The Duke was a
racehorse
Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic pr ...
that won the first Great Liverpool Steeplechase at
Aintree
Aintree is a village and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton, Merseyside, England. Historically in Lancashire, it lies between Walton and Maghull on the A59 road, north-east of Liverpool city centre, in North West England.
It i ...
, which would be later renamed the
Grand National
The Grand National is a National Hunt horse race held annually at Aintree Racecourse in Liverpool, England. First run in 1839, it is a handicap ...
. His rider was
Captain Martin Becher
Martin William Becher (1797 – 12 October 1864) was a former soldier and steeplechase jockey in whose memory the Becher's Brook obstacle at Aintree Racecourse is named. after whom the famous fence
Becher's Brook
Becher's Brook ( ) is a fence jumped during the Grand National, a National Hunt horse race held annually at Aintree Racecourse near Liverpool, England. It is jumped twice during the race, as the and fence, as well as on four other occasions du ...
was named. He won the Grand national in
1836
Events
January–March
* January 1 – Queen Maria II of Portugal marries Prince Ferdinand Augustus Francis Anthony of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha.
* January 5 – Davy Crockett arrives in Texas.
* January 12
** , with Charles Darwin on board, r ...
and
1837
Events
January–March
* January 1 – The destructive Galilee earthquake causes 6,000–7,000 casualties in Ottoman Syria.
* January 26 – Michigan becomes the 26th state admitted to the United States.
* February – Charles Dickens's ...
, and came third in
1838.
[Vamplew, Wray & Kay, Joyce. (2004). ''Encyclopedia of British Horseracing.'' Routledge. p. 211. ]
His second victory is officially recorded as having taken place over a course at nearby
Maghull
Maghull ( ) is a town and civil parish in Sefton, Merseyside (historically a part of Lancashire). The town is north of Liverpool and west of Kirkby. The area also contains Ashworth Hospital.
Maghull had a population of 20,444 at the 2011 Cens ...
, although detailed research into the race over recent years has shown that the race was indeed run over the
Aintree
Aintree is a village and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton, Merseyside, England. Historically in Lancashire, it lies between Walton and Maghull on the A59 road, north-east of Liverpool city centre, in North West England.
It i ...
course.
See also
*
List of historical horses
This list includes actual horses that exist in the historical record. For fictional horses, see: List of fictional horses.
Racehorses
A
* Adios Butler: famous harness racer
* Affirmed: U.S. Triple Crown winner (1978)
* Ajax: 18 consecutive ra ...
References
External links
Detailed description of the 1836 race and information on the creation of The Grand National
1829 racehorse births
National Hunt racehorses
Grand National winners
Non-Thoroughbred racehorses
Racehorses trained in the United Kingdom
Racehorses bred in the United Kingdom
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