Valentine's Brook

Last updated

Valentine's Brook is a fence on Aintree Racecourse's National Course and thus is jumped during the Grand National steeplechase which is held annually at the racecourse, located near Liverpool, England. Originally named as the Second Brook, it was renamed after a horse named Valentine was reputed to have jumped the fence hind legs first in 1840. [1] The horse eventually finished third. [2] It is jumped twice during the race, as the 9th and 25th fences.

The fence is similar to, but less daunting than, Becher's Brook, being 5 feet high and followed by a ditch of 5 feet 6 inches. [3] It accounts for around 2% of fallers in the Grand National race. [4] The fence has, however, caused several fatalities in races run over the course, and calls have been made for its removal. [5]

Related Research Articles

Grand National English steeplechase horse race that takes place at Liverpools Aintree racecourse

The Grand National is a National Hunt horse race held annually at Aintree Racecourse in Liverpool, England. First run in 1839, it is a handicap steeplechase over an official distance of about 4 miles and 2½ furlongs, with horses jumping 30 fences over two laps. It is the most valuable jump race in Europe, with a prize fund of £1 million in 2017. An event that is prominent in British culture, the race is popular amongst many people who do not normally watch or bet on horse racing at other times of the year.

In horse racing in the United Kingdom, France and Republic of Ireland, 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. In the UK the biggest National Hunt events of the year are generally considered to be the Grand National and the Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Aintree Racecourse Horse racing venue in Liverpool, England

Aintree Racecourse is a racecourse in Aintree, Metropolitan Borough of Sefton, Merseyside, England, bordering the city of Liverpool. The racecourse is best known for annually holding the Grand National steeplechase.

Bechers Brook Fence jumped during the Grand National

Becher's Brook is a fence jumped during the Grand National, a National Hunt horse race held annually at Aintree Racecourse near Liverpool, England. It is jumped twice during the race, as the 6th and 22nd fence, as well as on four other occasions during the year. It has always been a notorious and controversial obstacle, because of the size and angle of the 6 ft 9in drop on the landing side. Some jockeys have compared it to "jumping off the edge of the world."

The Chair is a fence on Aintree Racecourse's National Course and thus is one of 30 that are jumped during the Grand National steeplechase which is held annually at the racecourse near Liverpool, England.

The 1836 Grand Liverpool Steeplechase was the first of three unofficial annual precursors of a steeplechase which later became known as the Grand National.

1839 Grand National

The 1839 Grand Liverpool Steeplechase was the first official annual running of a steeplechase which later became known as the Grand National.

The 1840 Grand Liverpool Steeplechase was the second official annual running of a steeplechase, later to become known as the Grand National Steeplechase handicap horse race, which took place at Aintree Racecourse near Liverpool on Thursday 5 March 1840 and attracted a then smallest ever field of 13 runners.

The 1842 Grand Liverpool Steeplechase was the fourth official annual running of a steeplechase, later to become known as the Grand National Steeplechase, a horse race which took place at Aintree Racecourse near Liverpool on 2 March 1842 and attracted 15 runners.

The 1843 Grand Liverpool Steeplechase was the fifth official annual running of a handicap steeplechase, later to become known as the Grand National Steeplechase handicap horse race which took place at Aintree Racecourse near Liverpool on Wednesday 1 March 1843 and attracted a field of 16 runners.

The 1847 Grand National Steeplechase was the ninth official annual running of a Handicap Steeple-chase horse race which took place at Aintree Racecourse near Liverpool on 3 March 1847 and attracted a then record field of twenty-six runners. It was won by Mathew, ridden by Denny Wynne in the colours of County Cork landowner, John Courtenay. This was the first time the race was officially named The Grand National Steeplechase, having previously been run under the title, Grand Liverpool Steeplechase.

The 1849 Grand National Steeplechase was the 11th official annual running of a handicap steeplechase horse race at Aintree Racecourse near Liverpool on Wednesday, 28 February. It attracted a field of twenty-four competitors for a prize valued at £825.

2011 Grand National Horse race held in 2011

The 2011 Grand National was the 164th renewal of the Grand National horse race that took place at Aintree near Liverpool, England.

The 1977 Grand National was the 131st renewal of the Grand National horse race that took place at Aintree Racecourse near Liverpool, England, on 2 April 1977.

The 1967 Grand National was the 121st renewal of the world-famous Grand National steeplechase that took place at Aintree Racecourse near Liverpool, England, on 8 April 1967. The race is best remembered for being won by outsider Foinavon at odds of 100/1, after being the only horse to avoid a mêlée at the 23rd fence and jump it at the first attempt.

1992 Grand National

The 1992 Grand National was the 146th renewal of the world-famous Grand National horse race that took place at Aintree Racecourse near Liverpool, England, on 4 April 1992.

1988 Grand National

The 1988 Grand National was the 142nd renewal of the Grand National horse race that took place at Aintree Racecourse near Liverpool, England, on 9 April 1988.

2012 Grand National

The 2012 Grand National was the 165th annual renewal of the Grand National horse race at Aintree Racecourse near Liverpool, England. The showpiece steeplechase, which concluded a three-day meeting which is one of only four held at Aintree throughout the year, took place on 14 April 2012. The maximum permitted field of 40 runners ran the last 4 miles 856 yards (7.220 km) of Aintree's National Course featuring 30 fences, competing for record prize money of £975,000, making it the highest-valued National Hunt race in the United Kingdom.

The 1851 Grand National was, at the time, the 14th renewal of a handicap steeplechase horse race that took place at Aintree near Liverpool, England, on 26 February 1851. However, this was later retrospectively recorded as the 13th official running by the Steeplechase Calendar of 1864 when the race of 1838 was disregarded as official.

References

  1. "Grand National Fences and Course". Grandnational.org.uk. 1 April 2005. Retrieved 13 December 2020.
  2. King, Laura. "Ten things you never knew... ...about the Grand National". The Guardian. Retrieved 13 December 2020.
  3. "Valentines (sic) Brook". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 13 December 2020.
  4. "A Guide to Aintree & the Grand National". grandnational.fans. Retrieved 13 December 2020.
  5. "Animal Aid -Grand National Briefing Sheet Summary" (PDF). animalaid.org.uk. Retrieved 13 December 2020.

Coordinates: 53°28′36″N2°55′49″W / 53.4768°N 2.9302°W / 53.4768; -2.9302