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The horses come from a variety of sources, with many being former flat horses, while others are bred for jumping. National Hunt horses do not have to be thoroughbreds, but most are, and the only ones who are not are tend to be french. Many of the future stars of the sport come through Point-to-Pointing . The name reflects its Hunting origins, from which the sport developed. The same skills of jumping ability and speed are required to succeed at both. The highlight of the National Hunt Calendar is the Cheltenham Festival , which is held at Cheltenham Racecourse every March. Many of the best horses come to the festival, as well as huge numbers of Irish fans. Hundreds of millions of pounds are gambled over the four days. The importance of the festival is criticised by some, as it creates an unbalanced calendar, with a disproportionate amount of the best racing over a four day period. The other major events are the King George VI Chase , which is held on Boxing Day at Kempton, and the Grand National meeting at Aintree in April. A problem faced by racing is the low numbers of hours of light during the winter. Jumping is very dangerous and can not be attempted in less than perfect conditions, this means that the best racing is usually in the south of England or Ireland, or late in the season, as in the Grand National TYPES OF RACE
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