PRESTBURY PARK, England — This is the place where horse stories become myths and the humans around them become legends. It is where horses glide over this soft ground, soaring over undulating hills as if they were big waves before taking flight over hurdles and steeplechase fences.
The Cheltenham Festival, which originated in 1860 and has taken place at Cheltenham Racecourse since 1911, is the premier event of England’s steeplechase season. Held over four days, beginning on March 15 this year, its start is eagerly counted down the way children anticipate Christmas. It explodes into Mardi Gras, however, as soon as the jumpers pass the grandstand on opening day in the first of 28 races.