Velká pardubická explained

Horse Race:	Velká pardubická
Location:	Pardubice, Czech Republic
Race Type:	Steeplechase
Website:	zavodistepardubice.cz
Surface:	Turf
Qualification:	Six-years-old and up

Velká pardubická (Grand Pardubice Steeplechase^[1]) is a cross-country (point to point) steeplechase run in Pardubice, Czech Republic since 1874. It takes place every year on the second Sunday in October.

The length of the steeplechase is, with 31 obstacles. It usually takes 9–10 minutes to finish the course; the record is 8:56.01 set by Ribelino in 2015.

Horses starting in the race must be at least six years old (before 2009, the minimum age was seven years); Czech horses must qualify by finishing at least one of four qualifying races during the season.

History

The race was first run in 1874 in Pardubice, a town long known in the horse racing world, as some trainers and jockeys from England came there to work. The current steeplechase course was established in 1856, however the course first took its present-day form in the years just after World War II.^[2]

The course of the race has been changed several times, most recently in 1998 when the direction of the final phase of the race was changed to accommodate the new grandstand. The surface of the racecourse is mainly grass, but one-quarter of the race is run through ploughed fields, which used to take almost half of the race in the past. Some obstacles have also been changed, mostly to improve safety, although the difficulty of the race is said to have suffered as a result.

Obstacles

Horses must negotiate a total of 31 obstacles.^[3] These are:

1 - Hedge (1.2m)
2 - Hedge with ditch (1.3m, with a 60 cm ditch on the other side)
3 - Small water jump (3m long)
4 - Taxis ditch. (This is the most famous obstacle in the race, and it is jumped just once. 28 horses have died at this obstacle. In the past it consisted of a 2 m deep and 5 m long ditch hidden behind a 1.5 m high hedge. It was changed before the 1994 race to be a 1 m deep and 4 m long ditch with a 1.5 m high hedge. For the 2021 race the obstacle will have a 0.75 m deep ditch and 5 m long ditch with a 1.35 m to 1.45 m high hedge.^[4] This obstacle is used only for the Velká pardubická, and horses are not permitted to use it for training.)
5 - Irish bank. (This unusual obstacle requires the horses to shimmy up and down a steep artificial bank.)
6 - Popkovic ditch. (1.3m hedge with a 2m long ditch on the other side)
7 - French jump. A pair of closely spaced hedges, 1.2m and 1.3m in height, which must be jumped as one.
8 & 9 - Small gardens. A pair of hedges, 1.25m and 1.3m in height, which are jumped in quick succession.
10 - English jump. (1.2m hedge with a ditch on the takeoff side)
10a - Extended taxis ditch. (Small hedge, about 1.1m tall, which joins with the main taxis ditch)
11 - Hedge with ditch. (1.3m, with a ditch on the landing side)^[5]
12 - Hedge. (1.2 m high and 1.3 m wide hedge with a 60 cm. The landing side is 0.5 m lower than the takeoff side)
13 - Hedge. (1.3 m high and wide hedge that's 0.8 m high)
14 - Polper's Jump. (0.8 m high double railing. It is named after the famous interwar rider and two-time winner of the Grand Cpt. Rudolf Popler, who died on this jump in 1932. In 1991, Železník fell here, but jockey Josef Váni senior, remounted and Železník went on to claim his fourth victory.)
15 - Drop Bank. (In front of the stands. It is a two-meter drop.)
16 - Stone Wall. (Stone wall in front of the stands 0.8 m wide and 0.85 m high wall, which is approached from a plowed field.)
17 - Water Trough. (The largest water obstacle in the race. It is used to be 2 m deep but since the 1990s it has been changed to be 4.5 m wide and 0.7 m lower rebound compared to the original rebound.)
18 - Large Moat. (In the past the second most feared obstacle behind Taxis Ditch now 4 m wide and 0.45 m deep.)
19 - Mini Taxis drop. (The last of the three 'Taxis' ditch on the course. The hedge is 1.5 m high, 2 m wide and there is a 1.7 m ditch on the landing side.)
20 & 21 - Small gardens. (A pair of hedges, 1.25m and 1.3m in height, which are jumped in quick succession.)
22 - Open brook. (A simple ditch with a white bounce beam which in the past where not there which lead to horses not seeing the brook. The brook is 3m wide and 0.9 m deep.)
23 - Steeplechase obstacle. (Steeplechase jumps have replaced wicker obstacles, which are no longer jumped. This fence is 1.3 m high and 0.6 m wide.)
24 - "At the hangar hedge" Hedge. (Named after it closeness to hangars by a nearby airport. It is a 1.3 m high and wide hedge. 0.6 m in front of it is an 0.8 m high bouncing crossbar.)
25 - Big English jump. (0.5 m high and 1.6 m wide hedge, 0.6 m in front of it stands an 0.8 m high bounce beam. The difficulty of the obstacle is the landing, because the landing area is 40 cm higher than the takeoff side. Often causes problems in the wet.)
26 - American post and rails. (2.4 m wide ditch with a 0.5 m high bounce beam.)
27 - Havel's Jump. (1.4 m high and 1.9 m wide hedge with an 0.8 m high bounce beam at a distance of 0.5 m in front of the fence, followed by a 2.5 m wide shallow ditch. The difficulty of the jump is mainly due to its closeness to the end of the race.)
28 - Steeplechase obstacle. (1.3 m high and 0.6 m wide)
29 - Steeplechase obstacle. (1.3 m high and 0.6 m wide)
30 - Steeplechase obstacle. (1.3 m high and 0.6 m wide)^[6]

