The Kingwell Hurdle is a Grade 2
National Hunt
In horse racing in the United Kingdom, France and Republic of Ireland, National Hunt racing requires horses to jump fences and ditches. National Hunt racing in the UK is informally known as "jumps" and is divided into two major distinct branches: ...
hurdle race in Great Britain which is open to
horses
The horse (''Equus ferus caballus'') is a domesticated, one-toed, hoofed mammal. It belongs to the taxonomic family Equidae and is one of two extant subspecies of ''Equus ferus''. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million yea ...
aged four years or older. It is run at
Wincanton
Wincanton ( or ) is a small town and electoral ward in South Somerset, southwest England. The town lies off the A303 road, a main route between London and South West England, and has some light industry. The town and electoral ward has a populati ...
over a distance of about 2 miles
(1 mile, 7 furlong
A furlong is a measure of distance in imperial units and United States customary units equal to one eighth of a mile, equivalent to 660 feet, 220 yards, 40 rods, 10 chains or approximately 201 metres. It is now mostly confined to use in hors ...
s and 65 yards, or
), and during its running there are eight hurdles to be jumped. The race is scheduled to take place each year in February.
The race was first run in 1971 and was awarded Grade 2 status in 1991.
The event serves as an important trial for the
Champion Hurdle
The Champion Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt hurdle race in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run on the Old Course at Cheltenham over a ...
in March. Several horses have won both races in the same year, and the most recent to achieve this was
Katchit
Katchit (23 February 2003 – 9 January 2013) was an Irish-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse, the peak of whose flat racing and hurdling career came in 2008 when, against the odds, he won the Champion Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival ...
in 2008.
Winners
* ''Amateur jockeys indicated by "Mr".''
The race was abandoned in 1985 because of snow and frost, and in 1986 because of frost.
The race was abandoned in 1996 because of snow and frost.
The 2010 running was cancelled due to frost.
See also
*
Horseracing in Great Britain
Horse racing is the second largest spectator sport in Great Britain, and one of the longest established, with a history dating back many centuries. According to a report by the British Horseracing Authority it generates £3.39 billion total di ...
*
List of British National Hunt races
A list of notable National Hunt horse races which take place annually in Great Britain, under the authority of the British Horseracing Authority, including all races which currently hold Grade 1, 2 or 3 status.
History of the National Hunt Patter ...
References
*
Racing Post
''Racing Post'' is a British daily horse racing, greyhound racing and sports betting publisher which is published in print and digital formats. It is printed in tabloid format from Monday to Sunday. , it has an average daily circulation of 6 ...
:
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*
pedigreequery.com– ''Kingwell Hurdle – Wincanton.''
* {{cite book, title=Ladbrokes Pocket Companion 1990/91, year=1990, publisher=Aesculus Press, isbn=1-871093-21-X, page=53
External links
* Race Recording
National Hunt races in Great Britain
Wincanton Racecourse
National Hunt hurdle races
Recurring sporting events established in 1971
1971 establishments in England