Velká pardubická

Velká pardubická is a famous cross-country 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 6.9 km (4 miles 506 yards), 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 6 years old (prior to 2009, the minimum age was 7 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 the Second World War.[1]

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.[1]

Obstacles

Horses must negotiate a total of 31 obstacles.[2] 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. Nowadays, it is a 1 m deep and 4 m long ditch with a 1.5 m high hedge. 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)

Curiosities

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

Josef Váňa Sr. is the most successful jockey, having achieved eight victories, and he is also a very well known celebrity in the Czech Republic. There is a 2012 movie about him (Váňa, directed by Jakub Wagner). He has also trained 10 winners of the Velká Pardubická and six horses which have finished in second place.

The only woman to have won the race as of 2018 is Lata Brandis, who won in 1937 with a mare, Norma.

Winners

YearHorseJockeyTrainer
2018Tzigane du BerlaisCzech Republic Jan FaltejseklPavel Tuma
2017No Time To LoseCzech Republic Jan KratochvílJosef Váňa sr.
2016Charme LookCzech Republic Jan FaltejsekMartina Růžičková
2015RibelinoCzech Republic Pavel KašnýStanislav Kovář
2014Orphee des BlinsCzech Republic Jan FaltejsekGrzegorz Wroblewski
2013Orphee des BlinsCzech Republic Jan FaltejsekGrzegorz Wroblewski
2012Orphee des BlinsCzech Republic Jan FaltejsekGrzegorz Wroblewski
2011TiumenCzech Republic Josef Váňa sr.
2010TiumenCzech Republic Josef Váňa sr.
2009TiumenCzech Republic Josef Váňa sr.
2008Sixteen[lower-alpha 1]Czech Republic J. Bartoš
2007SixteenCzech Republic D. Andrés
2006Decent FellowCzech Republic J. Bartoš
2005MaskulGermany D. Fuhrmann
2004RegistanaGermany P. Gehm
2003RegistanaGermany P. Gehm
2002MaskulGermany P. Gehm
2001ChalcoGermany P. Gehm
2000PeruánCzech Republic Z. Matysík
1999PeruánCzech Republic Z. Matysík
1998PeruánCzech Republic Z. Matysík
1997VronskyCzech Republic J. Váňa sr.
1996CipísekCzech Republic V. Snitkovskij
1995It's a SnipUnited Kingdom Ch. Mann
1994EruditCzech Republic V. Snitkovskij
1993RigolettoCzech Republic L. Štencl
1992QuirinusCzechoslovakia J. Brečka
1991ŽelezníkCzechoslovakia Josef Váňa sr.
1990LibentínaCzechoslovakia K. Zajko
1989ŽelezníkCzechoslovakia Josef Váňa sr.
1988ŽelezníkCzechoslovakia Josef Váňa sr.
1987ŽelezníkCzechoslovakia Josef Váňa sr.
1986ValencioCzechoslovakia K. Zajko
1985FestivalCzechoslovakia P. Vozáb
1984ErotSoviet Union N. Chludějev
1983SagarCzechoslovakia P. Liebich
1982SagarCzechoslovakia P. Liebich
1981SagarCzechoslovakia P. Liebich
1980SimonCzechoslovakia V. Knápek
1979LegendaCzechoslovakia J. Chaloupka
1978LancasterCzechoslovakia J. Kasal
1977VáclavCzechoslovakia Václav Chaloupka
1976LimitCzechoslovakia F. Zobal
1975MorCzechoslovakia K. Benš
1974MorCzechoslovakia K. Benš
