what is the length of an equesrian steeplechase course

by Loren Brekke 8 min read

Steeplechase is a 3000m obstacle course-style race that features 28 three-foot wooden barriers and seven jumps over 12-foot long water pits. The event requires runners to complete seven-and-a-half laps on the Olympic track, clearing four jumps over the barriers and one water jump per lap.Jul 29, 2021

How long is a steeplechase track?

May 14, 2021 · What are the rules of steeplechase? During the course of the event, each runner has to clear 28 fixed barriers and seven water jumps to make it to the finish line. It includes a bit over seven laps with a fraction of lap without any barriers. Each of these seven laps have a standard length of 400m.

What is a steeplechase horse race?

Aug 01, 2021 · Steeplechase is also contested in international meets over a distance of 2,000 metres, although not at the Olympic Games. Apart from the water jump, there are four barriers …

What are the rules of steeplechase?

The length of the race is usually 3,000 metres (9,843 ft); junior and some masters events are 2,000 metres (6,562 ft), as women's events used to be. The circuit has four ordinary barriers and one water jump. During the course of the race, each runner must clear a total of 28 ordinary barriers and seven water jumps.

How many barriers are there in a steeplechase?

Mar 04, 2019 · The Steeplechase Course. Steeplechase courses have pre-determined routes and distances – usually somewhere between 2 and 4 miles – with grass or turf surfaces and …

How long is a steeplechase for horses?

4 mileThe race generally attracts 40 starters and is run over a 4 mile course where the horses and their brave jockeys negotiate the most testing of fences. The National is also the most watched television sporting event in the world.

What is the difference between cross country and steeplechase?

Also, one of the horses wins the race. But lesser known to the general public are steeplechase races, which are run cross country and include jumps. They are great events to attend.Mar 31, 2020

Is the Kentucky Derby a steeplechase?

One of the many signs of spring in the South is the Kentucky Derby and Iroquois Steeplechase. For some local residents, the tradition runs long to attend one or both of the events. The Kentucky Derby takes place May 4 and Steeplechase is May 11.Apr 25, 2019

What is equestrian steeplechase?

A steeplechase is a race for Thoroughbred horses over fences. Steeplechase is an unusual word.

Is steeplechase banned?

There is now a call from within the industry to ban steeplechase races. The issue is neither hurdle nor steeple, it is both, and while objects are placed in front of racing horses, there will continue to be falls and fatalities.

How long has steeplechase been around?

But the name steeplechase actually originated in a horse race, first held in Ireland in the 18th century. As the name might suggest, that very first race took place in 1752 between two steeples in rural county Cork in the south of Ireland. At that time, church steeples were among the tallest buildings in the landscape.Aug 3, 2021

Can you bet at steeplechase?

One of America's biggest steeplechase events is set for this Saturday, Oct. 20, and this year's races at Far Hills will feature an added attraction: betting! For the first time, fans will be able to combine their tailgating with a bit of wagering in an idyllic New Jersey setting.Oct 17, 2018

How high are steeplechase jumps?

At major championships, the 3000m steeplechase format typically consists of heats (sometimes semi-finals) and final. The men's barriers are 36in (91.4cm) high, the women's 30in (76.2cm). The water jump's landing area is 12ft (3.66m) long and 70cm at its deepest.

What do you wear to a steeplechase?

Men often don fedoras and boating-style hats to the steeplechase. In addition to hats, seer-sucker suits, braces, and bow ties remain popular fashion choices for men. If you favor a more casual look, pastel-colored polo shirts and khakis are good options. Women typically wear brightly-colored sundresses and skirts.Jun 5, 2020

How do you become a steeplechaser?

Ieuan Thomas' top tips for steeplechase beginnersLearn to look for the barrier. This sounds simple, but it's your number one rule. ... Learn to use both legs. ... Accelerate. ... Forward lean. ... Perfect your leg position. ... Work on your landing. ... Develop flexibility. ... Build in drills.More items...•Oct 17, 2017

What is the difference between a hurdle and steeplechase?

Modern usage of the term "steeplechase" differs between countries. In Ireland and the United Kingdom, it refers only to races run over large, fixed obstacles, in contrast to "hurdle" races where the obstacles are much smaller.