Curiosities

Historically, the most successful horse in the race was Železník, winning four times (from 1987 to 1989 and again in 1991).

Josef Váňa Sr. is the event's most successful jockey, with eight victories.

The first (and, as of 2022, only) woman to have won the race is Countess Lata Brandisová, who won in 1937 with her mare, Norma, seven lengths ahead of the professional jockey Willibald Schlagbaum in second place. Only 10 of the 15 runners finished. She was the first woman to enter the race in 1927 (falling five times and remounting to finish fifth). In later years she came in fourth, third, and second on Norma.^[7]

The 1937 Velká pardubická was the last race held for nearly a decade. The 1938 race was called off following the Munich Agreement and not run during World War II.

Winners

width=80px	Year	width=160px	Winning Horse	width=80px	Age	width=80px	Handicap (kg)	width=160px	Jockey	width=240px	Trainer	width=160px	Owner	width=160px	Winning Time	-	2023	Sacamiro	10	70	Jan Faltejsek	Eva Petříková		9m 28.27s	-	2022	Mr Spex	8	70	Lukáš Matuský	Luboš Urbánek	Lokotrans	9m 31.24s	-	2021	Talent	10	70	Pavel Složil ml.	Hana Kabelková	DS Kabelkovi	9m 12.79s	-	2020	Hegnus	12	70	Lukáš Matuský	Radek Holčák	Ševců	9m 22.99s	-	2019	Theophilos	9	70	Josef Bartoš		Dostihový klub iSport-Váňa	9m 28.76s	-	2018	Tzigane du Berlais	7	70	Jan Faltejsek	Pavel Tůma	Dr. Charvát	9m 05.56s	-	2017	No Time To Lose	8	70	Jan Kratochvíl		DS Paragan	9m 39.98s	-	2016	Charme Look	9	70	Jan Faltejsek	Martina Růžičková	Orling	9m 42.86s	-	2015	Ribelino	7	68	Pavel Kašný	Stanislav Kovář	Lokotrans	8m 56.01s^R	-	2014	Orphee des Blins	12	66	Jan Faltejsek	Grzegorz Witold Wroblewski	DS Pegas	9m 08.25s	-	2013	Orphee des Blins	11	66	Jan Faltejsek	Grzegorz Witold Wroblewski	DS Pegas	9m 33.22s	-	2012	Orphee des Blins	10	66	Jan Faltejsek	Grzegorz Witold Wroblewski	DS Pegas	9m 13.39s	-	2011	Tiumen	10	68.5			Köi Dent	9m 15.29s	-	2010	Tiumen	9	68			Köi Dent	9m 03.73s	-	2009	Tiumen	8	68			Köi Dent	9m 19.56s	-	2008	Sixteen	8	66	Josef Bartoš		Jaroslav Bouček Buc-Film	8m 58.99s^R	-	2007	Sixteen	7	66	Dušan Andrés		Jaroslav Bouček Buc-Film	9m 18.66s	-	2006	Decent Fellow	11	67	Josef Bartoš		Dr. Charvát	9m 20.60s	-	2005	Maskul	11	67	Dirk Fuhrmann	František Holčák	Nýznerov	9m 11.25s^R	-	2004	Registana	8	65	Peter Gehm	Čestmír Olehla	Wrbna Racing	9m 15.48s^R	-	2003	Registana	7	65	Peter Gehm	Čestmír Olehla	Wrbna Racing	9m 30.14s	-	2002	Maskul	8	67	