The British jump racing season runs throughout much of the year, but autumn, winter and early spring form the core of the National Hunt calendar.

The 2026/27 jumps season builds from September and October into major meetings at Cheltenham, Aintree, Haydock, Newbury, Kempton and other leading National Hunt courses before reaching its championship period in the spring.

British Racecourses covers the complete jumps calendar, including racecourse fixtures, major races, festivals and the key dates National Hunt followers need throughout the season.

For individual meetings and dates across both codes, see our complete UK horse racing fixtures.

When Is the National Hunt Season?

Jump racing takes place during most months of the year in Britain, so there is no simple point at which all National Hunt racing stops and starts again.

The character of the calendar changes significantly through the year.

Summer jumping continues at selected courses, while many of Britain’s leading National Hunt tracks return during the autumn. The season then builds through November, December and the New Year before reaching the major spring festivals.

For most racing followers, October to April represents the heart of the British jumps season.

That period contains many of the sport’s most important races, including the King George VI Chase, Cheltenham Gold Cup and Grand National.

2026/27 Jump Racing Season at a Glance

The 2026/27 National Hunt season can broadly be divided into five periods.

September and October 2026: The Season Builds

September marks the return of more traditional autumn jump fixtures alongside courses that race over obstacles during the summer.

October brings a much more recognisable National Hunt programme.

Cheltenham returns on 23 and 24 October 2026 with The Showcase, beginning another season at the home of jump racing.

Chepstow, Wetherby, Carlisle, Aintree, Kelso and other established jumps courses also become increasingly prominent as autumn develops.

This period is particularly useful for identifying novice hurdlers and novice chasers who may progress into better races later in the campaign.

November 2026: Major Jump Racing Returns

November is one of the points at which the National Hunt season moves firmly into top gear.

The Cheltenham November Meeting takes place from Friday 13 to Sunday 15 November 2026, bringing three days of jumps racing to Prestbury Park.

Haydock traditionally stages one of the early major staying chases of the season, while Ascot, Newbury, Newcastle and other leading courses stage important National Hunt fixtures during the month.

November form begins to provide stronger evidence for the championship races later in the season.

Horses that have spent the summer away from the track are returning, novice divisions are developing and established chasers and hurdlers begin their major campaigns.

December 2026: Christmas Jump Racing

December contains some of the most recognisable National Hunt fixtures outside the spring festivals.

Cheltenham stages its Christmas Meeting on 11 and 12 December 2026, while the wider Christmas period traditionally provides major jumps racing across Britain.

Boxing Day is one of the biggest days in the National Hunt calendar.

The centrepiece is the King George VI Chase at Kempton Park, one of Britain’s leading Grade 1 chases.

Other racecourses also stage popular Christmas fixtures, making the period between Boxing Day and New Year particularly busy for jumps racing.

January 2027: The Road to Cheltenham

January moves the season closer to the championship festivals.

Cheltenham stages New Year’s Day racing before Festival Trials Day on 30 January 2027.

Festival Trials Day provides opportunities for horses to compete over the same course that will stage the Cheltenham Festival in March. Results can influence the ante-post markets for several Festival races, although trials form should always be considered alongside the conditions expected in March.

Other important January fixtures traditionally take place at courses including Ascot, Haydock, Warwick, Sandown and Doncaster.

The novice hurdle and chase divisions are also becoming much clearer by this point in the season.

February 2027: Festival Preparations

February sits between the major winter meetings and the Cheltenham Festival.

Many established Festival contenders will already have completed their final preparation, while others use February races for one last run before March.

Trainers must balance race fitness with arriving at Cheltenham in peak condition.

The month is therefore important for declarations, Festival markets and the final development of novice divisions.

Readers following the markets can use our horse racing odds and Best Backed Horses Today pages alongside the form.

March 2027: Cheltenham Festival

March contains the defining meeting of the British National Hunt season.

The 2027 Cheltenham Festival takes place from Tuesday 16 March to Friday 19 March.

