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GRAND NATIONAL HISTORY • ■■•■■ ♦■••■■ -— j Famous English Steeplechase and Its Difficult Course. ■ — •* Aintrees Thirty Jumps Are Mostly High and Difficult for . Even Best Horses. L ! I I I Ail thai i in- Bpaaaa Derbj ha* been in flai raciag I ! the Grand National has long been in ateeplechaaing, eaaily the fereai -~t race of its kind i-i Mi.- ararM All rlaaaea of tvrfaaea hare aaaght it- honor-,, and its winner in IMA, Ambush, was the property of the then Prince of Watta, afterward Kiag Edward VII. The Graad National Steeplechase was first run in is:;: as A Hweepatakea or slot each, . l." forfeit, I j 1 with added. IIIs- pounds each. Lottery, with. .bin Mas. .n in the -addie. won tie- first Grand Nil- i , , tiotial: that, year the race was run over five mill- ! of the stiffest line of fences ever put up at l.iver- j I poid. Then there was a five foot stone wall, which j i was lowered t four foot six iachea when -lerry ! , ! lix-ltl won. aad filially pulled down and aabatltatfd by an artificial brook in Charitys 1841 year. In I I. I.olterys i1s:i| r;,, e Comrade, tlie niount of Cap- j iiin Beeber, fell when leading at the brook, nan j known as Bechcra Brook; but nine of the seventeen j rnnnera completed that severe rani at. in Jerryi i ■ H-l»l race the distance was reduced. . The descrfptioB of I lie obstacles in the eon- a I . Aintree girea uoaae idea of the reason why high I • alue i- placed on the bone that can carry bin . weight ov.r them and race through plowed field- j j . and various other kinds of fool int. at a alaahiag ■ pace from end to end of Cue journey ,,f foar mile- . and a half. or. to put it exactly, about four mills . anil Sail yards. SEVERE OBSTACLES OF AINTREE COURSE. ! •" The details of the jumps ale: No. 1 and 17 Thorn fence with brash, t It. • in. high and -J ft. thick, breast rail 2 ft. hiuh on : : -taki off aide done up agalnel fence. No. f and 1 Thorn fence with braak, I ft. 8 J in. high, breast rail -j ft. Ugh on take-off side eiaae up agafant fence. | ! No. :! and It— Thorn f. nee with bru-hl. B It. high, with ditch on take-off -hie abut S ft. aide Ii and 4 It. deep, and banked to gaard rail in front ; t of said ditch 2 ft. high. No. t and 99- Pail fence with bru-hl. thajl 1 re. i-i rail being 2 ft. high close up agalaal fence, : 1 and tin fei ce ft. hiyrh and 2 ft. thick. ] No. 5 and Jl- Thorn fence with brash, breast rail 2 ft. high close up against fence, ami the fence i ft. in in. high and J ft. thick. : No. i; nil 23 — Known as "Bechcra Brook," ■■ I thick thorn fence apraced, I ft. 10 to. high, « with breast rail l1 ft. high in front riom up ■ against fen.,- and a natural ditch aboat ! 1 * in. wide :7ml I ft. deep on the far side. No. 7 and 23— -Thorn fence with brash, I ft [ " P in. high, with breast rail in front - ft. high Hose op against feace. No. 8 and J I Known as the "canal turn " a thorn feme with brush. .*i ft. high and -J ft. •! • in. in width, ditch on take off side ."• f.. 8 in. ■ • wide and banked to gaard rail in front 2 ft. hiuh. •" No. !» and 2~ Kaowa a- "Vahratiaea Brook," a thorn fence apraced I ft I in. high, with a breast rail in front l ft. high close t- feme, and I a aatnral brook ea far side a ft. wide. So, In and 2B— Tbora feme with brash, B ft. high and i it. thick, with breast rail en take-ofl side chwe ii agatast fence. No. 11 ami 21 Uail l ft. high, a dUch aboat ." fr. •, in. wide and -1 ft. deep, and a thorn fence with brash, on tai side 1 ft. fi in. high, No. 1 and 28 Ball L ft. high, fence with;" brush. 4 ft. 10 in. high, 2 ft thick, and ditch on , i 1 far side i; ft. wide. I No. Pi and •_ !! A thorn fence with bru-hl. 1 !". f! in. high, breast rail L ft. high close up againat , fence. No. II and 30 A thorn fence with brash -I ft IT 0 in. high, breast rail •_• ft. high riasc up againsl fence. ; No. 15- Thorn fence with bru-hl. .". ft. high ami , - ft. II in. i:i width, ditch on take off side S ft. ■ wide ami banked to gnard rail la front 2 ft. high. *j No. 10 The "water jump." 10 ft. wide, with - thorn fence with brash, -i ft. hi-h on take-ofl , side. 1 OUTSIDERS TO WIN THE NATIONAL. 3 Many Graad National outsider- have won When [- Pioneer ils|i,i had a runaway win he started c Kl -ii ut a qaotatioa. The American horse Ituhio - 1388 stands out as the only winner to -tart a! -: oo to 1. Three winners — Salamander IMS, ria-. fair 18% and The Boarer IBM were all re- - turned at 10 to 1. Twenty -five to one was the , official starting price retained against Begnl 187C, »ld Joe 1886 . Drogheda 1838 and tin-New- Zealand-bled llolfaa ilHoll. When Hiiut-maii H2t won ."! to 1 was the best offer: at flag-fa II tit 7 to 2 Anatis" starting price; the saaae price was returned against The Colonel l st » . When [ Pottery 1893 area. I to 1 against was bet; since then Emblem lso:-ii. Hex 1833, Come Away i 1831 and Ambash II- 1383 have all -tatted at Lotterys price. , Little Charlie 1858 was ridden to victory by ,. William Archer, father of the more famous Jockey, ,; Prod Archer. Bhifaal 1878, Of a later date was i piloted by .1. .lone-, father of Herbert .lone-, now | the kings jockey. Matthew 1M7! was the first Irish-bred hor-e to j win the treat; since then nearly half the winner- have been bred on that side of Si. G gea i hannol. - Captain Utile, saeeessfal an Chandler 1848, wna * the first anaatear horseman to win a Graad Na- tional. since then the amateurs have won no less than one in three. Many bare w.m the race twice, laclading Mr. Uichard-on on Disturbance B iW.",i and Beagay 1 17-1 »: B. P. Wilson oa Vohap- •" taarj 1884 and ttoaaefort ilss:,i: ai-o Ales •" Goodman and Thomas Pickernell. ."