Peter Gehm	Radek Holčák	Nýznerov	10m 22.07s	-	2001	Chalco	9	67	Peter Gehm		Viktor Komárek	10m 04.52s	-	2000	Peruán	12	67	Zdeněk Matysík	Lenka Horáková	DC Zámrsk - MUDr. Bruna	9m 29.00s	-	1999	Peruán	11	67	Zdeněk Matysík	Lenka Horáková	DC Zámrsk - MUDr. Bruna	9m 16.00s^R	-	1998	Peruán	10	67	Zdeněk Matysík	Lenka Horáková	DC Zámrsk - MUDr. Bruna	10m 10.01s	-	1997	Vronsky	9	67			Viktor Komárek	10m 33.30s	-	1996	Cipísek	8	64.5	Vladislav Snitkovskij		Stáj Luka	9m 35.10s^R	-	1995	It's a Snip	10	67	Charlie Mann	Charlie Mann	The Icy Fire Partnership	10m 03.43s	-	1994	Erudit	8	65.5	Vladislav Snitkovskij	František Holčák	Pěník Vlachovice	10m 06.07s	-	1993	Rigoletto	9	70.5	Libor Štencl	František Holčák	Valstav-Paschal	10m 29.0s	-	1992	Quirinus	10	70.5	Jaroslav Brečka	Pavel Kalaš	Pôdohospodárske družstvo Senica	10m 09.1s	-	1991		13	70.5		Čestmír Olehla	Státní statek Bruntál - Světlá Hora	10m 01.0s	-	1990	Libentína	7	70.5	Karel Zajko	František Holčák	ŠPP Motěšice	9m 49.4s^R	-	1989		11	70.5		Čestmír Olehla	Státní statek Bruntál - Světlá Hora	10m 16.3s	-	1988		10	70.5		Čestmír Olehla	Státní statek Bruntál - Světlá Hora	10m 59.8s	-	1987		9	70.5		Čestmír Olehla	Státní statek Bruntál - Světlá Hora	9m 56.13s^R	-	1986	Valencio	9		Karel Zajko	František Holčák	JZD Velké Karlovice	10m 39.4s	-	1985	Festival	11		Petr Vozáb	Václav Čermák	PP Kladruby	10m 36.4s	-	1984	Erot	9		N. Chludějev	G. Chajanin	Hřebčín Voschod	10m 48.9s	-	1983	Sagar	8		Pavel Liebich	Václav Čermák	PP Kladruby	10m 28.0s	-	1982	Sagar	7		Pavel Liebich	Václav Čermák	PP Kladruby	10m 12.04s	-	1981	Sagar	6		Pavel Liebich	Václav Čermák	PP Kladruby	12m 46.37s	-	1980	Simon	9		Vlastimil Knápek	Květoslav Mocek	JZD Pokrok Otice	11m 47.53s	-	1979	Legenda	6		Jiří Chaloupka	Jiří Chaloupka	JZD Družba Čebín	11m 07.10s	-	1978	Lancaster	6		Jiří Kasal	Harry Petrlík sr.	PP Šamorín	11m 30.60s	-	1977	Václav	9		Václav Chaloupka	Václav Chaloupka	Státní statek Židlochovice	12m 15.20s	-	1976	Limit	8		František Zobal	František Janík	PP Albertovec	10m 59.40s	-	1975	Mor	11		Karel Benš	František Janík	PP Albertovec	11m 01.70s	-	1974	Mor	10		Karel Benš	František Janík	PP Albertovec	10m 42.70s	-	1973	Stephen's Society	7		Christopher Collins	Arthur Stephenson	Christopher Collins	10m 04.90s^R	-	1972	Korok	13		Václav Chaloupka	Václav Chaloupka	Státní statek Židlochovice	10m 55.20s	-	1971	Korok	12		Václav Chaloupka	Václav Chaloupka	Státní statek Židlochovice	11m 02.80s	-	1970	Vezna