Becher's Brook (/ˈbiːtʃərz/ BEECH-ərz)[1] 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 6th and 22nd fence, as well as on four other occasions during the year. It has always been a notorious and controversial obstacle, because of the size and angle of the 6-foot-9-inch (2.06 m) drop on the landing side.[2] Some jockeys have compared it to "jumping off the edge of the world."[3]
After the deaths of Dark Ivy in the 1987 Grand National and Seeandem and Brown Trix in the 1989 Grand National, all at Becher's Brook, Aintree bowed to pressure from animal rights groups and undertook extensive modifications to the fence. Further changes were made after two horses, Ornais and Dooneys Gate, died during the 2011 Grand National, the latter at Becher's. The incident involving Dooneys Gate resulted in the fence being jumped only once for the first time in the race's history; it was bypassed on the outside on the second circuit while veterinary staff attended to him.[4]
- ^ Miller, G.M. Miller. BBC Pronouncing Dictionary of British Names. Oxford University Press, 1971, p. 12.
- ^ Berry, Emma. "The Grand National — how to ride Becher's Brook" Archived 10 April 2011 at the Wayback Machine, Horse and Hound, 7 April 2011.
- "Grand National Fences", grandnational.net, accessed 9 April 2011.
- ^ "London calling", BBC, 1981.
- ^ "Grand National 2011: emotions run high at Aintree, but thrilling race is marred by death of two horses", The Sunday Telegraph, 10 April 2011.
- Wood, Greg. "Two horses die as gruelling Grand National takes its toll at Aintree", The Guardian, 9 April 2011.