Velká pardubická

Velká pardubická is a famous cross-country 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 (4 miles 506 yards), 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 the Second World War.^[1]

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.^[1]

Obstacles

Horses must negotiate a total of 31 obstacles.^[2] These are:

1 - Hedge (1.2m)
2 - Hedge with ditch (1.3m, with a 60 cm ditch on the other side)
3 - Small water jump (3m long)
4 - Taxis ditch. This is the most famous obstacle in the race, and it is jumped just once. 28 horses have died at this obstacle. In the past it consisted of a 2 m deep and 5 m long ditch hidden behind a 1.5 m high hedge. Nowadays, it is a 1 m deep and 4 m long ditch with a 1.5 m high hedge. This obstacle is used only for the Velká pardubická, and horses are not permitted to use it for training.
5 - Irish bank. This unusual obstacle requires the horses to shimmy up and down a steep artificial bank.
6 - Popkovic ditch. (1.3m hedge with a 2m long ditch on the other side)
7 - French jump. A pair of closely spaced hedges, 1.2m and 1.3m in height, which must be jumped as one.
8 & 9 - Small gardens. A pair of hedges, 1.25m and 1.3m in height, which are jumped in quick succession.
10 - English jump. (1.2m hedge with a ditch on the takeoff side)
10a - Extended taxis ditch. (Small hedge, about 1.1m tall, which joins with the main taxis ditch)
11 - Hedge with ditch. (1.3m, with a ditch on the landing side)

Curiosities

Historically, the most successful horse in the race was Železník. The horse won the race four times (from 1987 to 1989 and again in 1991).

Josef Váňa Sr. is the most successful jockey, having achieved eight victories, and he is also a very well known celebrity in the Czech Republic. There is a 2012 movie about him (Váňa, directed by Jakub Wagner). He has also trained 10 winners of the Velká Pardubická and six horses which have finished in second place.

The first (and only woman) to have won the race as of 2019 is Countess Lata Brandisová (1896-1981), 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.^[3]

