "French Chasers" developed in France crossing thoroughbreds with saddle horses and other local breeds. These horses have competed and won the Grand National, the Cheltenham Gold Cup and the Pardubice. Auteuil in Paris is the best known racecourse in France for French jump racing, with

2728-458: The landscape threw in their way. The first recorded race of this nature is traditionally said to have taken place between the towns of Buttevant and Doneraile in the north of County Cork in 1752. The distance of the race was 4.5 miles (7.2 km). The start and finish were marked by the church steeple in each town, hence the term " steeplechase ". Point-to-point races, amateur steeplechases normally run on farmland, remain hugely popular in

2790-667: The list of Grade 1-3 National Hunt races and the list of Group 1-3 Flat races . The capital of National Hunt racing in the UK is Cheltenham Racecourse , in the Cotswolds , which hosts the Cheltenham Festival in the third week of March each year, as well as other important fixtures during the NH calendar. There are numerous well-known trainers operating in the Cotswolds including Jonjo O'Neill , Richard Phillips, Tom George, Nigel Twiston-Davies, and latterly Kim Bailey. The highlight of

2852-479: The mêlée occurred is now named "Foinavon Fence"). Other NH races of note include the King George VI Chase , run at Kempton Park on 26 December and the Hennessy Gold Cup run at Newbury at the end of November. Hunter chases take place at national hunt racecourses but are only open to horses that have hunter certificates. Hunter certificates are issued to horses that have hunted for at least four days in

2914-574: The obstacles are much smaller. The collective term "jump racing" or " National Hunt racing " is used when referring to steeplechases and hurdle races collectively (although, properly speaking, National Hunt racing also includes some flat races ). Elsewhere in the world, "steeplechase" is used to refer to any race that involves jumping obstacles. The most famous steeplechase in the world is the Grand National run annually at Aintree Racecourse , in Liverpool , since its inception in 1836 (the official race

2976-445: The outer turf course along the backstretch for the race's final three jumps. Five foreign runners have won: St Steven (New Zealand 2002), Karasi (Australia 2005, 2006, 2007) and Blackstairmountain (Ireland 2013). Steeplechase (horse racing) Modern usage of the term "steeplechase" differs between countries. In Ireland and Great Britain, it refers only to races run over large, fixed obstacles, in contrast to " hurdle " races where

3038-463: The race was believed to have been in the library of the O'Briens of Dromoland Castle . Most of the earlier steeplechases were contested cross-country rather than on a track, and resembled English cross country as it exists today. The first recorded steeplechase over a prepared track with fences was run at Bedford in 1810, although a race had been run at Newmarket in 1794 over a mile (1600 m) with five-foot (1.5 m) bars every quarter mile (400 m). and

3100-634: The racing form, which is far closer to the sport of hunting, the horses do not race each other over the course, but rather are required to come within a pre-set "optimum time period". Penalty points are added to the competitor's score if they exceed or come in well under the optimum time. While phase B obstacles are similar to those found on actual steeplechase courses, the cross country obstacles for phase D are usually extremely varied, some being topped with brush as in steeplechasing, others being solid, others are into and out of water and others are over ditches. There are often combinations of several fences to test

3162-405: The record for the fastest time); Aldaniti (1981, ridden by Bob Champion shortly after he had recovered from cancer. His story was made into a film); and Foinavon (1967, won at odds of 100/1 after a mêlée at the 23rd fence resulted in the majority of the field falling or refusing. Foinavon was far enough behind at that point to avoid the confusion and ran on to win by 20 lengths. The fence where

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3224-464: The richest purses in the history of American steeplechase including a $ 750,000 race. The track has undergone numerous ownership changes, with steeplechase races playing an on-and-off role (mainly off) in the track's limited live race meets. The Stoneybrook Steeplechase was initiated in Southern Pines, North Carolina on a private farm owned by Michael G. Walsh in 1949 and was held annually in

