Much has been talked about horseracing in the UK. Great Britain is a place where equestrian sports flourish. Horseracing has had a long local history dating back to Roman times. It became even more popular in the following centuries and conquered the hearts of the British. Many tales have been told of the most legendary horses and jockeys.
Nowadays, horseracing is still one of the top preferred sports in the UK, second only to football. Many events happen across racecourses all over the country every week. People flock to watch and celebrate the best horses, trainers, and jockeys. Horseraces are valuable social events, where you can have fun with your friends, meet new people, spend a day in the open air, and maybe place a bet here and there.
Further, the advancement of digital technologies has made it even easier for enthusiasts to watch the horseraces. Organizers and media were quick enough to capitalize on the latest technologies and began streaming horseraces early on. This allowed greater audiences to follow the sport and significantly expanded its fan base not only in Britain but also internationally. Today, you can watch the races even with a low-budget cell phone thanks to the availability of cutting-edge HD streaming technologies.
That said, many readers who are new to the world of horseracing might find it curious to learn more about some of the most prestigious events in Britain. After all, this is where the magic happens. Therefore, we invite you to read on as we tell you about the UK’s most celebrated horseracing events in the paragraphs below.
The Royal Ascot
The Royal Ascot is one of the top important events not only in British horseracing but in the country’s history and sports life in general. In fact, it is internationally celebrated, and every edition attracts large tourist crowds.
The Royal Ascot is held in June of each year and gathers viewers and attendees from all social strata. You can spot many UK aristocracy members, too. Even the late Queen Elizabeth II was a fan and used to frequent the races. Other Royal family members are also among the event’s regular spectators.
As for the history of the Royal Ascot, the first event took place back in 1839. Since then, there have only been a couple of years where it did not happen. In time, the Royal Ascot expanded in both size and purpose. Nowadays, the event is not purely for the fun of horseracing. It is also an outlet for high fashion and a celebrity lifestyle showcase. In addition, it serves a great purpose in many social campaigns dedicated to different causes. To conclude, the Royal Ascot is the highest-value horseracing meeting in the UK. In 2019, the last year before the Covid-19 pandemic, it gave a total prize fund of £7.3 million.
While the Royal Ascot may be Britain’s top famous horseracing event, the amazing Ascot Racecourse is also the home to other prestigious events. One of them is the King George VI. This is a weekend meeting whose significance for the world of UK horseracing is surpassed only by the Royal Meeting. The King George VI event also entails a spectacular enactment of a royal procession, which gives the start to the races.
The Grand National
The Grand National is one of the most popular horserace meetings not only in Great Britain but also in the world. The event boasts a viewership of more than 600 million people across the globe. The live attendance is over 150,000 spectators. If you have never attended or seen a Grand National event, here is a brief video to provide you with an overview:
Taking place just outside the city of Liverpool every April, the Grand National is a part of the three-day National Hunt race meeting. The action is extremely dynamic. Horses compete for two laps, jumping 30 fences along a 4.5-mile course. As you can see, this is quite challenging, so the risk of injuries to both horses and jockeys is very high. That is why, in an era where the industry and society in general are concerned with the welfare of animals, the Grand National is considered quite a controversial event. Nonetheless, it is among the horserace events with the biggest prizes in the world. The total prize fund amounts to £1 million.
Cheltenham Festival
The Cheltenham Festival is another one of the top three horseracing events in Britain. It is also the first major race on the calendar as it takes place in early March. Interestingly enough, it coincides with St. Patrick’s day, so it also attracts large crowds of Irish spectators. The horses are also mainly English and Irish.
The meeting that takes place on the amazing Cheltenham Racecourse is the event with the second highest prize fund after the Grand National, which is valued at £625,000. Moreover, the event comprises a total of 28 races scheduled over four days, so it is more of a festival rather than a regular meeting.
Other Major UK Horseracing Events
Here is a list of other prestigious horseracing events in Great Britain:
- Epsom Derby
- Ladbrokes Trophy
- Aintree Grand National
- Scottish Grand National
- Champions Day
- Racing Post Trophy