Each racetrack has its own atmosphere. It is unbeatable and quite specific in Pardubice, where one of the most difficult obstacle races on the European continent is run – the Great Pardubice Steeplechase
Various publications used to say that the Great Pardubice Steeplechase is the most difficult obstacle race on the continent. In a certain sense, it will certainly be so, in any case, it is a race with a long tradition, the history of which is more than interesting, a race that has its own specifics and charm, a race that is a highlight not only for Czech riders who dream if not of victory, then at least of participation in it. After all, when the football league started, the Great Race had already had about fifty years behind it.
The Great Pardubice Race was run for the first time in 1874. But several decades before that, races were held in Pardubice and the surrounding localities. Pardubice knew the whole racing world from the beginning, after all, a number of trainers and jockeys from the cradle of turf, from England, worked in Central Europe. The racetrack in the place where it is run today was founded in 1856. The racecourse has had its present form since the first post-war years. In the past, people ran all the way to Popkovice and also ran behind the stands, in the area where the parking lot is now. After the end of World War II, a military airport was established here and some land was occupied by the army.