Four days of championship racing bring together leading hurdlers, chasers, trainers and jockeys from Britain and Ireland.

The major races include the Champion Hurdle, Queen Mother Champion Chase and Cheltenham Gold Cup.

The Gold Cup on Friday is the Festival’s principal staying chase and one of the most important races in British racing.

Our Cheltenham Festival section covers the meeting in greater detail.

April 2027: Grand National and the End of the Core Season

Attention moves quickly from Cheltenham to Aintree.

The Grand National is Britain’s most famous steeplechase and forms the centrepiece of the Grand National Festival at Aintree Racecourse.

Aintree provides a different test from Cheltenham. The Grand National itself is unique, while the wider meeting gives horses that ran at Cheltenham opportunities to compete again alongside runners deliberately kept fresh for Aintree.

Cheltenham also returns for its April Meeting on 14 and 15 April 2027.

The traditional climax of the British jumps campaign then comes at Sandown later in April, when the leading performers of the season are celebrated.

Jump racing itself does not simply disappear afterwards. Summer jumping continues at selected courses.

Summer Jump Racing

National Hunt racing is strongly associated with autumn and winter, but British jump racing also takes place during the warmer months.

Courses including Cartmel, Market Rasen, Newton Abbot, Stratford, Uttoxeter and Worcester feature prominently in summer jumping.

Summer National Hunt racing has a different feel from the winter programme.

Ground conditions are generally quicker, different trainers and horses can come to prominence and many of the championship horses seen during the winter are resting.

This is why describing National Hunt racing as simply running from one fixed autumn date until April can be misleading.

Major Jump Racing Festivals

Several meetings define the National Hunt calendar.

Cheltenham Festival

The Cheltenham Festival is the championship meeting of the British jumps season.

Its four days include leading races for hurdlers and chasers across different distances.

Grand National Festival

The Grand National Festival takes place at Aintree and is centred on the Grand National.

The meeting also contains top-level racing over Aintree’s conventional Mildmay course.

Cheltenham November Meeting

The November Meeting is an important early-season fixture and often produces horses that return to Cheltenham later in the campaign.

Christmas Racing

Boxing Day and the Christmas period provide a concentrated programme of high-quality jump racing.

Kempton’s King George VI Chase is the standout event, with major fixtures taking place elsewhere around Britain.

Major National Hunt Races

The British jump season contains important races from autumn through spring.

Among the races to follow are:

These races test different qualities. Two-mile hurdlers require speed and efficient jumping, while staying chasers need stamina as well as the ability to jump accurately over longer distances.

Leading Jump Racecourses in Britain

Britain has a large network of racecourses staging hurdles and steeplechases.

Cheltenham

Cheltenham Racecourse is regarded as the home of British jump racing.

Its undulating course and uphill finish create a demanding test, particularly at the Festival.

Aintree

Aintree Racecourse is home to the Grand National.

The National course and conventional Mildmay course provide very different racing tests.

Kempton

Kempton Park stages the King George VI Chase on Boxing Day.

Its relatively sharp configuration provides a different challenge from Cheltenham.

Haydock

Haydock Park stages important winter jumps racing and can become particularly testing when conditions are soft or heavy.

Sandown

Sandown Park stages major jump races and traditionally hosts the finale of the British National Hunt season.

Its Railway Fences provide one of the most recognisable jumping tests in British racing.

Newbury

Newbury Racecourse stages high-quality National Hunt racing alongside its Flat programme.

Its major winter meetings regularly attract leading horses.

You can explore every venue through our complete British racecourse guides.

Hurdles, Chases and National Hunt Flat Races

Jump racing contains several different race types.

Hurdle Races

Hurdles are smaller obstacles than chase fences.

Young National Hunt horses often begin their jumping careers over hurdles before progressing to fences, although specialist hurdlers can remain in that discipline throughout their careers.

Steeplechases

Steeplechases are run over larger fences.

