June 17, 1875, Saline, Kansas (USA): Our vigilant sheriff captured a horse their by the name of Clark at Bavaria, last evening, and brought him to the jail, late in the night. He had been disturbing horse flesh on Chapman’s creek. The other part of his name was not I.F. There will be a grand display [...]
After the 2020 postponement until October due to the Covid pandemic, this year’s Preakness Stakes returns to its traditional place, 2 weeks after the Kentucky Derby and 3 weeks before the Belmont Stakes. Middle child syndrome certainly does not apply to this year’s middle gem of the Triple Crown series. The public spotlight shines more [...]
Yesterday, May 2nd was the original date for this year’s Kentucky Derby but the race has been moved to September due to coronavirus. The Derby’s postponement did not however stop Churchill Downs from holding a horse race yesterday - perhaps even the best horse race ever? The “Kentucky Derby: Triple Crown Showdown” was a computer-generated virtual [...]
June 8, 2019, Llanwrtwd in Powys, Wales: Saturday marked the 40th running of the Whole Earth Man v Horse race. This year’s competitors included 650 runners and 60 horse and riders for the 22 miles, 35km, cross country event. The event, began in 1980 when local pub owner, Gordon Green overheard a discussion between two men [...]
Emily Wilding Davison was a British suffragette fatally injured at the 1913 Epsom Derby. Trampled by the king’s race horse, she died four days later. Speculation suggests she committed suicide in order to draw attention to the suffrage cause. No one will ever know her motive, she told no one of her plan and left no [...]
The stars of yesterday’s Preakness race were not the winning horse and jockey but the loose horse and pursuing outrider team. Bodexpress ran the entire race without his jockey, John Valezquez, unceremoniously dumped at the starting gate. A loose horse on the track is incredibly dangerous and fortune smiled at Pimlico on Saturday when Bodexpress ran [...]
He grew up in suburban Cleveland, Ohio (USA) with ambitions to become a jockey. He was the right stature, short and under 100 lbs. He loved horse racing but there were obstacles he could never overcome. “I had two problems, he explained. “When they put me on a horse, I kept falling off, and I had [...]
I enjoy the occasional story that pops up on the internet when someone discovers they have a son or daughter of Secretariat. Big Red was born today, March 30, 1970 out of Bold Ruler and Somethingroyal. Secretariats First Foal, First Secretary Retired from his phenomenal racing career, Big Red was sent to stud at [...]
The Kiplingcotes Derby has been run every year near Market Weighton, East Yorkshire (UK) since 1519. The race is held the third Thursday of March at 11 a.m. This year’s race marked its 500th anniversary. The annual race is a four-mile cross-country course. The race starts near [...]
A 75-year-old course clerk (outrider) caught runaway mare, Lady Belle, after she dumped her jockey and took off down the track December 29th at Cranbourne Turf Club in Victoria, Australia. A course clerk for nearly 20 years, rider Kevin Wynne told reporters he didn’t know what all the fuss was about explaining ‘I was just doing [...]
