The Grand National is a horse race held annually at Aintree Racecourse in Liverpool, England. First run in 1839, it is a handicap steeplechase over 4 miles 514 yards (6.907 km) with horses jumping 30 fences over two laps. It is the most valuable jump race in Europe, with a prize fund of £1 million in 2017. An event that is prominent in British culture, the race is popular amongst many people who do not normally watch or bet on horse racing at other times of the year.
The course over which the race is run features much larger fences than those found on conventional National Hunt tracks. Many of these, particularly Becher's Brook, The Chair and the Canal Turn, have become famous in their own right and, combined with the distance of the event, create what has been called "the ultimate test of horse and rider".
As an artist the most important thing for me is to capture the feeling of the race. The importance of rider and jockey is reduced to the point that they become a generic idea of the race and your favourite can be seen here.
In this painting I have looked at the big fences with the horses coming over the fences. I wanted you to know how big they were so taking up the whole side of the picture. The horses an jockeys almost become caricatures of themselves.
To coincide with the 2018 Grand National I am offering this painting at a reduced rate for a limited time. The painting is framed in a classic black frame and the overall size is 104 x 84 x 3cm.
