Boylesports.com International Hurdle
Encyclopedia
The StanJames.com International is a Grade 2 National Hunt
National Hunt racing
National Hunt racing is the official name given to the sport of horse racing in the United Kingdom, France and Ireland in which the horses are required to jump over obstacles called hurdles or fences...

 hurdle race
Hurdling (horse race)
A Hurdle race in England is a National Hunt horse race where the horses jump over obstacles called hurdles that are over three and a half feet high. They are typically made of brush, that has some flexability. Hurdle races always have a minimum of eight hurdles and a minimum distance of two miles ....

 in Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...

 which is open to horses
Horse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...

 aged four years or older. It is run on the New Course at Cheltenham
Cheltenham Racecourse
Cheltenham Racecourse is a racecourse for horse racing events, located at Prestbury Park, in the suburban village of Prestbury on the outskirts of the English town of Cheltenham, Gloucestershire...

 over a distance of about 2 miles and 1 furlong (3,420 metres), and during its running there are eight hurdles to be jumped. The race is scheduled to take place each year in December.

History

The event was established in 1963, and it was originally called the Cheltenham Trial Hurdle. The inaugural running was won by Scottish Memories, and in the following two years it was won by the Champion Hurdle
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. As part of a sponsorship agreement with the online sportsbook StanJames.com, the race is now known as the Stan James Champion Hurdle...

 winners Magic Court and Salmon Spray. Its title was changed to the Bula Hurdle in 1977, in honour of Bula, a dual-winner of the Champion Hurdle who was successful in this contest in 1972.

The first triple-winner of the Bula Hurdle was Bird's Nest, whose third victory came in 1980. This feat was matched in the late 1990s by Relkeel, a horse subsequently honoured by the naming of different race on the same card, the Relkeel Hurdle
Relkeel Hurdle
The Relkeel 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 2 miles and 4½ furlongs , and during its running there are ten hurdles to be jumped...

.

The online sportsbook StanJames.com sponsored the event for the first time in 2010. The StanJames.com International Hurdle is the second leg in the Road to Cheltenham
Road to Cheltenham
The Road to Cheltenham is a series of four British top-class horse races over hurdles, culminating in the Champion Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival...

, a Stan James sponsored series of top-class hurdles races culminating in the 2011 Champion Hurdle
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. As part of a sponsorship agreement with the online sportsbook StanJames.com, the race is now known as the Stan James Champion Hurdle...

 at the Cheltenham Festival
Cheltenham Festival
The Cheltenham Festival is one of the most prestigious meetings in the National Hunt racing calendar in the United Kingdom, and has race prize money second only to the Grand National...

. The other two races are the Fighting Fifth Hurdle
Fighting Fifth Hurdle
The Fighting Fifth 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 Newcastle over a distance of about 2 miles , and during its running there are nine hurdles to be jumped...

 and the Champion Hurdle Trial
Champion Hurdle Trial
The StanJames.com Champion Hurdle Trial is a Grade 2 National Hunt hurdle race in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years or older. From 2011, the race will be sponsored by the online sportsbook StanJames.com. It is run at Haydock Park over a distance of about 2 miles and 110 yards ,...

.

The last horse to win both the International Hurdle and the Champion Hurdle
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. As part of a sponsorship agreement with the online sportsbook StanJames.com, the race is now known as the Stan James Champion Hurdle...

 in the same season was Rooster Booster
Rooster Booster (horse)
Rooster Booster was a British-bred thoroughbred racehorse, best known for winning the 2003 Champion Hurdle.-Background:Rooster Booster was a gelding whose grey coat and racing style made him easily recognisable. He was the only horse of any consequence produced by the unsuccessful racehorse...

 in 2002–03.

Records


Most successful horse (3 wins):
  • Bird's Nest – 1977, 1978, 1980
  • Relkeel – 1997, 1998, 1999

----
Leading jockey
Jockey
A jockey is an athlete who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing.-Etymology:...

 (5 wins):
  • Richard Johnson
    Richard Johnson (jockey)
    Richard Johnson is an English National Hunt jockey.-Background:Johnson comes from a racing family with his father being an amateur jockey and his mother, Sue Johnson, a successful trainer.-Jockey career:...

     – Relkeel (1997, 1999), Rooster Booster (2002), Detroit City (2006), Menorah (2010)

----
Leading trainer
Horse trainer
In horse racing, a trainer prepares a horse for races, with responsibility for exercising it, getting it race-ready and determining which races it should enter...