The 1937 Grand Pardubice 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

Year	Winning Horse	Age	Handicap (kg)	Jockey	Trainer	Owner	Winning Time
2019	Theophilos	9	70	Josef Bartoš	Josef Váňa sr.	Dostihový klub iSport-Váňa	9m 28.76s
2018	Tzigane du Berlais	7	70	Jan Faltejsek	Pavel Tůma	Dr. Charvát	9m 05.56s
2017	No Time To Lose	8	70	Jan Kratochvíl	Josef Váňa sr.	DS Paragan	9m 39.98s
2016	Charme Look	9	70	Jan Faltejsek	Martina Růžičková	Orling	9m 42.86s
2015	Ribelino	7	68	Pavel Kašný	Stanislav Kovář	Lokotrans	8m 56.01s
2014	Orphee des Blins	12	66	Jan Faltejsek	Grzegorz Witold Wroblewski	DS Pegas	9m 08.25s
2013	Orphee des Blins	11	66	Jan Faltejsek	Grzegorz Witold Wroblewski	DS Pegas	9m 33.22s
2012	Orphee des Blins	10	66	Jan Faltejsek	Grzegorz Witold Wroblewski	DS Pegas	9m 13.39s
2011	Tiumen	10	68.5	Josef Váňa sr.	Josef Váňa sr.	Köi Dent	9m 15.29s
2010	Tiumen	9	68	Josef Váňa sr.	Josef Váňa sr.	Köi Dent	9m 03.73s
2009	Tiumen	8	68	Josef Váňa sr.	Josef Váňa sr.	Köi Dent	9m 19.56s
2008	Sixteen^[a]	8	66	Josef Bartoš	Josef Váňa sr.	Jaroslav Bouček Buc-Film	8m 58.99s
2007	Sixteen	7	66	Dušan Andrés	Josef Váňa sr.	Jaroslav Bouček Buc-Film	9m 18.66s
2006	Decent Fellow	11	67	Josef Bartoš	Josef Váňa sr.	Dr. Charvát	9m 20.60s
2005	Maskul	11	67	Dirk Fuhrmann	František Holčák	Nýznerov	9m 11.25s
2004	Registana	8	65	Peter Gehm	Čestmír Olehla	Wrbna Racing	9m 15.48s
2003	Registana	7	65	Peter Gehm	Čestmír Olehla	Wrbna Racing	9m 30.14s
2002	Maskul	8	67	Peter Gehm	Radek Holčák	Nýznerov	10m 22.07s
2001	Chalco	9	67	Peter Gehm	Josef Váňa sr.	Viktor Komárek	10m 04.52s
2000	Peruán	12	67	Zdeněk Matysík	Lenka Horáková	DC Zámrsk - MUDr. Bruna	9m 29.00s
1999	Peruán	11	67	Zdeněk Matysík	Lenka Horáková	DC Zámrsk - MUDr. Bruna	9m 16.00s
1998	Peruán	10	67	Zdeněk Matysík	Lenka Horáková	DC Zámrsk - MUDr. Bruna	10m 10.01s
1997	Vronsky	9	67	Josef Váňa sr.	Josef Váňa sr.	Viktor Komárek	10m 33.30s
1996	Cipísek	8	64.5	Vladislav Snitkovskij	Josef Váňa sr.	Stáj Luka	9m 35.10s
1995	It's a Snip	10	67	Charlie Mann	Charlie Mann	The Icy Fire Partnership	10m 03.43s
1994	Erudit	8	65.5	Vladislav Snitkovskij	František Holčák	Pěník Vlachovice	10m 06.07s
1993	Rigoletto	9	70.5	Libor Štencl	František Holčák	Valstav-Paschal	10m 29.0s
1992	Quirinus	10		Jaroslav Brečka	Pavel Kalaš	Pôdohospodárske družstvo Senica	10m 09.1s
1991	Železník	13	83	Josef Váňa sr.	Čestmír Olehla	Státní statek Bruntál - Světlá Hora	10m 01.0s
1990	Libentína	7		Karel Zajko	František Holčák	ŠPP Motěšice	9m 49.4s
1989	Železník	11	81	Josef Váňa sr.	Čestmír Olehla	Státní statek Bruntál - Světlá Hora	10m 16.3s
1988	Železník	10	80	Josef Váňa sr.	Čestmír Olehla	Státní statek Bruntál - Světlá Hora	10m 59.8s
1987	Železník	9	80	Josef Váňa sr.	Čestmír Olehla	Státní statek Bruntál - Světlá Hora	9m 56.13s
1986	Valencio	9		Karel Zajko	František Holčák	JZD Velké Karlovice	10m 39.4s
1985	Festival	11		Petr Vozáb	Václav Čermák	PP Kladruby	10m 36.4s
1984	Erot	9		N. Chludějev	G. Chajanin	Hřebčín Voschod	10m 48.9s
1983	Sagar	8		Pavel Liebich	Václav Čermák	PP Kladruby	10m 28.0s
1982	Sagar	7		Pavel Liebich	Václav Čermák	PP Kladruby	10m 12.04s
1981	Sagar	6		Pavel Liebich	Václav Čermák	PP Kladruby	12m 46.37s
1980	Simon	9		Vlastimil Knápek	Květoslav Mocek	JZD Pokrok Otice	11m 47.53s
1979	Legenda	6		Jiří Chaloupka	Jiří Chaloupka	JZD Čebín	11m 07.10s
1978	Lancaster	6		Jiří Kasal	Harry Petrlík	PP Šamorín	11m 30.60s
1977	Václav	9		Václav Chaloupka	Václav Chaloupka	Státní statek Židlochovice	12m 15.20s
1976	Limit	8		František Zobal	František Janík	PP Albertovec	10m 59.40s
1975	Mor	11		Karel Benš	František Janík	PP Albertovec	11m 01.70s
1974	Mor	10		Karel Benš	František Janík	PP Albertovec	10m 42.70s
1973	Stephen's Society	7		Christopher Collins	Arthur Stephenson	Christopher Collins	10m 04.90s
1972	Korok	13		Václav Chaloupka	Václav Chaloupka	Státní statek Židlochovice	10m 55.20s
1971	Korok	12		Václav Chaloupka	Václav Chaloupka	Státní statek Židlochovice	11m 02.80s
1970	Vezna II	6		Nedělko G. Milev	Petko Vladimirov	DZS St. Karadža	11m 41.20s
1969	Korok	10		Václav Chaloupka	Václav Chaloupka	Státní statek Židlochovice	11m 01.20s
1968	cancelled^[b]
1967	Dresděn	8		A.N. Sokolov		JO Avangard Lvov	11m 34.70s
1966	Nestor	7		Tibor Kňazík		ŠPU Prešov	12m 22.60s
1965	Mocná	7		František Vítek		Státní statek Benešov	10m 39.60s
1964	Priboj	7		Valentin Z. Gorelkin	Ivan Avdějev	DSO Urožaj	11m 33.60s
1963	Koran	12		František Vítek		SPÚ Tlumačov	10m 47.20s
1962	Gaboj	6		Rostislav P. Makarov	Ivan Avdějev	DSO Urožaj	10m 05.10s
1961	Grifel	8		Ivan L. Avdějev	Ivan Avdějev	Hřebčín č. 158	10m 21.30s
1960	Grifel	7		Ivan L. Avdějev	Ivan Avdějev	Hřebčín č. 158	12m 32.00s
