ENGLISH TEXTS
Rake to victory three times between 1948 and 1950 , and in his wake came another Irish wonder , Arkle . In the colours of the Duchess of Westminster , Tom Dreaper ’ s charge won three times between 1964 and 1966 and is still considered to be the greatest chaser of all time in both England and Ireland .
Irish Invasion It is these Irish victories that have contributed enormously to the success of the Festival . Over the years , Irish trainers and their horses have gained ground on their British rivals . They completely dominate the scene today : Willie Mullins and Gordon Elliott , both Irish , have won the Festival ’ s leading trainer trophy every year since 2013 . The public has also evolved in this direction . The proportion of Irish spectators coming to support their champions has grown steadily . They are a particularly enthusiastic crowd . The roar of applause and cheers that greets an Irish winner on their return to the winner ’ s enclosure makes the English moor tremble . You feel as if you ’ re on the pitch of an old-timish tight Five Nations rugby game , played in the mud . You are transported to another dimension by this warlike madness , something like the celebration of a battle won against the redcoats by the troops of the Celtic and Scottish folk heroes who rose up against the Crown , on these great islands that faced many successive in- vaders , from the Romans to the Spanish , the Anglo-Saxons , the Vikings , the Normans , the French and the Germans ... Of course , some people now regret the relative calm of the three-day Festival of yesteryear , to which a fourth day was added in 2005 . The predominance of tweed , corduroy and trilbies as headgear is no longer what it was . The National -Hunt Festival is no longer really a hunting festival , which was long closely linked to the world of jump racing in Britain . As in most sports , the heroes have changed , from Kopa to Platini to Mbappé , for example . As in most sports , audiences have changed , from radio to mass television , to smartphones and subscriptions to soulless pay-perview channels . As in most sports , the economic model has evolved , from volunteer meetings subsidised by patrons often from the aristocracy to money-making machines devoid of values . But at Cheltenham , once you ’ ve paid the € 100 entrance fee , swallowed the improbable € 15 sandwich and drunk the € 10 pint of Guinness , nothing else matters when the sun deigns to illuminate Cleeve Hill with that timid spring light , when you hold a winning ticket on the favourite , yes , the very one that has just cleared the last fence , and the whole crowd , along with you , cheers for those last 220 metres of uphill climb , the longest on the planet , while the few remaining hats fly off in front of you .
* There is also a small station at the racecourse open on certain days , including during race meetings , and served by a steam locomotive and old carriages of the Gloucestershire
Warwickshire Steam Railway .
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PONEYS
� PAGE 106 by Mélodie Janvier
IN THE ERA OF SPORTS ACADEMIES
Just like in other sports such as basketball or tennis , academies are flourishing . As the first and only institution of its kind , the Soumillon International Pony Academy aims to encourage and increase youth participation in pony racing while also inspiring vocations and fostering genuine enthusiasm for careers in the horse racing industry .
Centers of Excellence When talking about sports academies , one of the most renowned is undoubtedly the “ bull ” from Manacor . The Rafael Nadal Academy was established in October 2016 . This campus is one of the most modern and sophisticated tennis facilities ,
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