For some people April may seem months away but for others it is just right around the corner. That is right. It is time to get ready for the Grand National Championship. This horse race is a most exciting time for horse lovers and race fans both. There are three days of fun and exciting things to do. From women and children to the racers themselves there is something for everyone. It holds appeal too many people and now is the time to purchase your tickets for the anticipated three day event in April.

The first Grand National Championship was held in 1839. It was one by a horse named Lottery. It is now a three day event starting with Liverpool Day on April 12, Ladies Day on April 13, and Grand National Day on April 14. These three days are full of music, fashion, racing, and fun. The race itself is the highest quality of jump racing in the UK. Forty horses will line up and jump 30 fences in four and a half miles. This is a test of the toughest horses and jockeys in the world. You will find many people betting on their horses each year, whether they study the horses and jockeys and their abilities or whether they just pick names and place bets. It is a great tradition and race to watch and will leave you wanting more.

Liverpool Day is in its third year and provides entertainment off the track for this wonderful event. There are concerts held on this day, parades, and sporting legends have also been known to make an appearance. This year on April 12, 2012, Liverpool Day is supposed to be bigger and better than ever. 

For the ladies of the races, Ladies Day will be held on April 13. This second day of the three day entertainment package is going to be more stylish than ever. A flourish of fashion shows, make up samplings and giveaways, and grab bag giveaways are going to make up the best Ladies Day ever held. There will be splashes of color in the Red Rum Garden that will be sure to spice up the excitement. 

Last, but certainly not least, there is Grand National Day. It only happens once a year and only lasts approximately fifteen minutes. It is that fifteen minutes that will leave you coming back year after year. If you are simply watching the race on television with millions of other people, or if you are one of the lucky ones that can actually be at the Aintree Racecourse in person, it is an experience you are not likely to forget.

So, everyone mark your calendars. April is not too far away. The three day event is quickly approaching and it is time to prepare. The festivities, the entertainment, and the racing are definitely not something that you want to miss. Tickets for this festive three days went on sale in August. It will be a rush of fun and flash for these memorable few days. It is not something that you are going to want to miss.

Jockey A.P. (Tony) McCoy is undoubtedly the most successful and greatest jump-jockey in the history hunt racing. A.P. McCoy has snatched a record of 16 successive jump jockey titles. He has ridden more than 3,000 winners since 1992 and well on his way to breaching the 4,000 mark. It was in 2002 when he finally broke the record for most number of winners in a single season of 269 held by Sir Gordon Richard by riding a record of 289 winners during the 2002 season.

AP set a new milestone in his stellar career as a jump-jockey after he ruled the Grand National on Don’t Push It at Aintree in April 2010. What made this victory even sweeter for AP is the fact that it was one of the few remaining titles that have eluded him and the win came only after 13 failed attempts. Indeed, his triumphal ride at Aintree is the last remaining piece of his personal racing puzzle after having won in the Cheltenham Cup, Champion Chase, Champion Hurdle and King George VI Chase.

Anthony Peter McCoy was born on the 4th of May 1974 in County Antrim, Ireland. He snatched is first ever winner in March 1992 in Ireland at the age of 17. Known for his grit and iron will, A.P. McCoy dedication to the sports is legendary. During his maiden season, he was able to log a record 74 winners and snatched the conditional jockey’s title, and in the following season (1995/96), AP was declared champion jockey. AP McCoy reached the 1000-winner mark with the fastest time and won titles in virtually all big races.

Since his triumph in the 1996 edition of the Grand Annual Chase, AP has strung up 13 successful rides and among his notable wins was in 1997, where he won the Smurfit Champion Hurdle and the Tote Cheltenham Gold Cup on Make a Stand. He again set a new record of sorts when he was named Personality of the Year in 2010 by BBC Sports, the first jockey that ever won the award.

Having a 1.78 meter frame, A.P. McCoy diet regimen is as newsworthy as his triumphal rides. In order to maintain his low weight, AP would literally starve himself to 63.5 kg, although his natural weight is pegged at 73 kg. He would go through excruciating and strength sapping routine of going on a run, having a bath and getting out of the routine totally exhausted. He has been through more than 680 falls throughout his storied career and he has come out of some of these bone-crashing incidents with fractures in the lower and middle vertebrae, ribs, cheekbones, shoulder blades, a leg, an ankle and a wrist.

With the 2011 Grand National weights having been announced the trials for the race will take even greater prominence, as everyone will be trying to spot the best-handicapped horses.  

So far this season, a number of the main contenders have been plying their trade over hurdles, as trainers have attempted to protect the handicap marks of the National runners. Now that the weights have been allottedthough, more will be runners contesting chases as they attempt to get their eye in for the jumping challenge that National fences offer and these performances could give punters a good idea of which horses are set to do well come the big race itself. There should certainly be some good Grand National tips on show in the coming weeks.

Haydock Park on Saturday is the place to be if it’s National clues you are after. West End Rocker, who is trained by Alan King, runs in the 3 mile, 4 furlong Grand National trial and he’ll line-up with strong claims. The 9-year old is a bit of a rarity among this year’s National contenders, in that he has been campaigned over fences this season. His results have been outstanding; winning both starts and has looked a hugely improved performer. His National weight of 10st 5lb looks fair and he’ll have supporters if he can maintain his form on Saturday.  

Silver By Nature, King Fontaine, Mobaasher and Le Beau Bai are other National entries and will take part in the Haydock trial.

After his success in the 2010 Grand National, jockey A.P. McCoy is heavily tipped to win the The BBC Sports Personality of The Year award.

Horse racing, of course,  still a minority sport in Britain, watched by a hardcore few. In the past amazing Jockey’s like Frankie Detorri have failed to claim the BBC title even when hugely popular with non racing fans like Frankie was.

However A.P. has over amassed over 3,000 winners, broken every record in the sport: Number of winners in a season, fastest jockey to reach the 1,000 winners mark, all-time top jumps jockey. Surely this year it will be impossible to ignore the steeplechase jockey. Considering the England team failed to impress in the world cup, Andy Murray didn’t win Wimbledon and no other star is in the running, maybe it will be A.P.’s year.

A.P. is also likely to ride one of J.P.’s horses again in the Grand National 2011 race which is set to be run on the 9th of April.

Grand National winning jockey Bob Champion (aged 61) is going to ride at Aintree again, this time his ride will not be over the fences but as part of a charity event to raise money for cancer patients and the Injured Jockeys Fund.

Bob who beat cancer shortly before riding to victory on Aldaniti in the 1981 National is attempting to ride at all 60 of the UK’s race courses including two that Bob never got the chance to ride at during his career.

Champion knows he must work hard on his fitness next spring if he is to achieve his goal of reaching all 60 racecourses inside 60 days. Champion is encouraged in his ambition by the knowledge that Aldaniti’s 1987 walk from Buckingham Palace to Aintree, with 250 different riders, raised more than £750,000 for charity!

Personally I can’t wait to see Bob in the North West, hopefully I will be able to support him at either Chester of Bangor On Dee race courses.