Velka Pardubicka, one of the most unique events on the Czech social and sports calendar, has taken place more than 130 times. The biggest Czech horse race of the year attracts tens of thousands of people – from the wealthiest titans to the hardest blue-collar workers – to a racetrack in the center of the country, and many Czech families gather for the live broadcast.
Fifteen horses will line up in Pardubice at 3:30 pm on Sunday. The big favorite to win is Chelmsford, but anything can happen over the 6.9 km and 30 jumps of the course.
And, last year, something did happen. In the 134th running, after a long cross-country chase, several horses hit the top of the stretch. Sexy Lord, under jockey Jaroslav Myška, went to take the lead in the middle of the track. With a final burst of speed, Godfrey, under Jan Faltysek, found some extra power to come up the rail. The horses were head to head for the final jumps and reached for the finish line at the same time.
Who won? The announcer was stymied. Television experts were unsure. Fans stared at the large infield screens in disbelief. Viewers at home scoured the replays for clues.
In the end, the final decision was: Dead heat. Both Sexy Lord and Godfrey were named winners.
As a result, two changes have been made for this year’s 135th event. First, two photo-finish cameras will be in place to avoid technical difficulties at the finish line. Second, the race will be run half an hour earlier to avoid the shadows that contribute to falls at the infamous Taxis ditch obstacle.
Chelmsford will be ridden by Jan Kratochvíl; he will be saddled by Czech horse racing legend Josef Váňa Sr. Stumptown, coming from Ireland with three solid victories, will be ridden by Keith Michael Donoghue. And, Sexy Lord, ridden again by Myška, will try to duplicate last year’s winning performance, this time without having to split the winner’s prize money.
Godfrey, unfortunately, is out with an injury.
The racetrack opens to the public at 9 am. The first race is at 11 am. On-the-day tickets are CZK 500 for adults and 250 for children. Standing tickets purchased online in advance are CZK 200. Czech Television will begin its broadcast at 10:30 am.