What does a steeplechase consist of?

The current format of the steeplechase consists of five barriers: four hurdles plus the barrier before the water pit. For the men, the barriers are 36 inches, and for the women they are 30 inches. The water pit is 12 feet long for both events.Aug 2, 2021

What is the steeplechase phase in equestrian?

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. 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. 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 and 2008, but several countries continue to run long format events at the national level, including the US, Great Britain, and Canada.

Where is steeplechase race?

Predominantly United Kingdom, Ireland, France, North America, Australia. 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), the United Kingdom, Canada, United States, Australia and France.

What is the name of the race track in Japan?

Japan. The Nakayama Racecourse is Japan's premier steeplechase racetrack. The two most prestigious races are the Nakayama Daishogai (first held in 1934) and the Nakayama Grand Jump (held since 1999). Both races have a prize money of about 140 million yen, the similar to Aintree's Grand National.

When was Stoneybrook Steeplechase held?

The Stoneybrook Steeplechase was initiated in Southern Pines, North Carolina on a private farm owned by Michael G. Walsh in 1949 and was held annually in the spring until 1996, with attendance near 20,000. It resumed as an annual spring event at the new Carolina Horse Park in 2001, but was discontinued after 2016.

Why do timber horses jump?

Because of the size of the fences and their solid and unyielding construction , a timber horse is trained to jump with an arc, unlike a hurdle racer. An important factor in success at timber racing is for the horse to land in stride, so that it can carry its speed forward on the flat part of the race course.

How far can a horse jump in a hurdle race?

An out of stride jump can decrease a horse's speed drastically. Hurdle races are commonly run at distances of 2–3 miles (3–5 km).

What is the difference between French jump racing and Irish National Hunt?

French jump racing is similar to British and Irish National Hunt races, with a few notable differences. Hurdles are not collapsible, being more akin to small brush fences. Chases often have large fences called bullfinches, a large hedge up to 8 ft (2.4 m) tall that horses have to jump through rather than over. There are also a larger number of cross-country chases where horses have to jump up and down banks, gallop through water, jump over stone walls as well as jump normal chasing fences.

How long is the steeplechase?

The steeplechase for women is 3,000 metres long, but with lower barriers than for the men. A distance of 2,000 metres, with a shorter water jump, was experimented with before the current race format was established. It made its first major championship appearance at the 2005 World Championships in Helsinki.

How many metres is steeplechase?

The steeplechase is an obstacle race in athletics, which derives its name from the steeplechase in horse racing. The foremost version of the event is the 3000 metres steeplechase. The 2000 metres steeplechase is the next most common distance. A 1000 metres steeplechase is occasionally used in youth athletics.

How many steeplechase were there in the 1900 Olympics?

The 1900 Olympics featured a 2500 metres steeplechase and a 4000 metres steeplechase, and a 2590 metres steeplechase was held at the 1904 Olympics. A lap scoring error caused the 1932 Olympics to feature an approximately 3460 meter steeplechase.

Why were steeples used in athletics?

The steeples were used as markers due to their visibility over long distances. Along the way runners inevitably had to jump streams and low stone walls separating estates. The modern athletics event originates from a two-mile (3.2 km) cross country steeplechase that formed part of the University of Oxford sports ...

Is steeplechase an Olympic sport?

It has been an Olympic event since the inception of the modern Olympics, though with varying lengths. Since the 1968 Summer Olympics, steeplechase in the Olympics has been dominated by Kenyan athletes, including the current gold medal streak since 1984 and a clean sweep of the medals at the 1992 and 2004 Games.

Is a steeplechase a perfect 400m lap?

Since the water jump is never on the track oval, a steeplechase " course" is never a perfect 400 metres lap. Instead the water jump is placed inside the turn, shortening the lap, or outside the turn, lengthening the lap.

Distance

The rulebook defines the 3,000m steeplechase as 28 hurdles and seven water jumps.

Horse

A steeplechase is a distance horse race that requires competitors to jump over a variety of fences and ditch obstacles. Steeplechasing is mainly conducted in Ireland (where it originated), the United Kingdom, Canada, the United States, Australia and France.

