As English nationalism dictates, I am well aware of the religious event that dominates the Spring season. No, I’m not talking about Anglicized Easter ceremonies – indeed, it is something that unites the United Kingdom like little else does (apart from soccer). I’m talking about The Grand National - the most notorious and televised horse race in the whole world (or so we like to think).
The Grand National in a 4.4 mile long steeple chase held in Aintree, Liverpool every year in the beginning of April. Around March the whispering of which horses are going to appear in the race start, and I get the flutterings of maybe, just maybe this year I’ll actually pick the winner. As tradition goes in my family, everyone waits for me to select my horse first – because then the rest of them (the punks) avoid that horse like the plague. Ah well, maybe this year I’ll get it right and then I can rub my family’s faces in it! Yeah, optimism is good.
I just have to note that once I started my annual search for the National entrees, I came across several articles giving all the recent years results about which horses succeeded and which came up short. I found a common theme in several of the articles, all of which carry the same pride in their tone – PRIDE people, proud to be English! And what’s the one thing the English always want to do? Beat the French. It’s petty, it’s silly and it’s entirely pointless, but the love-hate continues after centuries of conflict. Now the battlefield is a race track. Below is a quote that was printed in one article – after describing the Grand National, the author apparently thought it pertinent to point out that the most important fact was this:
“It’s interesting to note that no French horse has won the Grand National for almost 100 years”
And really, isn’t that all that counts? Lord, can you imagine English horror if at Aintree this year a French horse succeeds…hmm, unpatriotic thoughts abound here, I’m actually contemplating backing a French horse this year – if it wins my family will disown me. Interesting isn’t it how politics are now played out in sporting events. The World Cup for soccer is notorious for duking out political grievances, and the Olympics is just like having another world war every four years. At least the only thing that seems to get injured using sports as a weapon, is pride. Pride is fickle and I guess we all could do with a little less of it sometimes.
