Steeplechasing

Steeplechase—A steeplechase is a horse race over brush obstacles on a prescribed course. The term is sometimes used broadly to mean any kind of race over obstacles of whatever nature—on a course or cross-country. The term "Steeplechase" originated in the 18th century when it was usual for the sporting gentry to race cross-country from a designated point a distance of approximately four miles to "Yon church steeple"—the only reference point clearly visible on the horizon. Hence, such a race was termed a steeplechase. These point-to-point races, if the desirable shortest course was followed, naturally required jumping fences. Ultimately, the majority of races over fences were confined to smaller areas, prescribed courses and more or less standard obstacles—with a church steeple no longer required for reference. The name, however, stuck.

POINT-TO-POINT—A point-to-point is actually a race across natural country and natural obstacles from one specified point to another (and sometimes return) over any route the rider chooses to follow. Today, however, the term generally refers to a jumping race over natural country but between a flagged course.

HUNT RACE MEETING—A series of races usually over brush, hurdle and timber, under the auspices of a recognized Hunt and governed by National Steeplechase and Hunt Association rules.

HURDLE RACE—Prior to 1950, a hurdle race was one over a prescribed course in which the obstacles were "sheep hurdles," panels of light wood fencing with brush set in them, inclined "away" at an angle of 15° from the perpendicular. Since that time, hurdle fences are smaller size replicas of the brush type of fence, a frame of wood filled with cedar and brushed with the same material on the "take off" side. The height of these is 4' 4" whereas a regular brush fence is 5' 2" high.

NUMBER AND LOCATION—The greatest number of jumping races of all kinds is held in New York; Virginia is second, Pennsylvania third. The greatest number of hunt and point-to-point races occurs in Virginia; Pennsylvania is second, Maryland third.

OBSTACLES (FENCES)—The obstacles in jumping races are usually timber (post and rail), brush (hedge) and hurdles (described in a preceding paragraph). There are substantially more steeplechase races over brush and hurdles than over timber.

The height of the usual steeplechase obstacles in the United States (including hurdles) is from 4' 4" to over 5 feet. (However, on some big brush courses, the obstacles are six feet high.) Brush is usually 3 to 3& feet wide.

A water jump is prescribed as being a minimum of 6 feet wide and 2 feet deep with a fence not less than 2 feet high on the take-off side.

Each of the obstacles on a steeplechase course is flagged. A small red or blue flag indicates the inside of the course—that it should be jumped with the flag on the rider's left. Small white flags are placed on the opposite side of the obstacle (indicating the outside of the course—that it should be jumped with the flag on the rider's right).

LENGTH OF COURSES—A steeplechase run at a racing establishment or track is usually 2 to 22 miles. Hunt race meetings over natural country are frequently about 4 miles. For hunters, the minimum is 22 miles over brush and 32 miles over timber. In steeplechases, at least four obstacles per mile are required.

RIDERS—Steeplechase riders use a much longer stirrup than flat race jockeys and ride more in the saddle than the former. Steeplechase riders are required to wear a light, but strong, plastic skull cap under the silk.

Riders other than professionals are generally referred to as "Mr."

WEIGHT—The minimum weight permitted in any steeplechase is 130 pounds and, in races exclusively for hunters, the minimum is 145 pounds. Amateur steeplechase riders in a hunt race frequently weigh in up to 170 pounds and quite generally from 150 to 160. However, except when an amateur rider is up, a horse may not carry more than five pounds over the prescribed weight.

THE STEEPLECHASE HORSE-The steeplechaser is not a distinct breed —most of them, however, are Thoroughbreds.

Horses are not permitted to run in a steeplechase until August 1 of the year in which they are three years old. The age of steeplechase horses in top competition ranges all the way from 3 to 10 years.

The greatest number of steeplechase horses are produced, in order, in Kentucky, Virginia and Maryland. Most of the imported horses come from England and Ireland.

The length of a racing horse's leap over an average obstacle is about 20 feet.

