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The Grand National is the Super bowl of horse racing, well sort of. It is one of the most esteemed races in the world; it is steeped in rich history, and you have to be the best to compete. Only the best horses ages 6 years and up are allowed to participate. It is held at the same time each year, in early April, and it is what all horse owners and jockeys train for. This race has been held since 1939 on the record some say 1937; that is up for debate by those who know.

The Grand National is considered to be one of the toughest races in the world. There have been many horses lives lost and one jockey in over the years the race has been run. The course has 16 fences to be jumped; “the chair” and “the waterfall” are also jumps that the horses must make. The latter two are only jumped one time during the total race which is done in a two set series.

The Grand National has had some tragedies in its time. There have been 62 deaths of horses and 1 jockey since the Grand National started back in 1939. The Grand National is run in a series of 2 sets and it takes skill and endurance to get through the race course. The jumps have aspects such as lower or higher ground on the other side of the fence. This is a test of how well the horse has been trained.

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.

The track is very intense for the horses and their riders. They both must be in top form for this race. Endurance is also a must as it is a long race at 4.5 miles with rigorous jumps and race track curves. You can often see the strain on the horses as they race to the finish, which is always exciting, and not always predictable.

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.

As you can imagine, along with the stories are the records that have been set at the Grand National, such as, the youngest winning jockey at age 17, the oldest winning horse at age 15, and fastest winning time at 8m 47.8s, Mr. Frisk in 1990. There are many great stats and stories about this race and track. The most winning horse was Red Rum who won 3 races in 1973, 1974, and 1977.

As with most horse races there is a big purse to win here, one of the largest. This is a big race for the horse, jockey, and the owner. The spectators also can make some money by making a few well made bets on their favorite horses.

Tags: Horses

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