II	6		Nedělko G. Milev	Petko Vladimirov	DZS Štefan Karadža	11m 41.20s	-	1969	Korok	10		Václav Chaloupka	Václav Chaloupka	Státní statek Židlochovice	11m 01.20s	-	1968	cancelled							-	1967	Dresděn	8		A.N. Sokolov		JO Avangard Lvov	11m 34.70s	-	1966	Nestor	7		Tibor Kňazík	Tibor Kňazík	ŠPU Prešov	12m 22.60s	-	1965	Mocná	7		František Vítek	Stanislav Bárta	Státní statek Benešov	10m 39.60s	-	1964	Priboj	7		Valentin Z. Gorelkin	Ivan Avdějev	DSO Urožaj	11m 33.60s	-	1963	Koran	12		František Vítek	Václav Čechura	SPÚ Tlumačov	10m 47.20s	-	1962	Gaboj	6		Rostislav P. Makarov	Ivan Avdějev	DSO Urožaj	10m 05.10s^R	-	1961	Grifel	8		Ivan L. Avdějev	Ivan Avdějev	Hřebčín č. 158	10m 21.30s^R	-	1960	Grifel	7		Ivan L. Avdějev	Ivan Avdějev	Hřebčín č. 158	12m 32.00s	-	1959	Epigraf	10		Vladimir P. Prachov	Valerian Kujbyšev	CKSK MO	12m 05.20s	-	1958	Epigraf	9		Vladimir P. Prachov	Valerian Kujbyšev	CKSK MO	13m 11.00s	-	1957	Epigraf	8		Vladimir N. Fedin	Valerian Kujbyšev	CKSK MO	11m 27.90s	-	1956	Letec	11		Josef Vavroušek	Josef Dobeš	Státní statek Xaverov	13m 14.80s	-	1955	Furioso XIV	7		Josef Čajda	Emil Šulgan	ŠŽ Topoľčianky	11m 32.10s	-	1954	Unkas	14		Ludvík Raimond		Jiskra Moravský Beroun	13m 08.00s	-	1953	Junák	10		Ferdinand Palyza	Ferdinand Palyza	DSO Slavoj Opava	11m 13.50s	-	1952	Vítěz	13		Miloš Svoboda		Družstvo Kalich	11m 25.30s	-	1951	Salvátor	10		Vladimír Hejmovský (Vladimír Alexandrovič Gejmovskij)	Vladimír Hejmovský (Vladimír Alexandrovič Gejmovskij)	Sokol KP Opava	10m 58.00s	-	1950	n/d Var	11		Josef Jungmann		Sokol Borek	11m 17.20s	-	1949	Učeň	11		Oldřich Dostál		VSJ Pardubice	10m 55.30s	-	1948	n/d Var	9		Miroslav Kotek	Jaroslav Houra	Vojenský útvar 2108	11m 03.30s	-	1947	Rayon De Lune	12				Centre National des Sports Equesters	10m 30.80s^R	-	1946	n/d Titan	9		Miloš Svoboda	Miloš Svoboda	Vojenský útvar 2228	11m 56.40s	-	1938–1945	cancelled							-	1937	Norma	10			Karel Šmejda	Zdenko Radslav Kinský	10m 47.00s	-	1936	Herold	11		Oskar Lengnik	Kerpen	Oskar Lengnik	10m 47.00s	-	1935	Herold	10		Oskar Lengnik		Oskar Lengnik	10m 41.40s	-	1934	Wahne	11		H. Wiese	H. Wiese	H. Wiese	12m 44.00s	-	1933	Remus	8		Reguiero Spano		Dr. Alfred Tonelles	11m 24.60s	-	1932	Remus	7		Reguiero Spano		Dr. Alfred Tonelles	12m 48.80s	-	1931	Pohanka	5		Lt. F. Durand	Karel Šmejda	Zdenko Radslav Kinský	14m 47.80s	-	1930	Gyi Lovam!	