Horse racing is an ancient sport according to some experts, with evidence of it dating way back to ancient Greek and Roman times. Over the course of its incredibly long history, many cool and interesting facts about the sport have emerged that you may or may not yet know. Let’s look at some in this post and learn more about this world-renowned sport of kings.
Who
Is the Largest Horse In Racing History?
Phar
Lap was always considered a very big racehorse, standing at a lofty
17 hands tall. But Phar Lap is not the biggest ever recorded. That
title belongs to a horse called Holy
Roller, who stood at a massive
18.1 hands high. It’s estimated the horse weighed in at over 800kg.
That’s one gigantic racehorse. The average modern day thoroughbred
racehorse only weighs about half that.
The
Career Lifespan of the Average Racehorse
Racehorses
don’t start racing until at least the age of 2, and most are
retired by the time they’ve reached 8 years old, sometimes less for
horses that compete in flat races. For events such as steeplechase
and the National Hunt, these horses tend to race until well into
their teens. Apparently, although not confirmed, no horse over the
age of 18 has ever been victorious in any form of horse race.
Were
Roman Chariot Races the Earliest Form of Horse Racing?
It
is an era steeped in history, and one that many Hollywood blockbuster
films have been based on. It’s true that the romans used to have
regular chariot races, and there’s a bit of debate about whether
the Romans were the first to host some form of horse race, or whether
that title belonged to Ancient Greece. It’s also claimed that
horses were raced in Central Asia as early as 4500 BC.
Phar
Lap Was From New Zealand
Many
people erroneously believe that the legendary horse, Phar Lap, was an
Australian born and bred thoroughbred racehorse. He was actually
foaled in neighbouring New Zealand, but was brought to Australia by
trainer, Harry Telford, where he did the majority of his racing and
had the most success. Phar Lap went on to win 37 races, including
victory in the 1930 Melbourne
Cup.
A
Stud Horse Is More Lucrative Than a Racehorse
Any
successful racing stallions can actually make their owners more money
as breeders than as actual race winners. While a champion stallion
could bring home tens of millions of dollars in prize money, they can
actually make more than that on the breeding market. Life certainly
is a bed of roses for those who own champion stallions.
What
is a Quarterbred Horse?
These
horses are bred specifically for the American racing market and are
designed to run quarter mile races. Because of this breeding,
Quarterbred horses are much shorter and more muscular in stature than
thoroughbred horses. Conversely, a standard bred horse is more suited
to harness racing, specialising in trotting rather than galloping.
Is
a “Big Hearted” Horse Just a Nice Horse?
We
hear the term “big hearted” in horse racing quite regularly, but
does it have the same meaning as when we call a person big hearted?
Not exactly, although there are some nice horses out there for sure.
When a horse physically has a bigger heart than its opponents, it’s
a huge advantage over the competition because their heart can pump
blood and oxygen through the horses body and muscles at a greater
rate.
Eddie
Arcaro Just Never Gave Up
Spare a thought for champion American jockey, Eddie Arcaro. The man rode 250 race losers before he experienced his first victory in the racing saddle. Now that’s determination and persistence personified. From that day forward, Arcaro won a total of 4778 races.
The
Fastest Racehorse Ever Recorded
It’s officially in the Guinness Book of World Records. On the 14 May, 2008 in Grantville, Pennsylvania, United States, a racehorse named Winning Brew set a new world record for the fastest speed ever recorded for a racehorse. She clocked an incredible speed of 70.76 km/h (43.94 mph). She was just a 2-year-old filly at the time of the achievement.