December Festival Hurdle
| 2023 | ||
| State Man | Impaire Et Passe | Echoes In Rain |
| Previous years | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | ||
| State Man | Vauban | Sharjah |
| 2021 | ||
| Sharjah | Zanahiyr | Saint Roi |
| 2020-2011 | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | ||
| Sharjah | Aspire Tower | Petit Mouchoir |
| 2019 | ||
| Sharjah | Petit Mouchoir | Coeur Sublime |
| 2018 | ||
| Sharjah | Supasundae | Tombstone |
| 2017 | ||
| Mick Jazz | Cilaos Emery | Campeador |
| 2016 | ||
| Petit Mouchoir | Nichols Canyon | Ivanovich Gorbatov |
| 2015 | ||
| Nichols Canyon | Identity Thief | Plinth |
| 2014 | ||
| Hurricane Fly | Jezki | Arctic Fire |
| 2013 | ||
| Hurricane Fly | Jezki | Our Conor |
| 2012 | ||
| Hurricane Fly | Unaccompanied | Thousand Stars |
| 2011 | ||
| Unaccompanied | Thousand Stars | Oscars Well |
| 2010-2001 | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | ||
| Hurricane Fly | Solwhit | Luska Lad |
| 2009 | ||
| Solwhit | Sublimity | Jumbo Rio |
| 2008 | ||
| Sublimity | Won In The Dark | Brave Inca |
| 2007 | ||
| Al Eile | Hardy Eustace | Jazz Messenger |
| 2006 | ||
| Brave Inca | Iktitaf | Silent Oscar |
| 2005 | ||
| Brave Inca | Harchibald | Newmill |
| 2004 | ||
| Macs Joy | Brave Inca | Hardy Eustace |
| 2003 | ||
| Golden Cross | Spirit Leader | Flame Creek |
| 2002 | ||
| Liss A Paoraigh | Stage Affair | Turtleback |
| 2001 | ||
| Istabraq | Bust Out | Penny Rich |
| 2000-1991 | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | ||
| Moscow Flyer | Stage Affair | Mantles Prince |
| 1999 | ||
| Istabraq | Derrymoyle | Golden Rule |
| 1998 | ||
| Istabraq | Shantarini | Gazalani |
| 1997 | ||
| Istabraq | Punting Pete | Lady Daisy |
| 1996 | ||
| Theatreworld | Hill Society | Cockney Lad |
| 1995 | ||
| Kharasar | Sambara | Punting Pete |
| 1994 | ||
| Boro Eight | Tropical Lake | Magic Feeling |
| 1993 | ||
| Fortune And Fame | Padashpan | Royal Derbi |
| 1992 | ||
| Novello Allegro | Muir Station | Crowded House |
| 1991 | ||
| Galevilla Express | Clippie Lad | Nancy Myles |
| 1990-1988 | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | ||
| Grabel | Jennycomequick | Welsh Bard |
| 1989 | ||
| Grabel | Elementary | Wolf Of Badenoch |
| 1988 | ||
| Grabel | Cloughtaney | Lemhill |
The December Festival Hurdle, currently known by its sponsored title of the Matheson Hurdle, is a Grade 1 National Hunt hurdle race in Ireland which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Leopardstown over a distance of about 2 miles (3,219 metres), and during its running there are eight hurdles to be jumped. The race is scheduled to take place each year during the Christmas Festival meeting in late December.
Prior to 2013 the race was named the Istabraq Festival Hurdle in honour of Istabraq, who won it four times. The race was run as the Ryanair Hurdle from 2013 to 2018 when Ryanair sponsored the race. Matheson took over the sponsorship from the 2019 running. Former titles of the event included the paddypower.com iPhone App Hurdle, Sean P. Graham Memorial Hurdle and the Bookmakers Hurdle. The race was first run in 1986, and it has held Grade 1 status since 2002. It is often used as a trial for the Champion Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival. Four horses have won both races in the same season – Istabraq three times, Hurricane Fly twice and Brave Inca and State Man once each.