Steeplechase

The steeplechase is a form of horse-racing (primarily conducted in the United Kingdom) and derives its name from early races in which orientation of the course was by reference to a church steeple, jumping fences and ditches and generally traversing the many intervening obstacles in the countryside.

It is a term now used to refer to a distance horse race with diverse fence and ditch obstacles; the most famous of these is the English Grand National run at Aintree race course.