This is the race of a life time for many. The Grand National is what all race horse owners and jockeys aspire to. It is a three day event (the festivities) with the race at the Aintree Racecourse, Liverpool, which is typically held on a Saturday in early April. The race has been being run since 1939, and the lucky winner that year was a horse by the name of Lottery.
Horses start being trained as young colts to be a possible Grand National competitor. The horse will have been in other competitions and done well. The horse has to be able to run the difficult course at the Grand National. There is much training and a buildup of trust between trainer, jockey and horse. This race has 16 jumps on a 4.5 mile track, and there are 32 jumps all together that they must be able to make.
The race is done in a two set series so all but two of the jumps must be made twice. There are drop fences in which the horse will land on lower ground than they started on, and also fences where they will land higher on the ground then where they jumped from. The horse has no way to know this about these jumps until they are air borne. This is to test the abilities of the horses.
About halfway through the race course is an ominous looking fence with a 90 degree turn after the jump; this also tests a horse and riders abilities to stay on stride. The final leg of the 4.5 mile run is a long run in to the finish line. This is when the horses are already tired from the vigorous course that they have just run.
This is a very extreme track for the horses and their jockeys. Both must be in the best of shape for this event. At 4.5 miles this is an endurance contest as well. The rigorous jumps and race track curves take a toll on both horse and jockey. This is what they have both trained for, and it is exciting to watch, about 6 million viewers watch the race each year.
There are wonderful old stories about the Grand National. One is about the 1st race and what year it actually took place, some say it was in 1837, while the majority say it was 1939 and that is officially on the books. During World War 1 the race track was closed down, and the race was moved to Gatwick Racecourse, which is the site of the current Gatwick Airport.
The Grand National is the most valuable National Hunt horse race in the world. There is a lot of money to be won by the horse owners and jockeys as well as by the crowd. You can even bet online these days with your favorite pick to win.
Of course what would a horse race be without the big purse for the horse owners and the jockey, and the bets placed by the spectators at the track or online. There are many who have a science to betting on their horse, and others who have no special formula, they just pick who they feel is lucky. - 20785
Horses start being trained as young colts to be a possible Grand National competitor. The horse will have been in other competitions and done well. The horse has to be able to run the difficult course at the Grand National. There is much training and a buildup of trust between trainer, jockey and horse. This race has 16 jumps on a 4.5 mile track, and there are 32 jumps all together that they must be able to make.
The race is done in a two set series so all but two of the jumps must be made twice. There are drop fences in which the horse will land on lower ground than they started on, and also fences where they will land higher on the ground then where they jumped from. The horse has no way to know this about these jumps until they are air borne. This is to test the abilities of the horses.
About halfway through the race course is an ominous looking fence with a 90 degree turn after the jump; this also tests a horse and riders abilities to stay on stride. The final leg of the 4.5 mile run is a long run in to the finish line. This is when the horses are already tired from the vigorous course that they have just run.
This is a very extreme track for the horses and their jockeys. Both must be in the best of shape for this event. At 4.5 miles this is an endurance contest as well. The rigorous jumps and race track curves take a toll on both horse and jockey. This is what they have both trained for, and it is exciting to watch, about 6 million viewers watch the race each year.
There are wonderful old stories about the Grand National. One is about the 1st race and what year it actually took place, some say it was in 1837, while the majority say it was 1939 and that is officially on the books. During World War 1 the race track was closed down, and the race was moved to Gatwick Racecourse, which is the site of the current Gatwick Airport.
The Grand National is the most valuable National Hunt horse race in the world. There is a lot of money to be won by the horse owners and jockeys as well as by the crowd. You can even bet online these days with your favorite pick to win.
Of course what would a horse race be without the big purse for the horse owners and the jockey, and the bets placed by the spectators at the track or online. There are many who have a science to betting on their horse, and others who have no special formula, they just pick who they feel is lucky. - 20785
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