Steeplechase (horse racing) Steeplechase (horse racing) A steeplechase is a distance horse race in which competitors are required to jump diverse fence and ditch obstacles. Steeplechasing is primarily conducted in Ireland (where it originated), the United Kingdom, Canada, United States, Australia and France. The name is derived from early races in which orientation of the course was by reference to a church steeple, jumping fences and ditches and generally traversing the many intervening obstacles in the countryside. Modern usage of the term "steeplechase" differs between countries. In Ireland and the United Kingdom, it refers only to races run over large, fixed obstacles, in
Horse racing in Thailand Horse racing in Thailand Horse racing was introduced to Thailand in the late nineteenth century and continues to take place at several locations throughout the country. Betting on horse races is one of the few legal forms of gambling in Thailand, and the sport became highly popular during the mid-twentieth century but has largely declined since. Today, people from lower income groups form the majority of spectators, while the races serve as a networking venue for elite members of society, who own most of the stables. The first horse race took place in Thailand (then known as Siam) in 1897,