Many a farm horse, ridden by many a farmer, has been entered in the toughest, most famous 

 steeplechase in the world, the Grand National. Becher's Brook and Valentine's are household 

 words to people who would hardly know one end of a horse from another. The first real 

 Grand National or 'The Great Steeplechase' as it was known, was run in 1859 ^^^ "^^^ '^°^ 

 by a horse named Lottery, ridden by James Mason. One of the greatest steeplechasers ever 

 was the famous Golden Miller which, in addition to winning the Grand National in 1934 

 (in 9 minutes 2o| seconds, despite the fact that it was carrying twelve stone two pounds), 

 carried off the prize in twenty-eight other races, including the Cheltenham Gold Cup for 

 five successive years. 