3286-429: The same region and in many parts of rural Ireland and Great Britain , today. The first use of the term steeplechase on an official racecard was in Ireland in the early 19th century. The 'official' first running of the Grand National , held annually at Aintree in England, took place in 1839 and was won by an Irish horse, Lottery . The "National", as it is known, was run over 4.5 miles (7.2 km), but since 2013

3348-598: The season before racing starts in January. In addition, the jockey must be an amateur who has obtained a certificate from the hunt secretary. Unlike point-to-points , licensed trainers as well as amateur trainers may have runners in Hunter Chases. This often causes controversy when big name trainers run former Grade 1 horses in Hunter Chases as amateur trainers feel they are unable to compete. New rules which took effect in 2009, will prevent horses which have finished in

3410-414: The spring until 1996, with attendance near 20,000. It resumed as an annual spring event at the new Carolina Horse Park in 2001, but was discontinued after 2016. The New York Turf Writers Cup is held each year at Saratoga Race Course , attracting the best steeplechasing horses in the U.S. Australia has a long history of jumps racing which was introduced by British settlers. In the late 20th century,

3472-448: The states that stopped conducting jumps racings were based on economic decisions. The NSW government officially shut down jumps racing in 1997 after a bill was put through linked with bird tethering, but by that stage there had not been regular jumps race meetings in NSW since World War II, when it was ceased due to the war efforts, except for a handful of exhibition events on an annual basis in

3534-411: Was Crisp , who was narrowly beaten by the champion Red Rum in the 1973 English Grand National. Crisp subsequently beat Red Rum at set weights. Jumps racing was set to end in Victoria after the 2010 season. In September 2010, having satisfied a limit on the maximum number of deaths among starting horses, hurdle racing was granted a 3-year extension by Racing Victoria. A decision regarding steeplechase

3596-461: Was first run in 1999 as a 4100m race. It is one of two Grade I steeplechase races on Japanese turf, beside the Nakayama Daishogai , which slightly reconfigures the same racecourse. The race is run on Nakayama's steeplechase course, which follows a twisted path on the racecourse interior over a series of jumps, inclines and declines. The dirt course is also crossed several times. On the final lap, with about 1200 m (3/4 mile) remaining, horses enter

3658-572: Was held three years later), which in 2014 offered a prize fund of £ 1 million. The steeplechase originated in Ireland in the 18th century as an analogue to cross-country thoroughbred horse races which went from church steeple to church steeple, hence "steeplechase". The first steeplechase is said to have been the result of a wager in 1752 between Cornelius O'Callaghan and Edmund Blake, racing four miles (6.4 km) cross-country from St John's Church in Buttevant to St Mary's Church (Church of Ireland) in Doneraile , in Cork , Ireland . An account of

3720-491: Was postponed until October 2010 when a program for the 2011 season only was granted. Since 2012, both hurdle races and steeplechases have been approved by Racing Victoria. The Nakayama Racecourse is Japan's premier steeplechase racetrack. The two most prestigious races are the Nakayama Daishogai (first held in 1934) and the Nakayama Grand Jump (held since 1999). Both races have prize money of about 140 million yen, similar to Aintree's Grand National. The Kyoto Racecourse ,

3782-571: Was run from Bury Orchard, Harlington in Bedfordshire to the Obelisk in Wrest Park, Bedfordshire. The winner was Captain Macdowall on "The Wonder", owned by Lord Ranelagh, who won in a time of 16 minutes 25 seconds. Report of the event appeared in the May and July editions of Sporting Magazine in 1830. In Great Britain and Ireland, "steeplechase" only refers to one branch of jump racing. Collectively, Great Britain and Ireland account for over 50% of all jump races worldwide, carding 4,800 races over fences in 2008. Jump racing in Great Britain and Ireland

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3844-486: Was second in 2008 is also French bred. Races are graded depending on their health and mental status. The most prestigious are Grade 1, then Grade 2, Grade 3, Listed, Handicaps, to Bumpers the least prestigious. The more highly graded races attract more prize money and better horses. (In flat racing the more prestigious races are Group 1, 2, and 3, then Listed). All National Hunt races are also classified in classes 1-7 (class 1 best). Graded and listed races are class 1. See

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