1959	Epigraf	10		Vladimir P. Prachov	Valerian Kujbyšev	CKSK MO	12m 05.20s
1958	Epigraf	9		Vladimir P. Prachov	Valerian Kujbyšev	CKSK MO	13m 11.00s
1957	Epigraf	8		Vladimir N. Fedin	Valerian Kujbyšev	CKSK MO	11m 27.90s
1956	Letec	11		Josef Vavroušek		Státní statek Xaverov	13m 14.80s
1955	Furioso XIV	7		Josef Čajda		ŠŽ Topoľčianky	11m 32.10s
1954	Unkas	14		Ludvík Raimond		Jiskra Moravský Beroun	13m 08.00s
1953	Junák	10		Ferdinand Palyza		DSO Slavoj Opava	11m 13.50s
1952	Vítěz	13		Miloš Svoboda		Družstvo Kalich	11m 25.30s
1951	Salvátor	10		Vladimír Hejmovský		Sokol KP Opava	10m 58.00s
1950	Var	11		Josef Jungmann		Sokol Borek	11m 17.20s
1949	Učeň	11		Oldřich Dostál		VSJ Pardubice	10m 55.30s
1948	Var	9		Miroslav Kotek		Vojenský útvar 2108	11m 03.30s
1947	Rayon De Lune	12		Maurice Buret		Centre Nat. d. Sports Equesters	10m 30.30s
1946	Titan	9		Miloš Svoboda		Vojenský útvar 2228	11m 56.40s
1938–1945	cancelled^[c]
1937	Norma	10		Lata Brandisová^[3]	Karel Šmejda	Zdenko Radslav Kinský	10m 47.00s
1936	Herold	11		Oskar Lengnik	Kerpen	Oskar Lengnik	10m 47.00s
1935	Herold	10		Oskar Lengnik		Oskar Lengnik	10m 41.40s
1934	Wahne	11		H. Wiese	H. Wiese	H. Wiese	12m 44.00s
1933	Remus	8		Reguiero Spano		Dr. Alfred Tonelles	11m 24.60s
1932	Remus	7		Reguiero Spano		Dr. Alfred Tonelles	12m 48.80s
1931	Pohanka	5		F. Durand	Karel Šmejda	Zdenko Radslav Kinský	14m 47.80s
1930	Gyi Lovam!	8		Rudolf Popler	Rudolf Popler	Cpt. Rudolf Popler	12m 00.00s
1929	Ben Hur	7		Gustav Schwandt	Gustav Schwandt	Gustav Schwandt	12m 37.00s
1928	Vogler	8		Hans Schmidt		Feldwebel H. Nünninghoff	12m 03.90s
1927	Forum			Josef Charous		Cpt. J. Charous	14m 00.00s
1926	All Right II	7		Rudolf Popler	Lufta	Stáj P.F.	17m 44.60s
1925	Landgraf II	7		Karek Holoubek		Stáj Max	19m 19.20s
1924	Herero			Eduard Stärz	Eduard Stärz	Stáj Sankt Georg	13m 10.00s
1923	Landgraf II	5		Jan Pintér	Martinkovich	Stáj Max	13m 29.00s
1922	Baldur			František Gimpel	Buřival	Lady Huntingghost	15m 27.00s
1921	Periwig	7		Josef Syrový	Oldřich Rosák	A. Vaněk	15m 32.00s
1920	Jonathan	5		K. Kozlík		Jan Pálffy	20m 15.00s
1914–1919	cancelled^[d]
1913^[e]	Hurain			W. Reimer
1913^[e]	Dick Turpin	10		F. Janek		Lt. B. Rosenthal	11m 11.50s
1912^[e]	Hurain			W. Reimer
1912^[e]	Jamagata	6		František Bartosch	František Bartosch	František Bartosch	11m 39.40s
1911	Glenmorgan	6		Jeno von Egan-Krieger	Jeno von Egan-Krieger	Count Frankenberg	10m 22.00s
1910	Paul Heston	5		Max Seiffert		K.A. Wuthenau	14m 26.50s
1909	race void^[f]
1908	cancelled^[g]
1907	Kourgan	6		J. Birghan	Rottman	P. Mecklenburg	11m 24.60s
1906	Tigra	4		Harry H. Huxtable	Wheeler	Anton Dreher	12m 10.60s
1905	Scotch Moor	10		Max Seiffert		Feldwebel Knesebeck
1904	Dennis	6		Thomas H. Buckenham	Walter Earl	Prince Karel Kinský
1903	Jour Fix	7		Oldřich Rosák	Ness Van	Emil von David jr.	12m 04.00s
1902	Jour Fix	6		Oldřich Rosák	Hough	Emil von David jr.
1901	Chorazy	6		Frederick E. Slinn		1st Lt. E. Koller
1900	Magyarád	8		Thomas H. Buckenham	Ralph Heath	Hřebčín Obora
1899	Sláva			Thomas H. Buckenham	Ralph Heath	Count Zdenko Kinský
1898	Handy Andy			R. Jekyll	H.Brown Jr.	Gustav Beit
1897	Magyarád	5		Edward Geoghegan	Ralph Heath	Count Zdenko Kinský
1896	Lady Anne	10		Edward Geoghegan	George Herbert	Jacques Schawell
1895	Galamb II	4		Arthur Hall	John Pache	Robert Lebaudy
1894	Lady Anne	8		Edward Geoghegan	George Herbert	Jacques Schawell
1893	Hadnagy	7		George Williamson	Hansi Fries	General Count H. Lamberg
1892	Alphabet	7		John Westlake		Count Rudolf Ferdinand Kinský
1891	Lady Anne	5		Richard Harry Fletcher	George Herbert	Jacques Schawell
1890	Alphabet	5		George Williamson		Count Rudolf Ferdinand Kinský
1889	Parisis	6		Richard Harry Fletcher		1st Lt. Alex Kutchenbach
1888	Et Caetera	4		M. Phillips		Count Nicolo Esterházy
1887	Woodman	9		Hector Baltazzi		Hector Baltazzi
1886	Hanno	4		Richard Harry Fletcher		Ferdinand Schosberger
1885	Abracadabra	6		Hansi Fries	Hansi Fries	Count Nicolo Esterházy
1884	Jessica	6		Willie Moore		Oscar Oehlschläger
1883	Victoria	10		Hector Baltazzi	George Herbert	Jacques Schawell
1882	Per Dampf	5		T. Harraway		Baron E. Falkenhausen
1881	Victoria	8		Hector Baltazzi	George Herbert	Jacques Schawell
1880	Good Morning	4		M. Phillips	Ralph Heath	G.F.J. Smith (Zd. Kinský)
1879	Rudi	5		I. Hanreich	John Beeson	Count Nicolo Esterházy
1878	Brigand	8		Fritz Reichsgraf Wolff-Metternich zur Grachth	John Reeves	Count Tassilo Festetics
1877	Brigand	7		Fritz Reichsgraf Wolff-Metternich zur Grachth	John Reeves	Count Tassilo Festetics
1876	cancelled^[h]
1875	Brigand	5		George Herbert	John Reeves	Count Tassilo Festetics
1874	Fantome	6		George Sayers		Baron von Cramm

