When Does the Jump Season Start in Horse Racing?

When summer draws to a close and the days get shorter, horse racing fans often look forward to the return of jump racing. With hurdles, fences and some of the sport’s biggest festivals on the horizon, the National Hunt season is one of the highlights of the British and Irish Racing calendar.

But when does the jump season actually start, how long does it last, and what fixtures should you look out for? There is lots of information at Racing TV, as we dissect everything you need to know about the jump season.

The jump season in Britain and Ireland is traditionally associated with autumn and winter months, running from around October through to April. This is when the National Hunt calendar gathers momentum, with major meetings taking place throughout the colder months.

The autumn fixtures bring top-class horses back over hurdles and fences, while trainers begin preparing their leading contenders for the major winter prizes. You can keep up with all of these races via the Racing TV horse racing calendar on site.

The jump season features a host of prestigious meetings, giving horse racing fans plenty to anticipate from October to April. Between October and the Christmas period, fans can watch horse racing at the Welsh Racing Festival at Chepstow and Kempton Park’s Christmas Festival.

Some of the biggest events throughout the jumps season come after the festive period, which we will look at next.

The Cheltenham Festival is widely regarded as the highlight of the jump racing season. Held in March, it brings together many of the finest horses, jockeys and trainers in the sport for four days of top-class competition.

The Festival features several of the most prestigious races in National Hunt racing, including the Champion Hurdle, Stayers’ Hurdle and the Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Another major highlight of the jump racing season is the Grand National, which is held at Aintree Racecourse in Liverpool. Famous for its challenging fences and demanding four-and-a-quarter-mile course, the race is one of the most recognisable in the calendar.

The traditional British National Hunt season runs from autumn through to the spring, with the main campaign generally drawing to a close around April. However, jump racing takes place throughout the year, so there is no complete break once the major spring festivals have finished.