Steeplechase (horse racing)
A steeplechase is a distance horse race in which competitors are required to jump diverse fence and ditch obstacles. Steeplechasing is primarily conducted in Ireland (where it originated), Great Britain, Canada, United States, Australia, and France. The name is derived from early races in which orientation of the course was by reference to a church steeple, jumping fences and ditches and generally traversing the many intervening obstacles in the countryside.
This article is about a type of horse race. For the athletics event, see Steeplechase (athletics).Highest governing body
Usually governed by assorted national organizations
No
Individual
Yes
Outdoor
Turf racecourse with obstacles
Predominantly Great Britain, Ireland, France, North America, Australia
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 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 was held three years later), which in 2014 offered a prize fund of £1 million.
Number of jumping races by country in 2008.
Opposition to jumps racing[edit]
Australia[edit]
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 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 the 1980s.[16]
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.[17] However on 3rd March 2022 it was announced that would not happen.[18] However, many jumps racing supporters attempted to keep jumps racing at Oakbank and that fight went into the South Australian court system.[19] That resulted in an election in which the anti-jumps faction won, but debate surrounding that vote spilled into more legal action.[20] Soon after, the South Australian government outlawed jumps racing in the state.[21]
Jumps racing is opposed in Australia by groups including the animal rights organisations the RSPCA Australia,[22]
Animals Australia,[23]
and Animal Liberation (South Australia),[24]
and by political parties such as The Greens.[25]
Eventing[edit]
The equestrian sport of eventing had 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.[26] 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 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.[27] 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 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[28] and 2008,[29] but several countries continue to run long format events at the national level, including the US,[30] Great Britain,[31] and Canada.[32]