Jumping technique becomes particularly important, and chase distances range from fast two-mile contests to staying races extending well beyond three miles.

National Hunt Flat Races

National Hunt Flat races are commonly called bumpers.

There are no obstacles. They are designed primarily for horses bred for National Hunt racing and often provide an introduction to racing before a horse begins hurdling.

Our comparison of Flat racing and jump racing explains the wider differences between the two codes.

Going During the Jump Season

Ground conditions play a major role in National Hunt racing.

Autumn rain and winter weather can produce soft or heavy going, placing greater emphasis on stamina. Conditions can vary considerably between racecourses and from one meeting to another.

A horse that performs well on good ground will not automatically reproduce that performance in deep winter conditions.

Our horse racing going page explains the official descriptions and how ground can affect a race.

Following Jump Racing Form

National Hunt form needs to be read in context.

Distance, going, course configuration, class and jumping experience can all explain why a horse performs differently from one race to another.

A finishing position alone rarely tells the complete story.

Our guide to reading horse racing form explains how to assess previous performances, while how to analyse a horse race provides a broader race-analysis framework.

For individual meetings, use today’s racecards to see the day’s runners.

2026 and 2027 Jump Racing Fixtures

The British Horseracing Authority has published the official 2026 fixture list, containing 1,458 scheduled fixtures across British racing, and has now also published the 2027 fixture list with 1,440 scheduled fixtures.

Rather than maintaining an enormous historic table on this page that quickly becomes obsolete, British Racecourses maintains dedicated fixture resources.

See:

Fixture dates can change, so check the current meeting information before travelling to a racecourse.

Irish National Hunt Racing

Irish jumps racing is closely connected to the British season.

Leading Irish horses regularly travel to Britain for Cheltenham and Aintree, while British-trained horses can compete at the major Irish festivals.

The Punchestown Festival is one of the principal spring meetings and takes place after the Cheltenham and Aintree Festivals.

Explore our Irish racecourse guides for more information on racing in Ireland.

Frequently Asked Questions

When does the jump racing season start?

Jump racing takes place during much of the year in Britain, including summer jumping. The main National Hunt season builds substantially during September and October, with the core period running through autumn and winter into the major spring festivals.

When does the National Hunt season finish?

The traditional British championship season reaches its conclusion in late April, but jump racing continues at selected courses during the spring and summer.

When is the 2027 Cheltenham Festival?

The 2027 Cheltenham Festival takes place from Tuesday 16 March to Friday 19 March 2027.

Is there jump racing in the summer?

Yes. Several British racecourses stage summer jumping, including Cartmel, Market Rasen, Newton Abbot, Stratford, Uttoxeter and Worcester.

What is the difference between hurdles and chases?

Hurdle races use smaller obstacles. Steeplechases use larger fences and place a greater emphasis on jumping technique. Horses often begin over hurdles before progressing to fences.

What is a bumper?

A bumper is a National Hunt Flat race. It contains no jumps and is commonly used to introduce young National Hunt horses to racing before they begin hurdling.

What is the biggest jump racing festival?

The Cheltenham Festival is the championship meeting of the British National Hunt season. The Grand National Festival at Aintree is another major fixture and includes Britain’s most famous steeplechase.

Where can I find all 2026 jump fixtures?

Our 2026 horse racing fixtures page covers the current British racing calendar. The main horse racing fixtures hub provides access to the wider fixture information.

Summary of the Jump Racing Calendar

British jump racing runs through much of the year, but the season changes character as autumn arrives.

September and October bring the return of more traditional National Hunt courses. November and December introduce major winter races. January and February build towards the spring championships before Cheltenham dominates March and Aintree follows in April.

Summer jumping then continues at a smaller group of courses.

The result is better understood as a continuous National Hunt calendar with a major autumn-to-spring championship season, rather than a sport that simply begins on 1 January and finishes on 31 December.

Follow the complete programme through our horse racing fixtures and explore individual venues through the British racecourse guides.

Horse Racing Jump Season Calendar 2026/27