X-Nico

10 unusual facts about steeplechase


Francesco Panetta

In the 1988 Olympic Final Panetta came ninth.

Harlington, Bedfordshire

1830: the first English National Steeplechase on record was run from Bury Orchard to Wrest Park Obelisk.

Henri Smets

Victor of the 1200 m Steeplechase on 23 July 1916 organised by R.C.B. (Racing Club de Bruxelles)

Henry Beresford, 3rd Marquess of Waterford

Lord Waterford was a keen horseman and in 1840 he entered two horses in the Grand National Steeplechase, regarded today as the most famous race over jumps in the world.

Jægersborg Dyrehave

Dyrehaven is also the venue for the Hermitage road race (Eremitageløbet) and the yearly Hubertus hunt (Hubertusjagten) which is held on the first Sunday in November.

Lord John Roxton

I've tried war and steeplechasin' and aeroplanes, but this huntin' of beasts that look like a lobster-supper dream is a brand-new sensation.

Mineral Springs, North Carolina

Brooklandwood, which is a large farm and estate just outside of Mineral Springs, is the site of the Queens Cup Steeplechase, one of steeplechase horse racing's major annual events.

Paris Pike

A horse named after Paris Pike won the Scottish Grand National Steeplechase in 2001 before falling at the first fence in the famous 2002 Grand National at Aintree, England.

Warner Parks

The parks are home to a steeplechase course that hosts the Iroquois Steeplechase, run annually each May since 1941 (with one year off for World War II) and a fixture on the National Steeplechase Association circuit.

Worthington Valley Historic District

Since 1922, Snow Hill and Worthington Farms have been the scene of the Maryland Hunt Cup Steeplechase.


2012 African Championships in Athletics – Women's 3000 metres steeplechase

The women's 3000 metres steeplechase at the 2012 African Championships in Athletics was held at the Stade Charles de Gaulle on 1 July.

Adauto Domingues

Adauto Domingues (born 20 May 1961 in São Caetano do Sul) is a retired middle-distance runner from Brazil, who twice won the gold medal in the men's 3.000 metres steeplechase at the Pan American Games: in 1987 and 1991.

Bobbyjo

Bobbyjo (1990–2001) was an Irish bred racehorse by Bustineto and Markup, best remembered as the winner of the 1999 Grand National steeplechase at Aintree.

Breeders' Cup Grand National Steeplechase

The race has been held at Belmont Park, at Saratoga Race Course, and at Morris Park racetracks, as well as the steeplechase meets at Fair Hill, Maryland and Charlottesville, Virginia.

Chris Brasher

Two years later, at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, Australia, Brasher finished first in the 3,000 metres steeplechase with a time of 8 minutes 41.2 seconds, but was disqualified for allegedly interfering with another runner, Ernst Larsen of Norway.

Damian Kallabis

He became German steeplechase champion in 1998 and 2000, representing the team SCC Berlin.

Dick Christian

Among the famous races in which Dick Christian took part was the 1826 steeplechase between Horatio Ross’s horse Clinker and George Osbaldeston’s Clasher.

Grande-Digue, New Brunswick

Joël Bourgeois, 3000m steeplechase runner, 2-time competitor at the Olympic Games and gold medalist at the 1999 Pan American Games.

Great Eastern Steeplechase

The Great Eastern Steeplechase is an Australian Thoroughbred steeplechase horse race held annually at Oakbank, South Australia on Easter Saturday and Monday at the Oakbank Racecourse as part of the Oakbank Easter Racing Carnival.

Great Meadow

Today, Great Meadow has become a valued member of the Virginia charitable and national equestrian sports communities, and is home to the annual Virginia Gold Cup steeplechase races the first Saturday in May, as well as the International Gold Cup Races, held every third Saturday in October, the Saturday night Twilight Polo series during the summer, and the Twilight Jumper series on select Friday evening during the summer.

Greentree Stable

After Whitney's steeplechase horse won the 1911 Greentree Cup race at Great Neck, New York, it was decided to use the Greentree name for several of their properties.

