Foinavon
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To call Foinavon an average racehorse would be a compliment, but he made history by winning one of the most famous races of all, the Grand National due to an extraordinary occurrence.
Foinavon, ridden by Johnny Buckingham, was a rank outsider at odds of 100/1 to win the 1967 running of the race over the Aintree Racecourse, and for the first circuit and a half he fulfilled that billing. But he went on to win the race after a melee at the 23rd fence, when two loose horses pulled up in front of the field, causing the rest to fall, stop, or refuse. Foinavon was running so far behind, that Buckingham had time to weave a way through the carnage and scraped round ahead of 17 remounted horses, 15 lengths clear of the fast-closing favourite, Honey End, and Red Alligator, which went on to win in 1968.
Fence 7 or 23 (depending on the circuit), at 4ft 6in, one of the smallest jumps on the course, is situated between the more daunting Becher's Brook and Canal Turn. It is now named Foinavon as a result of this incident.
Foinavon has sometimes been likened to a slow plodding carthorse, but records show that his 1967 winning time was one of the fastest in this gruelling race. His owner was so unenthusiastic about his chances that he was not even at Aintree for the race.
Foinavon was at one time owned by Anne, Duchess of Westminster, whose colours were also carried by the much superior Arkle. Both were named after Scottish mountains.
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[edit] See also
- Steven Bradbury, an Australian short track speed skater who won a gold medal in the 2002 Winter Olympics after all the other competitors crashed out in both his semifinal heat and the final
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