How long is a Steeplechase course?

Steeplechase courses have pre-determined routes and distances – usually somewhere between 2 and 4 miles – with grass or turf surfaces and various types of fence and ditch obstacles: water jumps, timber rails (wooden posts and rails) and brush fences, for instance. In the U.S., most obstacles, popularly known by the term “National Fences,” consist of a steel frame stuffed with plastic “brush” and a foam-rubber roll covered with green canvas, on the near side of the jump. These official National Fences are shipped from race to race ahead of time so that they are standard, race to race. No matter what part of the world the race is run or what type of obstacles are placed on the route, however, the same obstacles are used for all racers in any particular race.

What is steeplechase racing?

The name may not be familiar to all, but steeplechase, or “jump racing,” is one of the most exciting equestrian competitions in the world – and North Carolina – today.

Where did steeplechase originate?

Widely believed to have developed out of the ancient pastime of fox hunting, the international sport of steeplechase originated in Ireland over 250 years ago, with the first recorded race occurring in County Cork in 1752. At that time, each town’s church was typically used as an area landmark, and cross-country races between towns – between church steeples – developed as competitions of endurance and athletic ability. Participants taking part in these risky races won acclaim by jumping hedges, wading through water and skillfully maneuvering their way around various obstacles more quickly than any other riders, and onlookers began gambling on riders or horses they felt were particularly skilled. By the early 1800s, as the sport gained in popularity, more organized races began taking place in England and Ireland , and in 1834 the first steeplechase was run in the United States, at the Washington Jockey Club in Washington, D.C.

What does SP mean in horse racing?

SP in horse racing stands for Starting Price, this is the odds that a racehorse is at the start of a race. These odds are what a punter will typically be paid at by a bookmaker, whether that is a UK betting shop, an online betting website or a betting app.

Is horse racing on today?

Horse racing in the UK happens on most days of the week, especially with the introduction of Sunday racing a few years ago.

What does nap mean in horse racing?

A “nap” in horse racing is a tipster’s best and most confident winning selection at a particular horse racing meeting; essentially is the horse that think is most likely to win out of all their selections for that day.

How much does a racehorse weigh?

A racehorse weighs around 1000 pounds or 450kg, it obviously varies on the individual horse but those figures are the typical averages.

What does each way mean in horse racing?

An each-way bet in horse racing is basically betting on a horse to finish first or be placed in a race.

What is a bumper horse race?

A bumper horse race is a National Hunt flat race. They are used by jumps trainers to give horses experiences of racing, before they progress to hurdles and steeplechase race.

How fast do racehorses run?

Racehorses run at about 40 mph, this will obviously depend on the length of the race and natural ability.

Overview

  • As the sport progressed, the basic steeplechase course evolved into a pre-determined route, with reasonable and measured obstacles and a set length. The first organized steeplechase racing began around 1830, and a basic steeplechase course today is usually somewhere between 2 an
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History

Steeplechasing by country

Statistics

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), the United Kingdom, 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.

Opposition to jumps racing

The steeplechase originated in Ireland in the 18th century as an analogue to cross-country thoroughbred horse races which went from church steeple to church steeple, hence "steeplechase". The first steeplechase is said to have been the result of a wager in 1752 between Cornelius O'Callaghan and Edmund Blake, racing four miles (6.4 km) cross-country from St John's Church in Buttevant to St Mary's Church (Church of Ireland) in Doneraile, in Cork, Ireland. An accou…

Eventing

In Great Britain and Ireland, "steeplechase" only refers to one branch of jump racing.
Collectively, Great Britain and Ireland account for over 50% of all jump races worldwide, carding 4,800 races over fences in 2008. Jump racing in Great Britain and Ireland is officially known as National Hunt racing.

See also

Number of jumping races by country in 2008.
• Great Britain : 3,366
• France : 2,194
• Ireland : 1,434
• United States of America : 200

Bibliography

In 2021, Jumps racing in Australia was only run in Victoria and South Australia though contrary to common belief only one state has banned it and that state is New South Wales. All six states and Australian Capital Territoryhave 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 tha…