If you think you’ve seen it all in Thoroughbred horse racing it’s a sure bet that you probably haven’t heard it all. Terms making up a racing lexicon are so broad, unique and occasionally confusing as to produce a glossary in many horse racing books as well as websites, including Keeneland.com, which includes “Racing Terms” under a “Beginner’s Guide.” An example of what one could hear from around the paddock at Keeneland demonstrates the need for a glossary: “He ran six panels and placed off a bullet work even after he was taken up in the stretch. His trainer still thinks he’s a router. His bottom line says sprinter, though, and he may need a tightener and a good breeze before he runs a route.” Six “panels” are six furlongs, a furlong being an eighth-of-a-mile and another term, in itself, preserved by racing. In Old English a furlang was the length of a furrow in a 10-acre field and before that the equivalent of a Roman stadium or one-eighth of a mile. “Placed” means the horse finished second. A “bullet work” was the fastest workout time for a particular distance on the day the horse exercised, an effort denoted by a black dot or “bullet” in the track program. “Taken up” means the horse had to be restrained or “steadied” (another racing term) by the jockey because of running in close quarters. Stretch, of course, is the straightaway leading to the wire and finish line. The trainer’s assessment of the horse as a “router” illustrates the unique and seemingly conflicting meaning given to some words and terms in racing. The trainer doesn’t mean the horse is sure to outrun competitors by huge margins, but that the horse is best suited to “routes” or races at a mile-and-an-eighth or longer. The “bottom line,” also... ... middle of paper ... ...f like a bug. A rider who is “second call” is a jockey who was called upon to ride a horse if the trainer’s first preference is unavailable. An obscure and not-often-heard term in recent decades is a jockey who rides “acey-deucy.” This means the jockey prefers uneven stirrups or one longer than the other as did legendary rider, Eddie Arcaro. The good news with racing terms is that because of history the lexicon is established with few if any new terms being added. It is, however, not a “language” learned overnight. Is there a “bottom” to all the terms and expressions? Actually there are two: the literal bottom of the list (“work tab” in Keeneland.com’s Racing Terms--a list of morning workouts according to distance and time) and “bottom” as in yet another term you might hear along with “tightener,” “panels,” etc. The bottom in a race horse is its stamina.
The first virtue that can be obtained through the world wide sport of rodeo is patience. Because of the fact that rodeo is such a big sport, there are many competitors. With this in mind and the fact that events take more than a few mere seconds, rodeos can be an all day event. In a high school rodeo in Laramie this spring, there were nearly 200 runs or rides being made throughout the course of just one day. So you can imagine the...
Once you get them to settle down and get there mind focused on just walking and the rider then you know the bond with the rider and horse are strong. When it is time for the second run of the night you want to warm them up again but not as hard this time because he or she has already been warmed up once before this, so just a little warming up won’t hurt. When it is that time for the second run the rider will bring the horse him a set him or her up for their first barrel and make the most of the race. If you see the rider smiling then everyone knows she has done her job with this horse. The rider can make an automatic barrel horse where that horse know his job and she barely has to ask the horse for a turn or touch his face to go around that barrel. When the rider gets a horse to be like that everyone can tell they spent hours and days together. The rider worked with that horse but never made him sour or hate coming into the arena. They spent time working on flexing the horse and making sure he knew when to tuck his nose and leave it for an extra second. They will all see when they are running home how much they spend time they spend together if they are fast and smooth through the pattern and don’t have any blow ups before or after coming in and out of the arena. After the race is over and the announcer say who
She entered the alleyway, holding her horse back. Anyone could tell she had a special way with horses. They had a little trouble on the second barrel, but other that the run was clean. She pushed her horse on home and the big palomino stretched out in tremendous strides........she broke the arena record!
Racehorse syndication is an exciting world to be a part of. If you’ve always wanted to join one, there are several crucial questions you need to ask your syndicate before subscribing.
Any good horseman should know that there are three very important steps to take into consideration when preparing to ride your horse. The following three steps; grooming, tacking up, and warming up, if done properly should lead to a trouble free enjoyable ride.
