It’s common knowledge that you have heard about horse racing or even seen a few races that have taken your world by storm. Equipped with racehorses that stop at nothing, horse racing has been an important sport that has changed over the years. With horse race betting tagging along, the sport has brought in all kinds of admirers and many have seen the same as a business.<
From purchasing horses to training them and hiring the right team to field them, horse racing is exciting and at the same time, chaotic. Thanks to this mix, the sport has generated a few facts and by reading them you will get an exclusive opportunity to be surprised and stay open-mouthed.
- A billion-dollar industry
Horse racing in the United States as well as in the UK is known to be a billion-dollar industry and an important contributor of revenue for the government. Jockeys, stewards, trainers, and everyone put together to make the industry whole and with people cheering in from the stands, the model to reach a billion dollars is complete.
Hence, one need not be puzzled about the kind of races that a few people from Maryland are watching.
- A supreme breed of athletes
While it is known that horses can run faster than humans, very little is known about the kind of supreme athletes they are. A human heart beats between 60 and 100 times per minute while a thoroughbred racehorse has a resting heart rate of 40 beats per minute.
This enables them to record speeds between 44 and 55 mph. However, the performance also depends on the specific breed of the horse, although it is understood that the ones you see at races can disappear in seconds.
- You can’t just become a jockey
Being a jockey is an exciting and adventurous career. However, it is not termed as an easy one because you first need a degree that qualifies and trains you in the right manner. You also need to be at least 18 years of age in order to get a jockey license and have enough knowledge about the sport.
With weight being an important factor that affects the race, jockeys are expected to weigh around 108-118 pounds and have prior experience in dealing with everything that the race is bound to offer. So if you’re considering a career as a jockey, you have to start now.
- Guess the number of horses who have won the Grand Slam? One.
Yes, that’s right. There has been only one horse to ever win the grand slam. American Pharoah is the first and only horse to win the Kentucky Derby, Belmont Stakes, Preakness Stakes, and the Breeders’ Cup Classic in the same year, which means that he is the only horse to win the Grand Slam.
Out of the 11 starts that he made during his career, American Pharoah ended up winning 9 and brought home a total of $8,650,300.
- The Kiplingcotes – oldest horse race in the world
The Kiplingcotes has a rich history spanning over 500 years and thus, it is the oldest horse race in the world. It takes place every year in the East Riding of Yorkshire England and has no specific age limit for horses.
The event dates back to 1519 and has not had a full card on very few occasions. So you can clearly understand how exciting it is and why people come from all around the world to witness the oldest horse race in the world.
- Thoroughbreds have a common birthday
Regardless of the day they were born, it is a common rule that thoroughbreds share the same birthday. So thoroughbreds born in the Northern Hemisphere will see their birthdays fall on the 1st of January while thoroughbreds born in the Southern Hemisphere will see their birthdays fall on the 1st of August.
This rule was mainly put into place to track the age of the horse because races have an age limit and it is very important that everyone is aware of the same.
