Today I’m gonna talk about something that I’ve been messing around with lately – the Grand National fences. This whole thing started when I was watching the races and thought, “Man, those fences look intense, I wonder how tough they really are?” So, I got curious and started digging around.
First off, I watched a bunch of old races, just to get a feel for the course. It’s pretty wild to see these horses and jockeys going at it. The Grand National isn’t just some regular race; it’s got a ton of history, like, way back to 1829. That’s some serious heritage!
Then I started looking up the fences. There are 16 of them, and they’re all different. Some are just huge, and others are tricky in their own ways. Like, there’s this one called “The Chair.” It’s only jumped once, but it’s massive, 5ft 3in tall, and it’s pretty narrow too. It’s like the halfway mark, and man, it’s a beast.
- The Chair: It’s the 15th jump, and it’s the tallest on the course. This one’s a real test of guts.
Then there’s “Becher’s Brook.” It sounds kind of nice, but it’s a monster. It’s 4ft 10in high and 7ft 6in wide. I read that it’s named after some Captain Martin Becher who took a tumble there back in 1839. Ouch!
- Becher’s Brook: This one’s famous. It’s got a big drop on the landing side, which makes it super tricky.
Another one that caught my eye is the “Canal Turn.” It’s not the biggest, but it’s all about strategy. Because it’s right before another fence, jockeys have to plan ahead. It’s like a chess move in the middle of a race.
- Canal Turn: It’s all about the angle. Jockeys have to make a sharp turn right after landing.
And there’s also “Foinavon,” a smaller fence, but because of its position, jockeys can use it to set up for the next big jump. And I watched a clip from 1967 where there was a huge pile-up at Foinavon. Crazy stuff!
- Foinavon: This one’s smaller, but it’s still important. It’s right before the Canal Turn.
I also got into reading about some of the biggest upsets in the history of the Grand National. It’s insane how some long-shot horses have won. It just goes to show, anything can happen in this race.
So, I started with watching, then I read up on all this stuff, and now I’m totally into it. I even made a little model of the course in my backyard, just for kicks. It’s not to scale, obviously, but it gives you an idea of how crazy these fences are.
The Wrap-Up
This whole journey started with just watching a race. Now, I’m deep into the history, the strategy, and even the individual stories of these fences. It’s not just about the race; it’s about the challenge, the history, and the sheer craziness of it all. I’ve learned a lot, and honestly, it’s been a blast. Who knew fences could be so interesting, right?