 (4 wins):
  • Bob Turnell – Salmon Spray (1965), Bird's Nest (1977, 1978, 1980)


Winners

  • Amateur jockeys indicated by "Mr".
    Year
    Winner
    Age
    Jockey
    Trainer
    1963 Scottish Memories 9 C. Finnegan Arthur Thomas
    1964 Magic Court 6 Pat McCarron Tommy Robson
    1965 Salmon Spray 7 Johnny Haine Bob Turnell
    1966 Sempervivum 8 Willie Robinson Fulke Walwyn
    Fulke Walwyn
    Fulke Thomas Tyndall Walwyn was a British jockey and racehorse trainer specialising mainly in National Hunt racing. He was born in Wrexham and died in Newbury.He was educated at Malvern College....

    1967 no race 1967
    1968 Solway Sands 4 Brian Fletcher
    Brian Fletcher
    Brian Fletcher is an English Jockey notable for riding the horse Red Rum to win the Grand National in 1973 and 1974 and for second place in 1975. He first won the Grand National at the age of 19, in 1968 riding Red Alligator. He retired in 1976 with head injury...

    John McMurchie
    1969 Celtic Gold 7 Stan Murphy Arthur Stephenson
    1970 Pendil  5 Paul Kelleway Fred Winter
    Fred Winter (horse racing)
    Frederick Thomas Winter was a British National Hunt racing racehorse jockey and trainer. He was British jump racing Champion Jockey four times and British jump racing Champion Trainer eight times. He is the only person to have won the Cheltenham Gold Cup, Champion Hurdle and Grand National as both...

    1971 Canasta Lad 5 Jeff King Peter Bailey
    1972 Bula 7 Paul Kelleway Fred Winter
    Fred Winter (horse racing)
    Frederick Thomas Winter was a British National Hunt racing racehorse jockey and trainer. He was British jump racing Champion Jockey four times and British jump racing Champion Trainer eight times. He is the only person to have won the Cheltenham Gold Cup, Champion Hurdle and Grand National as both...

    1973 Comedy of Errors
    Comedy of Errors (horse)
    Comedy of Errors was a champion British racehorse of the 1970s, winning the Champion Hurdle in 1973 and 1975, and finishing second in 1974. He was trained by Fred Rimell and ridden by Bill Smith and Ken White. The horse was the first to regain British hurdling's top prize....

    6 Bill Smith Fred Rimell
    1974 Comedy of Errors
    Comedy of Errors (horse)
    Comedy of Errors was a champion British racehorse of the 1970s, winning the Champion Hurdle in 1973 and 1975, and finishing second in 1974. He was trained by Fred Rimell and ridden by Bill Smith and Ken White. The horse was the first to regain British hurdling's top prize....

    7 Ken White Fred Rimell
    1975 Sea Pigeon
    Sea Pigeon
    Sea Pigeon was a racehorse who excelled in both National Hunt and flat racing.As a son of the great Derby winner Sea Bird II, Sea Pigeon was bred to be a high class horse on the flat, but his efforts as a three-year-old were slightly lacklustre - trained by Jeremy Tree, he ran in the 1973 Epsom...

    5 Jonjo O'Neill
    Jonjo O'Neill
    Jonjo O'Neill is an Irish National Hunt racehorse trainer and former jockey. He is a native of Castletownroche, County Cork in Ireland. Based at the Jackdaws Castle training establishment in England, O'Neill is the private trainer to J. P. McManus, one of the largest owners of steeplechasers and...

    Gordon W. Richards
    Gordon W. Richards
    This article is about the racehorse trainer. For the jockey, see Gordon Richards----Gordon W. Richards was a British racehorse trainer specialising mainly in National Hunt racing...

    1976 no race 1976
    1977 Bird's Nest 7 Andrew Turnell Bob Turnell
    1978 Bird's Nest 8 Andrew Turnell Bob Turnell
    1979 Celtic Ryde 4 Martin O'Halloran Peter Cundell
    1980 Bird's Nest 10 Andrew Turnell Bob Turnell
    1981 no race 1981
    1982 Ekbalco 6 Jonjo O'Neill
    Jonjo O'Neill
    Jonjo O'Neill is an Irish National Hunt racehorse trainer and former jockey. He is a native of Castletownroche, County Cork in Ireland. Based at the Jackdaws Castle training establishment in England, O'Neill is the private trainer to J. P. McManus, one of the largest owners of steeplechasers and...