1973Stephen's SocietyUnited Kingdom CH. Collins
1972KorokCzechoslovakia V. Chaloupka
1971KorokCzechoslovakia V. Chaloupka
1970Vezna IIBulgaria N. G. Milev
1969KorokCzechoslovakia V. Chaloupka
1968cancelled[lower-alpha 2] 
1967DresděnA.N. Sokolov
1966NestorT. Kňazík
1965MocnáF. Vítek
1964PribojV. Z. Gorelkin
1963KoranF. Vítek
1962GabojR. P. Makarov
1961GrifelI. L. Avdějev
1960GrifelI. L. Avdějev
1959EpigrafV. P. Prachov
1958EpigrafV. P. Prachov
1957EpigrafV. N. Fedin
1956LetecJ. Vavroušek
1955Furioso XIVJ. Čajda
1954UnkasL. Raimond
1953JunákF. Palýza
1952VítězM. Svoboda
1951SalvátorV. Hejmovský
1950VarJ. Jungman
1949UčeňO. Dostál
1948VarM. Kotek
1947Rayon DeM. Buret
1946TitanM. Svoboda
1938-1945cancelled[lower-alpha 3] 
1937NormaL. v. Brandis
1936HeroldO. Lengnik
1935HeroldO. Lengnik
1934WahneH. Wiese
1933RemusR. Spano
1932RemusR. Spano
1931PohankaF. Durand
1930Gyi Lovam!R. Popler
1929Ben HurG. Schwandt
1928VoglerH. Schmidt
1927ForumJ. Charous
1926All Right IIR. Popler
1925Landgraf IIK. Holoubek
1924HereroE. Stärz
1923Landgraf IIJ. Pinter
1922BaldurF. Gimpel
1921PeriwigJ. Syrový
1920JonathanK. Kozlík
1914-1919cancelled[lower-alpha 4] 
1913Hurain[lower-alpha 5]W. Reimer
1913Dick TurpinF. Janek
1912Hurain[lower-alpha 5]W. Reimer
1912JamagataF. Bartosch
1911GlenmorganE. Krieger
1910Paul HestonM. Seiffert
1909race void[lower-alpha 6] 
1908cancelled[lower-alpha 7] 
1907KourganJ. Birghan
1906TigraH. H. Huxtable
1905Scotch MoorM. Seiffert
1904DennisT. H. Buckenham
1903Jour FixU. Rosak
1902Jour FixU. Rosak
1901ChorazyF. E. Slinn
1900MagyarádT. H. Buckenham
1899SlavaT. H. Buckenham
1898Handy AndyR. Jekyll
1897MagyarádE. Geoghegan
1896Lady AnneE. Geoghegan
1895Galamb IIA. Hall
1894Lady AnneE. Geoghegan
1893HadnagyG. Williamson
1892AlphabetJ. Westlake
1891Lady AnneR. Fletcher
1890AlphabetG. Williamson
1889ParisisR. Fletcher
1888Et CaeteraM. Phillips
1887WoodmanH. Baltazzi
1886HannoR. Fletcher
1885AbracadabraH. Fries
1884JessicaW. H. Moore
1883VictoriaH. Baltazzi
1882Per DampfT. Harraway
1881VictoriaH. Baltazzi
1880Good MorningM. Phillips
1879RudiI. Hanreich
1878BrigandF. Metternich
1877BrigandF. Metternich
1876cancelled[lower-alpha 8] 
1875BrigandG. Herbert
1874FantomeG. Sayers
  1. ↑ In 2008, Amant Gris finished first but was disqualified for taking the wrong course.
  2. ↑ The 1968 race was cancelled due to the Prague Spring.
  3. ↑ The race was not run in 1938-1945 due to Nazi occupation and the Second World War.
  4. ↑ The race was not run in 1914-1919 due to the First World War.
  5. 1 2 The 1912 and 1913 race were dead heats.
  6. ↑ The 1909 race was declared void as none of the three horses that ran finished.
  7. ↑ The 1908 race was cancelled due to snow.
  8. ↑ The 1876 race was cancelled due to frost.

References

  1. 1 2 http://www.vpcp.cz/en/history.html History of the Velká Pardubická České pojišťovny
  2. ↑ Obstacles

Coordinates: 50°01′19″N 15°44′46″E / 50.0219°N 15.7460°E / 50.0219; 15.7460

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