Joel Kessler, age 14, of Bessemer, Ala., for his question:

WHAT IS STEEPLECHASING?

Steeplechasing is horse racing over a prescribed course that involves jumping over hedges, ditches and walls. The sport derives its name from early races in which riders frequently set as a goal a church whose steeple was visible throughout the course of the race.

As a professional sport, steeple chasing flourished widely in Ireland and England from the beginning of the 19th Century.

The most outstanding steeplechase race in England today is the Grand National Steeplechase held annually in Aintree, near Liverpool. The event was established in 1839.

In the United States, steeplechase races became popular toward the end of the 19th Century as part of regular professional race meetings. The sport later dwindled in popularity but at the present time there are about 16 annual steeplechasing events of importance that take place at the larger tracks, including Belmont Park, Saratoga and Aqueduct in New York State and Laurel and Harve de Grace in Maryland.

The sport is also a favorite one for amateurs, generally members of hunt clubs.

The term "steeplechase" is also applied to an athletic event in which runners race over an obstacle course.