8				Cpt. Rudolf Popler	12m 00.00s	-	1929	Ben Hur	7		Gustav Schwandt	Gustav Schwandt	Gustav Schwandt	12m 37.00s	-	1928	Vogler	8		Hans Schmidt	Feldwebel H. Nünninghoff	Feldwebel H. Nünninghoff	12m 03.90s	-	1927	Forum	n/a		Josef Charous	Josef Charous	Cpt. J. Charous	14m 00.00s	-	1926	All Right II	7			Lufta	Stáj Popler-Formánková	17m 44.60s	-	1925	Landgraf II	7		Karek Holoubek		Stáj Max	19m 19.20s	-	1924	Herero			Eduard Stärz	Eduard Stärz	Stáj Sankt Georg	13m 10.00s	-	1923	Landgraf II	5	66	Jan Pintér	Martinkovich	Stáj Max	13m 29.00s	-	1922	Baldur	5	60	František Gimpel	Buřival	Lady Huntingghost	15m 27.00s	-	1921	Periwig	7	68	Josef Syrový	Oldřich Rosák	A. Vaněk	15m 32.00s	-	1920	Jonathan	11	70	Karel Kozlík		Jan Pálffy	20m 15.00s	-	1914–1919	cancelled							-	1913	Hurain			Cpt. Wilhelm Reimer		Capt. Johann Buzinkay v. Buzinka		-	Dick Turpin	10		Ferencz Janek	Martinkovich	Lt. Friedrich Rosenthal	11m 11.50s	-	1912	Hurain			1Lt. Wilhelm Reimer		Capt. Johann Buzinkay v. Buzinka		-	Jamagata	6		František Bartosch	František Bartosch	František Bartosch	11m 39.40s	-	1911	Glenmorgan	6	73.5	Jenö von Egan-Krieger	Jenö von Egan-Krieger	Count Frankenberg	10m 22.00s	-	1910	Paul Heston	5	70	Max Seiffert		Maj. Karl Adam von Wuthenau-Hohenthurm	14m 26.50s	-	1909	race void							-	1908	cancelled							-	1907	Kourgan	6		Josef Birghan	Rottman	P. Mecklenburg	11m 24.60s	-	1906	Tigra	4		Harry H. Huxtable	Wheeler	Anton Dreher	12m 10.60s	-	1905	Scotch Moor	10	71	Max Seiffert		Feldwebel Knesebeck	not measured	-	1904	Dennis	6		Thomas H. Buckenham	Walter Earl		not measured	-	1903	Jour Fix	7	67.5	Oldřich Rosák	van Ness	Emil von David jr.	12m 04.00s	-	1902	Jour Fix	6	62.5	Oldřich Rosák	Hough	Emil von David jr.	not measured	-	1901	Chorazy	6	62	Frederick E. Slinn		1st Lt. Eduard Koller	not measured	-	1900	Magyarád	8	68.5	Thomas H. Buckenham	Ralph Heath	Count Zdenko Kinský	not measured	-	1899	Sláva	5	63.5	Thomas H. Buckenham	Ralph Heath	Count Zdenko Kinský	not measured	-	1898	Handy Andy	n/a	80	Robert Jekyll	H.Brown Jr.	Gustav Beit	not measured	-	1897	Magyarád	5	71	Edward Geoghegan	Ralph Heath	Count Zdenko Kinský	not measured	-	1896	Lady Anne	10	80	Edward Geoghegan	George Herbert	Jacques Schawell	not measured	-	1895	Galamb II	4	74	Arthur Hall	John Pache	Robert Lebaudy	not measured	-	1894	Lady Anne	8	77.5	Edward Geoghegan	George Herbert	Jacques Schawell	not measured	-	1893	Hadnagy	7	69	George Williamson	Hansi Fries	General Count H. Lamberg	not measured	-	1892	Alphabet	7	63	John Westlake	Dobrovský	Count Rudolf Ferdinand Kinský	not