steeplechase

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. Sports A horserace across open country or over an obstacle course.
2. n. Sports A footrace of usually 3,000 meters over a closed track with four hurdles and a water obstacle.
3. n. A course of action containing many obstacles.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. A horse-race across a tract of country in which ditches, hedges, and other obstacles must be jumped as they come in the way. The name is supposed to be originally due to any conspicuous object, such as a church-steeple, having been chosen as a goal, toward which those taking part in the race were allowed to take any course they chose. The limits of the steeplechase-course are now marked out by flags.
2. n. In billiards, primarily, an exhibition stroke in which the cue-ball is lifted from the table and made to jump, the cue having first been laid flat upon the table. It can be fair, but is liable to be foul (a push), and on Nov. 28, 1905, the English Billiard Association, called upon to rule it out of regular billiards, enacted equivocally that, “properly made, it is fair.” It is neither recognized nor needed in American billiards.

Wiktionary

1. n. chiefly UK A horse race, either across open country, or over an obstacle course
2. n. An athletics event in which the runners have to run 3000 metres round a track, jumping hurdles and a water obstacle along

WordNet 3.0

1. n. a horse race over an obstructed course
2. n. a footrace of usually 3000 meters over a closed track with hurdles and a water jump