The announcer calls my number and I walk Jake into the arena and check the calf in the chute to be sure he is the one we are to rope. I back Jake into the roping box and the judge stretches and secures the barrier. (The barrier is a small piece of rope pulled tight across the exit of the box designed to give the calf a 10- foot head start. If the horse leaves early and breaks the barrier, 10 seconds are added to the completion of the run).
Based on my colleagues’ reporting in 2012, an average of 24 horses die each week at racetracks across the United States.
By doing this the author makes the audience question just how much they know about the sport; how many horse and rider deaths occur each year, how many of those are a direct result of a rotational fall, how many of those could have been prevented by the use of the proposed safety measures, the author does this by presenting facts and information from committees and the FEI.
precautions taken before each race. The horses and the drivers were both checked to ensure
This track is a half mile clay high banked dirt track that averages 120 mph throughout all classes. This track holds many famous event like world 100, Dream, King's royal, UMP nationals, and Truck kings (Nascar trucks come to dirt to run 1 race on dirt). Throughout the offseason the track is torn apart and redone to bring new groves and better races for each year. This track also is ran by Tony Stewart which is is a big name in dirt racing as he just retired from nascar to tend to his family and go back to his
The Kentucky Derby has over 160,000 people come from around the world to attend the Kentucky Derby annually, and tens of millions watch on television. The Kentucky Derby is our state’s signature event, filled with traditions, legends, and celebrities. On May 2nd, of every year, is the Kentucky Derby and my birthday. The Kentucky Derby is an athletic event, because you get to understand the roles of the jockey and thoroughbred as athletes, as well as the scientific basis for their performance, it helps provide insights and comparisons into human training, nutrition, and health. “The Kentucky Derby is Decadent and Depraved” was hailed as a triumph and brought rabid attention to Scanlan’s. (McKeen 149) The Kentucky Derby is a horse race that
Even though tensions rise between the ethics in sport and the ideas of winning, families identify accomplishment in the bond between hobbies and the good life, as horse racing is a favorite past-time. Although desiring to win compromises the conduct and character of the owner, trainers, jockeys, and horses, many fans remain uptight toward betting on cheaters while taking them at face-value. While articles, periodicals, and congressional hearing testimonies about the sports culture of horse racing feature opposing strands of greed and reveal the binary just/unjust, the more interesting ideas come from the differences in the tone of voice, which show a pattern of irony in economic views of racing and frustration in social aspects of abuse. For example, the issues are significant to evaluate because some sources argue neglect or ill-treatment while others are following the rules; however, positive tests for illegal drugs in horses remain an ongoing wager. Additionally, as horses play a significant role in American culture today, tension gives rise to various power struggles, ethical dilemmas, and multiple controversies involving social and political agendas, which complicates regulations on the rules of racing. Even though Sheila Lyons, DVM testifies, "Racehorse is not a diagnosis," before the U.S. Senate Committee on the Interstate Horse Racing Act, Dr. Lyon believes, “proper record keeping should take place at the tracks” (Kane, Lyons, and Gagliano). A 2015 report by The Editorial Board from The New York Times suggests, "…the fatality rate for horses reaches more than four times the national average as heedless owners put unproven horses at risk for lucrative purses," as the more striking compari...
The saddle is the one very important piece of equipment this is used to barrel race. The saddle must be tailored to the horse and most of the time the rider chooses a saddle that is up to a full size smaller than he or she would normally use. Saddle pads and cinches must me chosen to fit the horse properly. Even though the saddle is important, the bit is most likely the most important piece of equipment to the rider in barrel racing. The bit is most often chosen based on the two concepts of a bit with a longer shank allows for a quicker stop due to the additional leverage on their mouth and a bit wit...
Grant, Dustan. "Analysis of The Rocking Horse Winner by D.H. Lawrence." Prezi.com. 2 Mar 2013. 21 Feb 2014. http://prezi.com /