1839 Grand National is not supported by any press reports from the time. There was also much criticism in the press over the severity of the event, especially the conduct of Robert Carlin in remounting Dictator when witnesses described the horse as distressed. His cause of death was recorded as a burst blood vessel. Irish Newsletter 1839 Liverpool Mercury 1839 The Times 1839 1839 Grand National The 1839 Grand Liverpool Steeplechase was the first official annual running of a steeplechase which later became known as the Grand National. It was held at Aintree Racecourse near Liverpool, England, on Tuesday 26 February 1839 and
Steeplechase (horse racing) day race-meet. It is the richest event in American steeplechasing with a purse of $500,000. During the 1940s and 50s, the Broad Hollow Steeplechase Handicap, the Brook National Steeplechase Handicap and the American Grand National were regarded as American steeplechasing's Triple Crown. Kentucky Downs near Franklin, Kentucky (originally Dueling Grounds Race Course) was built in 1990 as a steeplechase track, with a kidney-shaped turf circuit. At its inception, the track offered some of the richest purses in the history of American steeplechase including a $750,000 race. The track has undergone numerous ownership changes, with steeplechase races playing an on-and-off role