The sport of Steeplechase racing dates back to 1752 in Ireland when two, half-crocked, friends settled the argument over who owned the best horse by racing to the nearest Church steeple after returning from Fox hunting. The winner actually rode right through the church where the vicar was holding a solemn funeral. Soon it spread to England, where in 1792, the first recorded race was held. This sport then crossed over from the Atlantic to the US, where it has became very popular.
In the early 19th century nine prominent men from New York - August Belmont, H. DeCourcy Forbes, Samuel S.Howland, James O. Green, Frederick Gebhard, A.J. Cassatt, Foxhall P. Keene, John G. Follansbee and Frederick H. Prince founded the National Association for Steeplechase. When it was first founded, its mission was to make the sport popular in the US and help it grow across the Atlantic. For membership details and other small tidbits about the Association, you can visit their website at http://www.nsfdn.org/membership.html.
Steeplechase races are held at 12 states across the country and the cumulative purses for these events are $5 million annually. The horse races are a place to see and be seen at. It's seen across the country by millions of fans and admirers and is a major sponsored event where corporate sponsors vie with each other for sponsorship of the events. It attracts the best talent for horses, horse owners, and riders and also raises millions of dollars in charities. Thus it also attracts the most powerful and the influential men and women. If you have seen Pretty Woman, you pretty much have got the idea.
Some of the oldest and the most prestigious steeplechase horse racing events are Montpelier Hunt Races, which was started on the estates of Former President James Madison since 1929. For more information you can visit their site http://www.montpelier.org/races.htm. Others are The American Grand National that began in 1899 and the The National Hunt Cup in Radnor, Pa., which was started in 1909. For more information on steeplechase racing across the country, you can visit http://www.steeplestakes.com/links.html, which lists all the races, their schedules and the prize monies.
In Virginia, you can visit the Virginia Steeplechase association at http://www.vasteeplechase.com/. The big races in Virginia are Virginia Gold Cup, FoxField races at Charlottesville, Virginia, Fairfax Hunt races at Great Falls, Middleburg Spring races at Middleburg, Montpelier Hunt Races at Montpelier Station, Morven park Steeplechase races at Leesburg, Mountaineer chest track in Chester etc.
You can also visit these websites for further information on racing in Virginia.http://www.ctownraces.com/ http://www.colonialdowns.com/ http://www.fairfaxhuntraces.org/ http://www.montpelier.org/ http://www.foxfieldraces.com/ http://www.vagoldcup.com/ http://www.middleburgspringraces.com/
- Related Articles
- Related Q&A
- Latest Golf Results Now Available From the Sports Hq - 18.08 to 24.08.08
- Sport Management
- Love Sports? An Exciting Sport Franchise May Be For You!
- Careers in Sports: Let your Passion for Sports Combine Business and Pleasure!
- The 10 Leading Sports Equipment Stores in the USA
- Online Sports Trading - A Viable Investment?
- Creating a Sports Theater in Your Home
- Online Sport Betting in Todays Society




Guaranteed Lowest Prices on Archery Equipment!
By: Jenn Jamie | 12/11/2009Archery equipments maintain an supplemental pace in the development along with the sport of archery in contemporary times. Nowadays number of make and pattern of different archery equipments and accessories gets it problematic a clouded to choose, particularly when you are a beginner archer. Even though you call for an summative...
Crimson Talon Broadheads Featuring New Rhino-Tuff Xtreme Blades Make Crimson Talon Broadheads the Strongest Broadheads Available
By: Jenn Jamie | 11/11/2009Broad heads broadly arrive in all types of sizes, works, and modes. With miscellaneous alternatives getable, and all unique promoting out there it will formulate very trying to choose what broad heads are correct for you. Truth is, there are many a very accomplished broad heads in the market, &...
Get Rage Broadheads 2 Blade Practice 3 Pack
By: Jenn Jamie | 11/11/2009Rage Broadheads versus Traditionalistic Broadheads You have in all likelihood witnessed of Rage Broadheads if you are watching the industry, and you have in all probability witnessed how they are a mortal innovation to the broadhead. This is indeed accurate. After using them a lot of hunters swear by them, as...
Horse Racing Systems - The Best Horse Racing System
By: Newsbandit | 11/11/2009With the right Horse Racing System you can win over 90% of the time.
Debunking some of the most persistent fitness myths
By: Chris Strogilis | 11/11/2009Some of the most persistent fitness myths debunked in a crystal clear way.
Bodybuilding Supplements For Weight Training
By: Stewart Hall | 11/11/2009If you're not snug with how you look when you see yourself in the mirror then you need to consider changing your appearance. If you are very thin and you want to enhance the way that you look there are certain resistance training rules which if properly followed will help you raise your body mass. It is extremely troublesome to boost your lean body muscles especially if your genes are that of a hard gainer. If your genes don't favor the fast increase in body mass you should consider...
Prepare Mentally for Weight Loss
By: Sarah Chase | 11/11/2009Losing weight may seem difficult, but a lot of it is in the mindset. If you are looking to get healthy but feel overwhelmed by the changes that you have to make, break it down and tackle one goal at a time.
Manny Pacquiao vs Miguel Cotto welterweight title bout
By: Marco Antonio Morales | 11/11/2009Manny Pacquiao, the pride of the Philippines, and World Boxing Organization welterweight champ Miguel Cotto, Puerto Rico's favorite son, get together Saturday night in Las Vegas for what is expected to be the fight of the year.