Grand National first jump, suddenly veered across the leading group at the 23rd, causing them to either stop, refuse or unseat their riders. Racing journalist Lord Oaksey described the resulting pile-up by saying that Popham Down had "cut down the leaders like a row of thistles". Some horses even started running in the wrong direction, back the way they had come. Foinavon, whose owner had such little faith in him that he had travelled to Worcester that day instead, had been lagging some 100 yards behind the leading pack, giving his jockey, John Buckingham, time to steer his mount wide of the
1994 Grand National 1994 Grand National The 1994 Grand National (known as the Martell Grand National for sponsorship reasons) was the 147th official renewal of the Grand National horse race that took place at Aintree near Liverpool, England, on 9 April 1994. It was won in a time of 10 minutes 18.8 seconds, and by a distance of one-and-a-quarter lengths by 16/1 shot Miinnehoma, ridden by Northern Irish jockey Richard Dunwoody, his second Grand National victory. The winner was trained by Martin Pipe of Wellington, Somerset, and carried the red jacket with yellow star and sleeves and cap with red star of comedian