And then there is Foinavon, the seventh and 23rd hurdle, just after Becher’s Brook. A comparison with the story of short tracker Steven Bradbury is necessary.
The Australian had more or less reconciled himself with fifth and last place in the Olympic final of 2002, secretly hoping for a crash from the Chinese, Korean, Canadian and American skating far ahead of him. Preferably two, because then he had bronze. But all four fell, whereupon gold suddenly fell to him.
But it can be even crazier. Foinavon Fence is named after the winning horse in 1967, which was in eighteenth position halfway through the second round, but won because the seventeen (!) Horses all fell ahead of him or came to a stop at this 23rd obstacle.
Red Rum in de BBC-studio
The name Red Rum should not be missing in any story about the Grand National. Red Rum (read backwards Murder, see also the movie The Shining) is the only horse to win three times in 172 editions: in 1973, 1974 and 1977. He also finished second twice.
In his third win, Red Rum was even allowed to perform as guest of honor in the BBC studios for the award ceremony Sports Personality of the Year. The prize went to tennis star Virginia Wade, who won Wimbledon that year by beating the Dutch Betty Stöve in the final.
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