    Roger Fisher
    1983 Amarach 5 Jimmy Duggan Roger Fisher
    1984 Browne's Gazette 6 Mr Ronnie Beggan Monica Dickinson
    1985 Corporal Clinger 6 Paul Leach Martin Pipe
    Martin Pipe
    Martin Pipe was a racehorse trainer until his retirement in April 2006.The son of a West-Country bookmaker, Pipe was an amateur jockey before turning his attention to training in 1974 at Nicholashayne, Devon, near Wellington, England....

    1986 Floyd
    Floyd (horse)
    Floyd was an English bred and English trained National Hunt racehorse sired by Relko. The horse was named after the english progressive rock band Pink Floyd....

    6 Colin Brown David Elsworth
    David Elsworth
    David Elsworth is a horse trainer living in the United Kingdom. He is perhaps best known for being the trainer of Desert Orchid, 1988 Grand National winner Rhyme 'n' Reason and 1990 Queen Mother Champion Chase winner Barnbrook Again - just three horses amongst a host of top-class performers over...

    1987 Pat's Jester 4 Peter Niven Dick Allan
    1988 Condor Pan 5 Charlie Swan Jim Bolger
    Jim Bolger (racehorse trainer)
    James S. "Jim" Bolger is an Thoroughbred racehorse trainer and breeder based in Coolcullen in County Kilkenny. For many years now he has been recognised as one of the racing greats in Ireland...

    1989 Cruising Altitude 6 Jamie Osborne
    Jamie Osborne
    Jamie Osborne is a jockey and race horse trainer. Born 28 August 1967 he rode his first winner in March 1986 and in 1999 obtained his trainers licence. Once a favourite of the Queen Mother, he was acquitted of race fixing in 1998.-References:...

    Oliver Sherwood
    1990 no race 1990
    1991 Royal Derbi 6 Declan Murphy Neville Callaghan
    1992 Halkopous 6 Adrian Maguire
    Adrian Maguire
    Adrian Maguire, born 29 April 1971 in Kilmessan, County Meath, Ireland, is a racehorse trainer and former jockey.Maguire began his career in Irish pony racing at the age of nine, in which he rode more than 200 winners. In 1990 he rode his first winner under rules, at Sligo, before his first victory...

    Mark Tompkins
    Mark Tompkins
    Mark Tompkins is a British horse racer and trainer. He is currently the chairman of the Newmarket Trainers Federation. He worked as an assistant for the trainers Walter Wharton and Ryan Jarvis before working he began training independently. He has been a trainer at the Flint Cottage Stables for the...

    1993 Staunch Friend 5 Declan Murphy Mark Tompkins
    Mark Tompkins
    Mark Tompkins is a British horse racer and trainer. He is currently the chairman of the Newmarket Trainers Federation. He worked as an assistant for the trainers Walter Wharton and Ryan Jarvis before working he began training independently. He has been a trainer at the Flint Cottage Stables for the...

    1994 Large Action 6 Jamie Osborne
    Jamie Osborne
    Jamie Osborne is a jockey and race horse trainer. Born 28 August 1967 he rode his first winner in March 1986 and in 1999 obtained his trainers licence. Once a favourite of the Queen Mother, he was acquitted of race fixing in 1998.-References:...

    Oliver Sherwood
    1995 no race 1995
    1996 Large Action 8 Jamie Osborne
    Jamie Osborne
    Jamie Osborne is a jockey and race horse trainer. Born 28 August 1967 he rode his first winner in March 1986 and in 1999 obtained his trainers licence. Once a favourite of the Queen Mother, he was acquitted of race fixing in 1998.-References:...

    Oliver Sherwood
    1997 Relkeel 8 Richard Johnson
    Richard Johnson (jockey)
    Richard Johnson is an English National Hunt jockey.-Background:Johnson comes from a racing family with his father being an amateur jockey and his mother, Sue Johnson, a successful trainer.-Jockey career:...

    David Nicholson
    David Nicholson (horse racing)
    David Nicholson was a British National Hunt jockey and trainer. He was British jump racing Champion Trainer in the 1993-94 and 1994-95 seasons....