A good steeplechaser will cover a two mile brush or hurdle course in about three minutes and forty-five seconds and a four mile course over timber or big brush in about 8% to 9 minutes.

Many good steeplechasers have had experience on the flat as two and three-year olds. On the other hand, horses originally trained for steeplechasing and unsuccessful as steeplechasers, have generally had little success on the flat. There are a few notable exceptions—one being, Azucar, originally trained as a steeplechaser, who won the first running of the Santa Anita handicap.

Steeplechase horses are usually handicapped—as are flat horses— for age, sex, apprentice or inexperienced riders, and for past performance.
COURSES—In the United States there are a number of timber as well as brush and hurdle courses and races.

In England the courses are almost entirely brush; there are also a few hurdle races.

Prior to 1958 William duPont's Fox Catcher Farm course at Fair Hill, Maryland is reputed to have had the highest brush obstacles in the world—they averaged six feet.

THE MARYLAND HUNT CUP-The Maryland Hunt Cup course at Glyndon, Maryland is reputed to have the biggest timber obstacles.

The course, over natural hunting country, is about four miles. The fences average about four feet three inches—the highest are four feet ten inches. No rider has been fatally injured in negotiating this course, although several horses have had falls which necessitated destroying them. The trophy for the race is a very much coveted silver cup; there is no purse. One horse, Blockade, won the race three times—in 1938, 1939 and 1940—and established the course record of 8 minutes, 44 seconds.

THE GRAND NATIONAL—Perhaps the most famous steeplechase in the world is the English Grand National at Aintree, near Liverpool, inaugurated in 1839.

The course is about 42 miles—exactly 4 miles, 856 yards—and there are 30 obstacles.

The fastest time recorded for this race is 9 minutes, 20 seconds by Golden Miller in 1934.

Despite the difficulty of the course, there has been only one fatality (James Wynne in 1862).

Two American bred horses have won the English Grand National —Rubio (owned by an Englishman) in 1908 and Battleship (owned by Mrs. M. du Pont Scott) in 1938. Four American owned horses have won the race—Sergeant Murphy (owned by Stephen Sanford) in 1923, Jack Horner (owned by A. C. Schwartz) in 1926, Kellsboro Jack (owned by Mrs. F. Ambrose Clark) in 1933 and Battleship.

Horses running in the Grand National must be six years or more old.

The winners of the Grand National have been predominantly geldings.

Top weight carried in the Grand National is 175 pounds. Minimum is 130.

There is a   run at Belmont Park near New York inaugurated in 1899. It is over brush, three miles and an eighth in length.

The Temple Gwathmey run at Belmont Park by the United Hunts Racing Association has the greatest money value for a steeplechase in the United States.

HISTORY—The first jumping race on a regular track in the United States was in 1834 at the Jockey Club track in Washington, D. C.

DEFINITIONS—Catch weights refers to a race run without regard to the weight carried.

Liverpool refers to an obstacle composed of an open ditch in front of a high brush fence, generally with a low rail on the take-off side.

Walk-over refers to a situation where only one horse (or several horses belong to a single owner) is ready to start the race at the appointed time.

RULES—The rules permit a rider who has fallen to remount and continue the race—provided he does so in the space between the obstacle he last jumped and the next jump or the last fence and the finish. Likewise, if a rider falls and his horse gets away and is caught by a spectator and returned to him, he may remount and continue the race —provided he remounts in the area described previously.

If an obstacle is broken, other horses are permitted to jump the broken panel and usually do. If a horse runs out at an obstacle or is off course, he may continue the race from the point where he ran out or left the course.

If a rider weighs in overweight after a race, the rider is fined, suspended or ruled out if he is more than two pounds overweight unless it is caused by rain or mud. If a rider weighs in light after a race, his horse is disqualified if he is light over two pounds. Under NO conditions may a horse finish a race with a rider other than the one at the start, although years ago this was permitted under some conditions. If a horse is second and there is a purse for second place—if the second place horse finishes five minutes or more behind the winner, he does not collect.

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