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Level 2 – Pre-intermediate
The Grand National Steeplechase
Horse racing and betting are very popular and ancient activities in Britain. There are race courses all over the country and the most famous are probably Ascot and Aintree. The races are shown on national television most afternoons. There are bookmakers in every town and millions of people bet on the horses.
There are two main types of horse race in Britain: steeplechasing, with jumps, and flat racing, without jumps. Steeplechasing is a very ancient sport which was started by hunting men who raced their horses for enjoyment over natural country from one point to another, usually from the steeple of one village church to another. In the nineteenth century, steeplechasing became more organised and courses were built.
In 1839, the most famous steeplechase of all, the Grand National, was founded at Aintree in Liverpool. In the first race, horses had to run over fields and jump a wall and two hedges. Today, the Grand National is one of the biggest and most spectacular events on the racing calendar. The course is four and a half miles long and there are thirty jumps. Over thirty horses take part every year but only a few manage to finish the race. Many fall at the jumps or abandon the race before the end.
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Answer the questions below to check how well you understand the text.
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C2 Mastery