measured	-	1891	Lady Anne	5	64	Richard Harry Fletcher	George Herbert	Jacques Schawell	not measured	-	1890	Alphabet	5	62.5	George Williamson	Dobrovský	Count Rudolf Ferdinand Kinský	not measured	-	1889	Parisis	6	61.5	Richard Harry Fletcher		1st Lt. Alex Kutchenbach	not measured	-	1888	Et Caetera	4	66.5	Max Phillips		Count Nicolo Esterházy	not measured	-	1887	Woodman	9	70	Hector Baltazzi		Hector Baltazzi	not measured	-	1886	Hanno	4	62	Richard Harry Fletcher		Ferdinand von Schosberger	not measured	-	1885	Abracadabra	6	73	Hansi Fries	Hansi Fries	Count Nicolo Esterházy	not measured	-	1884	Jessica	6	75	William H. Moore		Oscar Oehlschläger	not measured	-	1883	Victoria	10	80.5	Hector Baltazzi	George Herbert	Jacques Schawell	not measured	-	1882	Per Dampf	5	71	Thomas Harraway		Baron Ernst von Falkenhausen	not measured	-	1881	Victoria	8	83.5	Hector Baltazzi	George Herbert	Jacques Schawell	not officially 10m 45.20s	-	1880	Good Morning	4	66	Max Phillips	Ralph Heath	G.F.J. Smith (Zdenko Kinský)	not measured	-	1879	Rudi	5	73.5	I. Hanreich	John Beeson	Count Nicolo Esterházy	not measured	-	1878	Brigand	8	84	Fritz Reichsgraf Wolff-Metternich zur Grachth	John Reeves		not measured	-	1877	Brigand	7	80	Fritz Reichsgraf Wolff-Metternich zur Grachth	George Long	Count Tasziló Festetics	not measured	-	1876	cancelled							-	1875	Brigand	5	78.5	George Herbert	George Long	Count Tasziló Festetics	not measured	-	1874	Fantôme	6	80.5	George Sayers		Baron von Cramm	not measured	-

^R – track record

References

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Racing Post:
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External links

Official website of Pardubice Racecourse

Notes and References

Web site: Jenkins . Tom . Grand Pardubice Steeplechase: the world's toughest horse race – a photo essay . The Guardian . 10 June 2023 . 18 October 2018.
Web site: History of the Velká Pardubická České pojišťovny . https://web.archive.org/web/20151218165541/http://www.vpcp.cz/en/history.html. 2015-12-18.
Web site: Obstacles.
Web site: Váňa: kvůli "novému" Taxisu nepřítel. Upravenou překážku čeká premiéra. cs. Blesk. 6 October 2021. 16 October 2021.
Web site: Course. JPG .
Web site: 131. Velká pardubická se Slavia pojišťovnou. cs. Blesk. 10 October 2021. 16 October 2021.
Book: Unbreakable: The Woman Who Defied the Nazis in the World's Most Dangerous Horse Race. Richard Askwith. Richard Askwith. 2019. Yellow Jersey Press.