Velká pardubická (Grand Pardubice Steeplechase ) 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 6.9 km, 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. 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. These are:

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. 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