National Hunt racing is the name given to the sport of horse racing in the United Kingdom where the horses are required to jump over obstacles called hurdles or fences (except in the case of a 'bumper'). The core of the National Hunt season is over the winter when it is not competing with its more glamorous cousin, and the ground is softer and more appropriate for jumping. The horses are much cheaper as the majority are geldings and have no breeding value. This makes the sport more popular as the horses are not usually retired at such a young age. Jump racing is only taken seriously in Britain, Ireland and France. In Ireland the sport is far more popular than flat racing, while in England it is more balanced, but the different seasons mean that most fans of the sport can enjoy both forms of racing.

The horses come from a variety of sources, with many being former flat horses, while others are bred for jumping. National Hunt horses do not have to be thoroughbreds, but most are, and the only ones who are not are tend to be French. Many of the future stars of the sport come through Point-to-Pointing. The name reflects its hunting origins, from which the sport developed. The same skills of jumping ability and speed are required to succeed at both.

The highlight of the National Hunt Calendar is the Cheltenham Festival, which is held at Cheltenham Racecourse every March. Many of the best horses come to the festival, as well as huge numbers of Irish fans. Hundreds of millions of pounds are gambled over the four days. This is regarded as the "olympics of Horse Racing". Other important festivals are the Punchestown Festival - the Irish equivalent , and Aintree's Grand National meeting, The Tingle Creek in Sandown as well as the Scottish National in Ayr and the Welsh National in Chepstow.

Types of race

• Chase -
  • run over distances of 2 - 4 1/2 miles.
  • over obstacles called fences that are a minimum of 4 1/2 feet high.
• Hurdling -
  • run over distances of 2 - 3 1/2 miles.
  • over obstacles called hurdles that are a minimum of 3 1/2 feet high.
• National Hunt Flat race (NH Flat) -
  • are flat races for horses that have not yet competed either in flat racing or over obstacles, often called 'bumper' races.

Horse racing | Horseracing in the United Kingdom