    1998 Relkeel 9 Adrian Maguire
    Adrian Maguire
    Adrian Maguire, born 29 April 1971 in Kilmessan, County Meath, Ireland, is a racehorse trainer and former jockey.Maguire began his career in Irish pony racing at the age of nine, in which he rode more than 200 winners. In 1990 he rode his first winner under rules, at Sligo, before his first victory...

    David Nicholson
    David Nicholson (horse racing)
    David Nicholson was a British National Hunt jockey and trainer. He was British jump racing Champion Trainer in the 1993-94 and 1994-95 seasons....

    1999 Relkeel 10 Richard Johnson
    Richard Johnson (jockey)
    Richard Johnson is an English National Hunt jockey.-Background:Johnson comes from a racing family with his father being an amateur jockey and his mother, Sue Johnson, a successful trainer.-Jockey career:...

    Alan King
    Alan King (horse racing)
    Alan King is a British racehorse trainer specialising mainly in National Hunt racing. He is based at Barbury Castle stables near Wroughton, Wiltshire....

    2000 Geos
    GEOS
    GEOS may refer to:Computer software*GEOS , an operating system originally designed for the Commodore 64*GEOS , a DOS-based graphical user interface and x86 operating system...

    5 Mick Fitzgerald
    Mick Fitzgerald
    Mick Fitzgerald is an Irish National Hunt jockey who rode mainly in Great Britain. He has ridden the winners of the Grand National, on Rough Quest in 1996, and the Cheltenham Gold Cup on See More Business in 1999. He was the stable jockey for Nicky Henderson and was leading jockey at the...

    Nicky Henderson
    Nicky Henderson
    Nicky Henderson is a British racehorse trainer. He has been British jump racing Champion Trainer twice.Henderson, educated at Eton College, has been a trainer since 1978, based at Seven Barrows near Lambourn, Berkshire...

    2001 Valiramix  5 Tony McCoy
    Tony McCoy
    Anthony Peter McCoy OBE , commonly known as A. P. McCoy or Tony McCoy, is a Northern Irish horse racing jockey....

    Martin Pipe
    Martin Pipe
    Martin Pipe was a racehorse trainer until his retirement in April 2006.The son of a West-Country bookmaker, Pipe was an amateur jockey before turning his attention to training in 1974 at Nicholashayne, Devon, near Wellington, England....

    2002 Rooster Booster
    Rooster Booster (horse)
    Rooster Booster was a British-bred thoroughbred racehorse, best known for winning the 2003 Champion Hurdle.-Background:Rooster Booster was a gelding whose grey coat and racing style made him easily recognisable. He was the only horse of any consequence produced by the unsuccessful racehorse...

    8 Richard Johnson
    Richard Johnson (jockey)
    Richard Johnson is an English National Hunt jockey.-Background:Johnson comes from a racing family with his father being an amateur jockey and his mother, Sue Johnson, a successful trainer.-Jockey career:...

    Philip Hobbs
    Philip Hobbs
    Philip Hobbs is a British racehorse trainer specializing mainly in National Hunt racing. He is based at stables near Minehead, Somerset....

    2003 Rigmarole 5 Robert Thornton
    Robert Thornton (jockey)
    Robert "Choc" Thornton is an English National Hunt jockey currently employed as stable jockey to Alan King....

    Paul Nicholls
    Paul Nicholls (horse racing)
    Paul Nicholls is a British National Hunt horse trainer with stables at Ditcheat, Somerset. A relatively successful jump jockey, Nicholls has become the leading National Hunt trainer of his generation, finishing the 2007-2008 season with 155 winners and a record £4 million in prize money...

    2004 Back in Front 7 Davy Russell
    Davy Russell
    Davy Russell is an Irish jockey who competes in National Hunt racing. Russell's first win as a professional jockey was for English-based Irish trainer Ferdy Murphy on Inn Antique in a novice hurdle at Sedgefield, 12 November 2002...

    Edward O'Grady
    2005 Harchibald
    Harchibald
    Harchibald is a French Thoroughbred racehorse, born to sire, Perugino and dam, Dame D’Harvard. He is owned by DP Sharkey, trained by Noel Meade and predominately ridden by Paul Carberry....

    6 Paul Carberry
    Paul Carberry
    Paul Carberry is an Irish National Hunt jockey.- Background :He was born on 9 February 1974. He hails from a racing family. He is the son of jockey Tommy Carberry, who was a famous National Hunt jockey in the 1960s and 1970s. His uncle is Arthur Moore, one of Ireland's leading National Hunt trainers...

