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| The runners jump Becher's Brook in the 2011 Foxhunters' Handicap Chase | |
Becher's Brook ( /ˈbiːtʃərz/ beech-ərz)[1] is a fence jumped during the Grand National, a National Hunt horse race held annually at Aintree Racecourse near Liverpool, England. It is jumped twice during the race, as the sixth and 22nd fence, as well as on four other occasions during the year. It has always been a notorious and controversial obstacle, because of the size and angle of the 6ft 9in drop on the landing side.[2] Some jockeys have compared it to "jumping off the edge of the world."[3]
Following the fall of six horses at the fence during the 1989 Grand National—including the deaths of two, Brown Trix and Seeandem—the course executive bowed to pressure from animal rights groups and modified the fence for 1990. Two horses, Ornais and Dooneys Gate, died during the 2011 National, the latter at Becher's Brook. Dooneys Gate's death resulted in the fence being jumped only once for the first time in the race's history; it was bypassed on the outside on the second circuit while veterinary staff attended to him.[4]
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The fence took its name from Captain Martin Becher, who fell there from his mount, Conrad, in the first official Grand National in 1839, and took shelter in the brook to avoid injury. The jump originally consisted of an 8ft-wide brook with a fence set back a yard in front of the water, the ground on the landing side 3ft lower than the take-off side.[5]
Slight amendments were made to the landing side of Becher's Brook in 1954 after recommendations were made to the National Hunt Committee, but the most significant modifications took place following the events of the 1989 Grand National.
After a 8-horse pile up on the first circuit of the 2004 Grand National where some horses rolled back towards the now mostly filled-in brook, for the 2005 Grand National the brook itself was completely rebuilt. It was built deeper and included running water for the first time since 1989[6] and covered over with rubber matting in an effort to make the jump less hazardous for horses that had fallen.
In 2009 the Grand National course was widened so there was enough room for runners to bypass fences if required, including Becher's Brook. The new bypass lane at Becher's was utilised for the first time during the 2011 Grand National as marshals and safely personnel waved flags and diverted the remaining contenders around the fence on the second circuit while veterinary staff attended to a fatally-injured horse.[7]
On 15 August 2011, Aintree announced new modifications to Becher's Brook following a review of the course in the aftermath of the 2011 National.[8] Amongst the changes to the course, the landing side of Becher's would be re-profiled to reduce the current drop by between 10 cm (4 inches) and 12.5 cm (5 inches) across the width of the fence. After the work is completed the drop will be approximately 25 cm (10 inches) on the inside of the course and 15 cm (6 inches) on the outside of the course. This difference in drop from the inside to the outside of the fence is being retained to encourage riders to spread out across the width of the fence and also to retain the unique characteristics of the fence. The height of the fence will remain unaltered at 4 ft 10 inches (1.47 metres).[9]
The following table shows the number of fallers at Becher's Brook during Grand Nationals, including those who unseated their riders or were brought down, but not including those that pulled up, were carried out, or refused at the fence.
| Year | Falls | Equine fatalities |
|---|---|---|
| 1946 | 2 | 1[10] |
| 1960 | 6 | |
| 1961 | 3 | |
| 1962 | 0 | |
| 1963 | 1 | |
| 1964 | 1 | |
| 1965 | 6 | |
| 1966 | 6 | |
| 1967 | 1 | |
| 1968 | 4 | |
| 1969 | 3 | |
| 1970 | 2 | |
| 1971 | 5 | |
| 1972 | 6 | |
| 1973 | 2 | |
| 1974 | 0 | |
| 1975 | 4 | 1 |
| 1976 | 7 | |
| 1977 | 7 | 1 |
| 1978 | 4 | |
| 1979 | 5 | 1 |
| 1980 | 5 | |
| 1981 | 2 | |
| 1982 | 6 | |
| 1983 | 5 | |
| 1984 | 5 | |
| 1985 | 4 | |
| 1986 | 1 | |
| 1987 | 2 | 1[11] |
| 1988 | 4 | |
| 1989 | 6 | 2[12] |
| 1990 | 2 | |
| 1991 | 1 | |
| 1992 | 3 | |
| 1993 (void) | 0 | |
| 1994 | 3 | |
| 1995 | 0 | |
| 1996 | 0 | |
| 1997 | 2 | |
| 1998 | 2 | |
| 1999 | 7 | 1[13] |
| 2000 | 3 | |
| 2001 | 3 | |
| 2002 | 2 | |
| 2003 | 3 | |
| 2004 | 9 | |
| 2005 | 2 | |
| 2006 | 2 | |
| 2007 | 5 | |
| 2008 | 2 | |
| 2009 | 3 | |
| 2010 | 2 | |
| 2011* | 4 | 1[4] |
*Only jumped once.
