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: hurdles and steeplechases. Alongside these there are "bumpers", which are National Hunt flat races. In a hurdles race, the horses jump over obstacles called hurdles; in a steeplechase the horses jump over a variety of obstacles that can include plain fences, water jump or an open ditch. In the UK, the biggest National Hunt events of the year are generally considered to be the Grand National and the Cheltenham Gold Cup.
The Champion Bumper is a Grade 1 National Hunt flat race in Great Britain which is open to racing horses aged four and five years. It is run on the Old Course at Cheltenham over a distance of about 2 miles and ½ furlong, and it is scheduled to take place each year during the Cheltenham Festival in March.
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 distance of about 2 miles and ½ furlong, and during its running there are eight hurdles to be jumped. The race is the last leg of the Triple Crown of Hurdling and is scheduled to take place each year on the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival in March.
The Christmas 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 at Kempton Park over a distance of about 2 miles, and during its running there are eight hurdles to be jumped. The race is the second leg of the Triple Crown of Hurdling and is scheduled to take place each year during the King George VI Chase meeting on Boxing Day.
The Formby Novices' Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt hurdle race in Great Britain which is open to horses aged three years or older. It is run at Aintree over a distance of about 2 miles and half a furlong, and during its running there are eight hurdles to be jumped. The race is for novice hurdlers, and it is scheduled to take place each year in December. From 2011 to 2018 the race was sponsored by online casino 32Red and was run as the 32Red Hurdle between 2011 and 2013. Since 2023 it has been sponsored by William Hill
The Lightning Novices' Chase is a Grade 2 National Hunt steeplechase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run at Doncaster over a distance of about 2 miles and half a furlong, and during its running there are twelve fences to be jumped. The race is for novice chasers, and it is scheduled to take place each year in late January or early February.
The Sharp Novices' Hurdle is a Grade 2 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 distance of about 2 miles and half a furlong, and during its running there are eight hurdles to be jumped. The race is for novice hurdlers, and it is scheduled to take place each year in October.
The December Gold Cup is a Premier Handicap National Hunt steeplechase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run on the New Course at Cheltenham over a distance of about 2 miles and 4½ furlongs, and during its running there are seventeen fences to be jumped. It is a handicap race, and it is scheduled to take place each year in December.
The Dipper Novices' Chase is a Grade 2 National Hunt chase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run on the New Course at Cheltenham over a distance of about 2 miles and 4½ furlongs, and during its running there are seventeen fences to be jumped. The race is for novice chasers, and it is scheduled to take place each year on New Year's Day.
The Wayward Lad Novices' Chase is a Grade 2 National Hunt steeplechase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Kempton Park over a distance of about 2 miles, and during its running there are twelve fences to be jumped. The race is for novice chasers, and it is scheduled to take place each year in late December during the course's Christmas Festival.
The Relkeel Hurdle is a Grade 2 National Hunt hurdle race in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run on the New Course at Cheltenham over a distance of about 2 miles and 4½ furlongs, and during its running there are ten hurdles to be jumped. The race is scheduled to take place each year on New Year's Day.
The Champion Standard Open NH Flat Race is a Grade 2 National Hunt flat race in Great Britain which is open to horses aged from four to six years. It is run at Aintree over a distance of about 2 miles and 1 furlong, and it is scheduled to take place each year during the Grand National meeting in early April.
The Bristol Novices' Hurdle is a Grade 2 National Hunt hurdle race in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run on the New Course at Cheltenham over a distance of about 3 miles, and during its running there are twelve hurdles to be jumped. The race is for novice hurdlers, and it is scheduled to take place each year in December.
The Kennel Gate Novices Hurdle was a Grade 2 National Hunt hurdle race in Britain. It was run at Ascot a distance of about 2 miles, and during its running there were eight hurdles to be jumped. The race took place each year in early December. It was most recently sponsored by Sky Bet and run as the Sky Bet Supreme Trial Novices' Hurdle.
The Noel Novices' Chase is a Grade 2 National Hunt steeplechase in Britain. It is run at Ascot over a distance of about 2 miles and 3 furlongs, and during its running there are 16 fences to be jumped. The race is scheduled to take place each year in December.
The December Novices' Chase was a Grade 2 National Hunt steeplechase in Great Britain which was open to horses aged four years or older. It was run at Doncaster over a distance of about 3 miles, and during its running there were eighteen fences to be jumped. The race was for novice chasers, and it was scheduled to take place each year in December.
The Summit Juvenile Hurdle is a Listed National Hunt hurdle race in Great Britain which is open to horses aged three years. It is run at Doncaster over a distance of about 2 miles and half a furlong, and during its running there are eight hurdles to be jumped. The race is for novice hurdlers, and it is scheduled to take place each year in December.
The Winter Bumper is a Listed National Hunt flat race in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four to six years. It is run at Newbury over a distance of about 2 miles and 1⁄2 furlong, and it is scheduled to take place each year in February.
The Swinton Handicap Hurdle is a Grade 3 National Hunt hurdle race in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Haydock Park over a distance of about 1 mile 7½ furlongs, and during its running there are nine hurdles to be jumped. It is a handicap race, and it is scheduled to take place each year in May.
The Nickel Coin Mares' Standard Open NH Flat Race is a Grade 2 National Hunt flat race in Great Britain which is open to fillies and mares aged four to six years. It is run at Aintree over a distance of about 2 miles and 1 furlong, and it is scheduled to take place each year during the Grand National meeting in early April.