    Noel Meade
    Noel Meade
    Noel Meade is a famous horse trainer from Ireland. He established Tu Va Stables in Co. Meath, Ireland as a place to train his horses.Meade began his career as a horse trainer in 1971, but it was not until 1978 that Meade started to become well recognized. Sweet Mint, winner of the Cork and Orrery...

    2006 Detroit City
    Detroit City (horse)
    Detroit City was a thoroughbred racehorse, most famous as a two mile hurdler. He won five Class 1 races including the 2006 Triumph Hurdle, he also had success on the flat in the Cesarewitch Handicap. The grey died in November 2007, aged five, following a fall at Ascot...

    4 Richard Johnson
    Richard Johnson (jockey)
    Richard Johnson is an English National Hunt jockey.-Background:Johnson comes from a racing family with his father being an amateur jockey and his mother, Sue Johnson, a successful trainer.-Jockey career:...

    Philip Hobbs
    Philip Hobbs
    Philip Hobbs is a British racehorse trainer specializing mainly in National Hunt racing. He is based at stables near Minehead, Somerset....

    2007 Osana 5 Paddy Brennan
    Paddy Brennan (jockey)
    Paddy Brennan, is an Irish jockey who rode the winner of the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 2010.A native of Ardrahan, County Galway, Brennan was a keen GAA player with dreams of becoming a county hurler. He only became involved in horseracing after a neighbour noticed his talent with hunt horses...

    David Pipe
    David Pipe (racehorse trainer)
    The son of the prolific horseracing trainer Martin Pipe David Pipe is the trainer of the David Johnson owned Comply or Die, who ridden by Timmy Murphy won the 2008 John Smith's Grand National at Aintree racecourse....

    2008 Binocular
    Binocular (horse)
    Binocular, foaled on March 17, 2004 in France, is a French thoroughbred racehorse, born to sire, Enrique and dam Bleu Ciel Et Blanc. He is owned by J. P. McManus and trained by Nicky Henderson. His primary jockey is Tony McCoy....

     
    4 Tony McCoy
    Tony McCoy
    Anthony Peter McCoy OBE , commonly known as A. P. McCoy or Tony McCoy, is a Northern Irish horse racing jockey....

    Nicky Henderson
    Nicky Henderson
    Nicky Henderson is a British racehorse trainer. He has been British jump racing Champion Trainer twice.Henderson, educated at Eton College, has been a trainer since 1978, based at Seven Barrows near Lambourn, Berkshire...

    2009 Khyber Kim 7 Paddy Brennan
    Paddy Brennan (jockey)
    Paddy Brennan, is an Irish jockey who rode the winner of the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 2010.A native of Ardrahan, County Galway, Brennan was a keen GAA player with dreams of becoming a county hurler. He only became involved in horseracing after a neighbour noticed his talent with hunt horses...

    Nigel Twiston-Davies
    Nigel Twiston-Davies
    Nigel Twiston-Davies is a British racehorse trainer specialising in National Hunt racing. He is based at stables at Naunton, Gloucestershire....

    2010 Menorah 5 Richard Johnson
    Richard Johnson (jockey)
    Richard Johnson is an English National Hunt jockey.-Background:Johnson comes from a racing family with his father being an amateur jockey and his mother, Sue Johnson, a successful trainer.-Jockey career:...

    Philip Hobbs
    Philip Hobbs
    Philip Hobbs is a British racehorse trainer specializing mainly in National Hunt racing. He is based at stables near Minehead, Somerset....



Dondieu finished first in 1970, but was relegated to second place after a stewards' inquiry.


The race was abandoned in 1981 and 1990 because of snow.


The 2001 running took place at Newbury
Newbury Racecourse
Newbury Racecourse is a racecourse in the civil parish of Greenham, adjoining the town of Newbury in Berkshire, England. It has courses for flat races and over jumps...

.


The 2008 edition was held at Ascot
Ascot Racecourse
Ascot Racecourse is a famous English racecourse, located in the small town of Ascot, Berkshire, used for thoroughbred horse racing. It is one of the leading racecourses in the United Kingdom, hosting 9 of the UK's 32 annual Group 1 races...

.

See also


Recurring sporting events established in 1963 – this race is included under its original title, Cheltenham Trial Hurdle.
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