Cheltenham Festival Still Holds its Place as One of the Big Days on the British Sports Calendar

With the Cheltenham festival just days away, it raises the question, does it still command the attention of a major sporting event in the modern day?

Last year the highest viewed sporting event in the UK was the rugby world cup semi-final between England and New Zealand with an audience of around 11 million in comparison to Cheltenham Festival which had an average viewing figure of around 961,000 according to The Racing Post. This may seem like a bad yield in comparrison, until you consider it’s the highest average TV viewing figure since records began in 2003. This shows that the sport has a dedicated fanbase and much like other sporting events, Cheltenham is on the fore of many people’s minds when thinking of the sporting year ahead. Famous stars attend such as the royal family, Ray Winstone, and Lily Allen.

The event is the racing parallel of Wimbledon in tennis or the Tour de France in cycling, and the Gold Cup could probably be equated to a football world cup. Amongst trainers the Gold Cup is held in a higher regard to the Grand National and it is the centrepiece of the festival with peak viewing figures coming for this race. Cheltenham is the pinnacle of the sport and creates memories like Kauto Star becoming the first horse to regain the Gold Cup or Tiger Roll romping home in the Cross Country Chase before achieving his second Grand National. Last season, Bryony Frost became the first female jockey to win a grade one chase at the festival, a massive achievement that transcended the sport in its importance. Cheltenham makes the greats of the sport and gives them crowning achievements and without it there would be an empty gap alongside other sports and their highest achievements. Cheltenham represents the sport because of its quality.

The proof is that both interest wise and quality wise, Cheltenham Festival still stands its ground as one of sport’s most prestigious events and maintains its dedicated following. And with its influence gradually on the rise it will remain the greatest show on turf for the foreseeable future. Racing fans will watch in their thousands for the week ahead and Cheltenham will continue its influence and high standards.