The Cheltenham Festival is the number 1 meeting in the National Hunt Calendar and sees tens of thousands of racing punters, fans and sports people visit the course each year for the greatest show on earth.

National hunt racing originated in Ireland where races were usually two-horse events known as pounding races.
These races were over long distances across countryside and horses were required to jump whatever barriers were in there way along.

Jump racing is very popular in Britain, Ireland and France. In Ireland the sport is far more popular than flat racing.
The 2 points from start to finish were usually the Steeples of a church in each local area hence the name Steeplechase today.

A Chase is a race run over a distance of 2 mile to 4½ miles where horses must jump fences that a minimum of 4½ feet high.
A Hurdle is run over 2 to 3½ miles and horses are required to jump hurdles that are a minimum 3½ feet high.

NH Flat races (usually called a bumper race) are flat races for horses run over 1½ – 2½ miles.

The first organized Flat race meeting in Cheltenham took place in 1815 on Nottingham Hill, with the first races on Cleeve Hill in August 1818.

Today the Festival is worth an estimated £50m plus to the local economy and hosts the largest Tented Village of any kind at a sporting event.

Festival drinkers get through approx 18,000 bottles of Champagne and over 210,000 pints of Guinness.

Prize money at Cheltenham exceeds £6m throughout the season with over £3.5m on offer at The Festival alone, making it the most valuable fixture in Jump racing.

In 2011 the festival will run from Tuesday 15th March to Friday the 18th of March.