National Hunt Racing Explained
National Hunt racing requires horses to jump fences and ditches. National Hunt racing in the UK is informally known as “jumps” and is divided into two major distinct branches: hurdles and steeplechases.
Alongside these there are “bumpers”, which are National Hunt flat races. In a hurdles race, the horses jump over obstacles called hurdles; in a steeplechase the horses jump over a variety of obstacles that can include plain fences, water jump or an open ditch.
The Grand National at Aintree and the Cheltenham Gold Cup are generally considered to be the biggest in UK.
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; 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.
Did you know? There are 67 National Hunt Racecourses across the UK and Ireland.