New padded hurdles are being used at the 2025 Cheltenham Festival in an attempt to improve safety for horses and jockeys. Foam-padded jumps are replacing hurdles that were traditionally made using ...

The Jockey Club said the padded hurdles reduced the chances of horses falling at a jump by about 11%. Jon Pullin, clerk of the course at Cheltenham, said: "Horses seem to make a better shape when ...