2010 Cheltenham Festival

Although the Grand National at Aintree is the world's most famous steeplechase, the most prestigious National Hunt race meeting is the Cheltenham Festival, with eleven Grade 1 jump races carded over 4 days. An average of 50,000 fans come daily to watch the best jump races of the year. Since the Festival often coincides with St. Patrick's Day, half the crowd is from Ireland, in to cheer on their runners in a friendly head-to-head competition with the English-based horses. It is National Hunt's equivalent of the Breeders' Cup or Royal Ascot, while the Grand National is more like the Kentucky Derby.

Racing at Cheltenham takes place over three different courses, the Old Course and New Course, and a third, called the Cross-Country Course, which winds its way through the infield and is only used for one race per meeting.