Hanstead Stud

The women bred livestock (Aberdeen Angus and Jersey cattle) and horses, including Suffolk Punches (large draught horses, still used to work the land, until tractors became widespread) and Thoroughbreds (a breed used for fox hunting as well as flat racing and steeplechases).

Iten

Alumni include Ibrahim Hussein, winner of three Boston Marathons and one New York City Marathon; Peter Rono, a 1988 Olympic gold medalist at 1,500 meters; Wilson Boit Kipketer, a 1997 world champion and 2000 Olympic silver medalist in the 3,000-meter steeplechase; Matthew Birir, 1992 Olympic gold medalist at the 3,000-meter steeplechase, and David Rudisha, 2012 Olympic gold medalist and world record holder at 800m.

J. Willard Thompson

A former steeplechase jockey, he won three straight training titles at Monmouth Park Racetrack between 1975 and 1977 and again won in 2001.

Jack Buckner

Jack's younger brother Tom Buckner was also an international distance runner and gained recognition when he finished 5th at the 1994 Commonwealth Games 3000m steeplechase (8:29.84).

Jo Ankier

After finishing 2nd in the European Cup, (Leiria) she went on to compete in the first ever Women's Steeplechase in the 2005 IAAF World Championships (Helsinki).

José Luis Blanco

He won the bronze medal in the steeplechase at the 2010 European Athletics Championships, but was later stripped of the medal due to his giving a positive doping test for EPO at the Spanish Championships in July.

Michael G. Walsh

Michael Gerard Walsh was an Irish Steeplechase trainer and founder of the Stoneybrook steeplechase in Southern Pines, North Carolina.

Milcah Cheywa

She also took Diamond League victories in Oslo, Rome, Eugene and London, en route to capturing the overall Diamond League title in the steeplechase.

Pekka Vasala

With a medal in every track event from 1500 to 10,000 meters, three gold and one bronze (Tapio Kantanen in the 3000 meter steeplechase) Finnish athletes achieved a level of success not seen since the era of the "Flying Finns" (1912-1936).

Rose Tree Park

Rose Tree Park is located on Providence Road in Upper Providence Township, Pennsylvania in the suburbs of Philadelphia and used to be used for steeplechase racing.

Seaford, East Sussex

Athlete John Butcher, 3000M Steeplechase runner represented Sussex and England and lived in Seaford during the 1970s.

Singelloop Utrecht

Dutch steeplechaser Simon Vroemen was the 1993 winner and the Singelloop celebrated its 50th edition the following year – a fact which underlined its position as the oldest road race in the country.

Sjöstrand

Tore Sjöstrand (born 1921), former Swedish athlete, winner of 3000 m steeplechase at the 1948 Summer Olympics

The Plains, Virginia

The Plains is home to Great Meadow, a large open-air and open-field facility that hosts several large events throughout the year, including the Virginia Gold Cup steeplechase horse race, which attracts over 50,000 guests on the first Saturday of each May.

Thierry Brusseau

Thierry Brusseau (born July 22, 1964 in Marvejols, Lozère) was a track and field athlete from France, who mainly competed in the men's 3.000 metres steeplechase during his career.

Thoroughbred horse racing

The National Steeplechase Association is the official sanctioning body of American steeplechase horse racing.

Towcester railway station

The station also saw special services for Towcester Racecourse, which was particularly known for the Grafton Hunt Steeplechase on Easter Mondays which attracted between 7,000 and 8,000 visitors to the town.

Trebudannon

Point to point horse racing meets are staged twice a year in Trebudannon and Murtaya sports cars are constructed on a farm nearby.

Weak ordering

In an example from the Maryland Hunt Cup steeplechase in 2007, The Bruce was the clear winner, but two horses Bug River and Lear Charm tied for second place, with the remaining horses farther back; three horses did not finish.

Wilfred Kibet Kigen

Kigen was persuaded by Wilson Boit Kipketer (a world record holder in the steeplechase) to move to Ngong to focus on his running.

William Loft

William Loft (born Seaford, Sussex 14 September 1803 - died Grimsby 15 December 1887 was a farmer and one time steeplechase rider best remembered for his victory in the 1845 Grand National riding Cure-All.