Charlotte Brew almost finished the race, but as she got to the fourth-to-last fence her horse fell and she was unable to fully complete the race. However, she paved the way for female jockeys in this race and the first woman to complete the Grand National was Geraldine Rees in 1982. Since the passing of the Sex Discrimination Act a total of 15 female jockeys have participated in 18 Grand Nationals. Charlotte Brew Charlotte Brew is a British equestrian. She made history in 1977, when she was the first woman to ride in the Grand National, on her horse Barony Fort. Women
2017 Grand National first time in his terrestrial television commentary career. 2017 Grand National The 2017 Grand National (officially known as the 2017 Randox Health Grand National for sponsorship reasons) was the 170th official running of the Grand National horse race at Aintree Racecourse near Liverpool, England. The showpiece steeplechase over a distance of took place on 8 April 2017, the final day of a three-day meeting. A maximum field of 40 runners competed for a share of a prize fund of £1 million. Randox Health is the new sponsor of the main race and the festival itself for the next five years.