Horse racing is an equestrian sport, involving two or more
jockeys riding horses over a set distance for competition. It is one of the
most ancient of all sports and its basic premise – to identify which of two or
more horses is the fastest over a set course or distance – has remained
unchanged since the earliest times. These different lengths of races are
divided into five categories: pleasure rides, non-competitive trail rides,
competitive trail rides, progressive trail rides, and endurance rides . This race
was a one-hundred-mile, one-day-long ride starting in Squaw Valley, Placer
County, and ending in Auburn. Founded in 1972, the American Endurance Ride
Conference was the United States' first national endurance riding association.
The longest endurance race in the world is the Mongol Derby, which is long.
Breeds
In most horse races, entry is restricted to certain breeds;
that is, the horse must have a sire and
a dam who are purebred individuals of
whatever breed is racing. For example, in a normal harness race, the horse's
sire and dam must both be pure Standardbreds. The only exception to this is in
Quarter Horse racing where an Appendixed Quarter Horse may be considered
eligible to race against Quarter Horses.
An appendixed Quarter Horse is a horse who has either one Quarter Horse parent
and one parent of any other eligible breed, or both parents are registered
Appendixed Quarter Horses, or one parent is a Quarter Horse and one parent is
an Appendixed Quarter Horse. The designation of "Appendixed" refers
to the addendum section, or Appendix, of the Official Quarter Horse registry.
AQHA also issues a "Racing Register of Merit" which allows a horse to
race on Quarter Horse tracks, but not be considered a Quarter Horse for
breeding purposes .
A stallion who has won many races may be put up to stud when
he is retired. Artificial insemination and Embryo transfer technology has brought changes to the traditions and
ease of breeding.
Pedigrees of stallions are recorded in various books and
websites, such as Weatherbys Stallion Book, the Australian Stud Book and
Thoroughbred Heritage.
Thoroughbred
There are three founding sires that almost all Thoroughbreds
can trace back to: the Darley Arabian, the Godolphin, and the Byerly Turk,
named after their respective owners, Thomas Darley, Lord Godolphin, and Captain
Robert Byerly. All were taken to England where they were mated with mares.
Thoroughbreds range in height, and are measured in hands . Some are as small as
15 hands while others are over 17 hands. Thoroughbreds can travel medium
distances at fast paces, requiring a balance between speed and endurance.
Arabian horse
The Arabian horse was developed by the Bedouin people of the
Middle East specifically for stamina over long distances, so they could outrun
their enemies. It was not until 1725 that the Arabian was introduced into the
United States. Arabians appeared in the United States in colonial times, though
were not bred as purebreds until about the time of the Civil War. Until the
formation of the Arabian Horse Registry of America in 1908, Arabians were
recorded with the Jockey Club in a separate subsection from Thoroughbreds.
They must be able to withstand traveling long distances at a
moderate pace. Arabians have an abundance of Type I fibers. Their muscles are
able to work for extended periods of time. Also, the muscles of the Arabian are
not nearly as massive as those of the Quarter Horse, which allow it to travel
longer distances at quicker speeds. The Arabian is primarily used today in
endurance racing, but is also raced over traditional race tracks in many
countries.
Arabian Horse Racing is governed by Quarter Horse
The ancestors of the Quarter Horse were prevalent in America
in the early 17th century. These horses were a blend of Colonial Spanish horses
crossed English horses that were brought over in the 1700s. The native horse
and the English horse were bred together, resulting in a compact muscular
horse. At this time, they were mainly used for chores such as plowing and
cattle work. The American Quarter Horse was not recognized as an official breed
until the formation of the American Quarter Horse Association in 1940.
In order to be successful in racing, Quarter Horses need to
be able to propel themselves forward at extremely fast sprinter speed. The
Quarter Horse has much larger hind limb muscles than the Arabian, which make it
much less suitable for endurance racing. They also have more Type II-b fibers,
which allow the Quarter Horse to accelerate rapidly.
When Quarter Horse racing began, it was very expensive to
lay a full mile of track so it was agreed that a straight track of four hundred
meters, or one quarter of a mile would be laid instead. It became the standard
racing distance for Quarter Horses and inspired their name. With the exception
of the longer, distance contests, Quarter Horse races are run flat out, with
the horses running at top speed for the duration. There is less jockeying for
position, as turns are rare, and many races end with several contestants
grouped together at the wire. The track surface is similar to that of
Thoroughbred racing and usually consists of dirt.
Part Two coming soon.
Neil Stevens-Wood - Tipster Street
Part Two coming soon.
Neil Stevens-Wood - Tipster Street
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