^ In 2008, Amant Gris finished first but was disqualified for taking the wrong course.
^ The 1968 race was cancelled due to the Soviet Union occupation of the Czechoslovakia Prague Spring.
^ The race was not run in 1938–1945 due to Nazi occupation and the Second World War.
^ The race was not run in 1914–1919 due to the First World War.
^ ^a ^b The 1912 and 1913 race were dead heats.
^ The 1909 race was declared void as none of the three horses that ran finished.
^ The 1908 race was cancelled due to snow.
^ The 1876 race was cancelled due to frost.

References

^ ^a ^b http://www.vpcp.cz/en/history.html History of the Velká Pardubická České pojišťovny
^ Obstacles
^ ^a ^b Richard Askwith (2019). Unbreakable: The Woman Who Defied the Nazis in the World's Most Dangerous Horse Race. Yellow Jersey Press.

Racing Post:
- 2012, 2013, 2014

External links

50°01′19″N 15°44′46″E / 50.0219°N 15.7460°E / 50.0219; 15.7460

[4] In 2008, Amant Gris finished first but was disqualified for taking the wrong course.

[5] The 1968 race was cancelled due to the Soviet Union occupation of the Czechoslovakia Prague Spring.

[6] The race was not run in 1938–1945 due to Nazi occupation and the Second World War.

[7] The race was not run in 1914–1919 due to the First World War.

[n1912-8] The 1912 and 1913 race were dead heats.

[9] The 1909 race was declared void as none of the three horses that ran finished.

[10] The 1908 race was cancelled due to snow.

[11] The 1876 race was cancelled due to frost.

[cpoj-1] ttp://www.vpcp.cz/en/history.html History of the Velká Pardubická České pojišťovny

[obstacles-2] Obstacles

[Askwith2019-3] Richard Askwith (2019). Unbreakable: The Woman Who Defied the Nazis in the World's Most Dangerous Horse Race. Yellow Jersey Press.

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