The Origins Of The Grand National
We often take major sporting events for granted without ever realising how they came to be and the Grand National is no different.
Our yearly fix of the world's greatest steeple chase, the Aintree Grand National, is all down to a man called William Lynn, a Liverpool inn-keeper, who dreamed of having an event to rival Tom Coleman's Great St Albans Steeplechase.
What began as Lynn administering Aintree's flat racing since 1829, turned into the fulfillment of his dream to introduce steeplechasing there. This was especially difficult given that most of the nobility frowned on the new cross-country racing.
While Lynn was a keen business man, his natural abilities lay in the promotion of sports events. Despite the dubious reputation of steeple chasing at the time, especially with the Jockey Club, he held firm to his idea of bringing it to Liverpool as he was sure it would 'enthrall, delight and excite all who witnessed it'.
And so it came to pass on February 26th 1839 that Aintree's first Grand Liverpool Steeplechase was held and the conditions for the race contained the following, rather bizarre, stipulations:
'A sweepstake of twenty sovereigns each, five sovereigns forfeit, with one hundred sovereigns added; twelve stone each; gentlemen riders; four miles across country; the second horse to save his stake, and the winner to pay ten sovereigns towards expenses; no rider to open a gate or ride through a gateway; or more than one hundred yards along any road, footpath or driftway'.
Ultimately, the actual distance ended up being a little more than four miles, and only five out of the seventeen riders could claim to be 'gentlemen riders' or as we know them today, true amateurs.
Luck was clearly on the side of the winner that was aptly names 'Lottery', a nine year old bay gelding, originally named Chance. It was he that won the 1839 Liverpool Steeplechase that is regarded as the first-ever Aintree Grand National.
The foundations for the Grand National as we know it today were laid but unfortunately it was there that Lynn's involvement with the great race faded from the history books.
In 1843 Edward William Topham was chosen to handicap the race based on his previous experience in such a role and the fact that he was also very obviously dedicated to the future of the Aintree racecourse.
While the Grand National was the highlight of events at Aintree, as this was the reason why the racecourse was originally established, flat racing remained its principle function for many years afterward.
The racecourse did not change hands until Mrs Mirabel Dorothy Topham succeeded her husband Ronald as head of Tophams Limited and she purchased the racecourse from its owner Lord Sefton in 1949 for a sum that is said to have been in the region of 250,000.
Despite all of her efforts to improve the facilities including a building programme in the 1950s which included construction of the Mildmay Steeplechase course and a Grand Prix motor race circuit, continuous poor attendance in the 1960's made it impossible for Mrs Topham to continue so she decided to sell up.
Unfortunately no one came forward to buy it so the racecourse was saved by bookmakers William Hill Limited who reinstated the old Grand Sefton meeting, bringing crowds back to the racecourse.
In 1973 Mrs Topham eventually sold to property developer Mr Bill Davies for 3 million, ending the Topham's association with the Grand National which had started way back in 1843.
Our yearly fix of the world's greatest steeple chase, the Aintree Grand National, is all down to a man called William Lynn, a Liverpool inn-keeper, who dreamed of having an event to rival Tom Coleman's Great St Albans Steeplechase.
What began as Lynn administering Aintree's flat racing since 1829, turned into the fulfillment of his dream to introduce steeplechasing there. This was especially difficult given that most of the nobility frowned on the new cross-country racing.
While Lynn was a keen business man, his natural abilities lay in the promotion of sports events. Despite the dubious reputation of steeple chasing at the time, especially with the Jockey Club, he held firm to his idea of bringing it to Liverpool as he was sure it would 'enthrall, delight and excite all who witnessed it'.
And so it came to pass on February 26th 1839 that Aintree's first Grand Liverpool Steeplechase was held and the conditions for the race contained the following, rather bizarre, stipulations:
'A sweepstake of twenty sovereigns each, five sovereigns forfeit, with one hundred sovereigns added; twelve stone each; gentlemen riders; four miles across country; the second horse to save his stake, and the winner to pay ten sovereigns towards expenses; no rider to open a gate or ride through a gateway; or more than one hundred yards along any road, footpath or driftway'.
Ultimately, the actual distance ended up being a little more than four miles, and only five out of the seventeen riders could claim to be 'gentlemen riders' or as we know them today, true amateurs.
Luck was clearly on the side of the winner that was aptly names 'Lottery', a nine year old bay gelding, originally named Chance. It was he that won the 1839 Liverpool Steeplechase that is regarded as the first-ever Aintree Grand National.
The foundations for the Grand National as we know it today were laid but unfortunately it was there that Lynn's involvement with the great race faded from the history books.
In 1843 Edward William Topham was chosen to handicap the race based on his previous experience in such a role and the fact that he was also very obviously dedicated to the future of the Aintree racecourse.
While the Grand National was the highlight of events at Aintree, as this was the reason why the racecourse was originally established, flat racing remained its principle function for many years afterward.
The racecourse did not change hands until Mrs Mirabel Dorothy Topham succeeded her husband Ronald as head of Tophams Limited and she purchased the racecourse from its owner Lord Sefton in 1949 for a sum that is said to have been in the region of 250,000.
Despite all of her efforts to improve the facilities including a building programme in the 1950s which included construction of the Mildmay Steeplechase course and a Grand Prix motor race circuit, continuous poor attendance in the 1960's made it impossible for Mrs Topham to continue so she decided to sell up.
Unfortunately no one came forward to buy it so the racecourse was saved by bookmakers William Hill Limited who reinstated the old Grand Sefton meeting, bringing crowds back to the racecourse.
In 1973 Mrs Topham eventually sold to property developer Mr Bill Davies for 3 million, ending the Topham's association with the Grand National which had started way back in 1843.
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