The first steeplechase, according to an authoritative document belonging to the O'Briens of Dromoland, took place in Ireland in 1752, when "a certain Mr. Callaghan and his friend, Mr. Edmund Blake, made a sporting wager to race cross country from Buttevant Church to the steeple of St. Leger Church, a distance of roughly four and one-half miles". Thus, the sport of steeplehunting, as it was often called, was started. The horses were matched two at a time, and tested more for jumping prowess and stamina than speed.

The first organized steeplechase - that is, one over a prepared course - probably was held at the Bedford flat racecourse in 1810. It came about when a flat race for hunters was proposed. To insure that no racehorses were substituted by unscrupulous characters, eight fences, 4'6" with a fixed top rail, were added to the flat course. The race drew a reported crowd of 40,000, who watched Fugative (formerly Off-She-Goes) beat Cecilia.

The first flagged race was organized by Thomas Coleman of St. Albans. He  nevertheless kept the layout of the course in Herefordshire secret until the start of the race by having the flagmen concealed in ditches, raising their flags on the word "Go".

The first formal American steeplechase took place in Patterson, New Jersey on June 7, 1865 when Nannie Craddock beat Maid of Ottowa over three miles of fair hunting country and 27 fences in a time of 9 minutes, 24 seconds (The current record, set in the 1969 Grand National at Belmont Park is held by High Patches, who covered the three miles in 5 minutes, 39 and 3/5 seconds.).

The first major track jumping race was held at Jerome Park in the Bronx for a purse of $1,000 in 1869. The seven starters attracted a crowd of 20,000, who pronounced the race an immense success. It was the all-absorbing topic for weeks". The winner was Oysterman, under 136 lbs., as top-weighted ZigZag, under 150 lbs., finished fifth. "The Jockey Club, although a highly conservative body, responded by hanging up another thousand to be run for in the spring meeting of 1870."

Note: In 2000, Papillon, the winner of the grueling English Grand National had Sandhills ties. Owned by Mrs. J. Maxwell Moran of Pennsylvania, Papillon was trained by Irishman Ted Walsh, who is the nephew of the Stoneybrook founder, Michael G. Walsh. The champion horse was ridden to victory by Ted Walsh's son, Ruby. Papillon returned two weeks later to win the Irish Grand National as well. The steeplechase tradition definitely runs in the family!