Elephant racing, though unusual as a sporting event, is held in many parts of the world but mostly in Asia. The earliest known such racing event as a tradition is reported from Vietnam. [1] [2] In the 20th century this became a major event (though it generated protests) in Germany in 1920, and an organized International Elephant Race in Nepal from tourism interests in 1982. [3]
Elephant racing is a popular form of animal racing in Afghanistan. A straight and long trunk is an important factor in the race for the elephants to cross the finish line. The races take a longer time than those involving horses but the animals are clearly visible to every spectator. [4]
The Buon Don Elephant Races are held as a traditional event in the Central Highlands of the Buon Don district of Vietnam, which is well known for its elephant trainers. The skills of elephant trainers are used to perpetuate the heritage of holding elephant races every year during the third lunar month (generally in March) of the year. The race course, in the forests of the banks of the Sevepoi River, is a mile long track wide enough to accommodate nine participating elephants. Elephants are entered into the races from many villages. Two mahouts or jockeys ride on each elephant - one to steer it and another to goad it to race fast. A musical instrument made of horns of the elephants is blown first to assemble the elephants at the starting gate, then another sound is blown to signal the elephants to take the starting line and be set for the race, and with the third blow of the horn, the race is signaled. The elephants generally race at a speed of 25 mph with the public cheering for their favourite elephants. The first elephant crossing the winning post is given a wreath as an award, and also fed with bananas and sugar cane. After the event, the elephants celebrate by taking a swim in the river. [2]
A major festival is held at Wat Phou, every year in March, when elephant racing is a traditional popular sport event. [5]
In the year 2000, at the initiative of Ravindra Gujjula, an Indian born Mayor of Altlandsberg town, near Berlin organized an elephant race at Hoppegarten, which was very successful as more than 40,000 people witnessed the race. 14 circus elephants (equal numbers from Asia and Africa) participated and the race card consisted of six race events. The contention of the sponsors was that the elephants enjoyed the racing event. At the end of the race elephants were fed with fruits and vegetables. [1]
The race turned into a controversial issue, particularly in India, as environmental and religious lobbies objected to this racing. It is a protected species in India, and in Hinduism it represents the elephant headed God Ganesha. Members of the Animal Peace group's protest was supported by leading personalities like Maneka Gandhi, the then Minister for Social Affairs in India, Nina Hagen, the German rock singer, and Brigitte Bardot, the French film actress. [1] In India only two states hold the event.
In Nepal, the race started as an International Elephant Race in December 2005. The Tharu people of Nepal, who are professional tamers of wild elephants, ride the race elephants. A particular feature of this race is that riders of racing elephants are chosen by lottery and not by choice and this makes the riding difficult for the jockeys who train on their favourite particular elephants. The winning elephant is awarded a trophy. The racing track is of 900 feet (270 m) in length. Heats or elimination rounds, with six elephants in each heat, are involved before the final race is held. A video film documented by Reuters has recorded that the elephants move fast on the chosen straight route, which is flanked by spectators. The Chitwan reserve is a venue for such races, and also for elephant polo and pageants, which are also part of this tourist oriented race. Champakali is the name of the race elephant which won the race in successive years. On this occasion, a soccer match between baby elephants is also an attraction. [3]
The Melbourne Cup is an annual Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race held in Melbourne, Australia, at the Flemington Racecourse. It is a 3200-metre race for three-year-olds and older, conducted by the Victoria Racing Club that forms part of the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival. It is the richest two-mile handicap in the world and one of the richest turf races. The event starts at 3:00 pm on the first Tuesday of November and is known locally as "the race that stops the nation".
The Derby Stakes, also known as the Derby or the Epsom Derby, is a Group 1 flat horse race in England open to three-year-old colts and fillies. It is run at Epsom Downs Racecourse in Surrey on the first Saturday of June each year, over a distance of one mile, four furlongs and 10 yards, or about 1½ miles. It was first run in 1780.
Horse racing is an equestrian performance activity, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic premise – to identify which of two or more horses is the fastest over a set course or distance – has been mostly unchanged since at least classical antiquity.
A jockey is someone who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing. The word "jockey" originated from England and was used to describe the individual who rode horses in racing. They must be light, typically around a weight of 100–120 lb., and physically fit. They are typically self-employed, and are paid a small fee from the horse trainer and a percentage of the horse's winnings. The job has a very high risk of debilitating or life-threatening injuries.
The Palio di Siena is a horse race held twice each year, on 2 July and 16 August, in Siena, Italy. Ten horses and riders, bareback and dressed in the appropriate colours, represent ten of the seventeen contrade, or city wards, in a tradition dating back to the 17th-century. The Palio held on 2 July is named Palio di Provenzano, in honour of the Madonna of Provenzano, a Marian devotion particular to Siena which developed around an icon from the Terzo Camollia area of the city. The Palio held on 16 August is named Palio dell'Assunta, in honour of the Assumption of Mary.
Hayley Turner is an English jockey who competes in flat racing. Originally from Nottingham, she is based in Newmarket.
The 1993 Grand National was scheduled on 3 April 1993 to be the 147th running of the Grand National horse race, held annually at Aintree Racecourse near Liverpool, England.
The 1985 Grand National was the 139th renewal of the Grand National horse race that took place at Aintree Racecourse near Liverpool, England, on 30 March 1985.
Animal Kingdom is a champion American Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 2011 Kentucky Derby and 2013 Dubai World Cup.
The Shergar Cup is an annual horse racing event held at Ascot Racecourse, usually during early August. The race is named in honour of Shergar, the horse that won the 1981 Derby and was killed in an IRA kidnap, and was originally sponsored by Shergar's owner, the Aga Khan. The event is currently sponsored by Dubai Duty Free.
The 2013 Grand National was the 166th annual running of the Grand National horse race at Aintree Racecourse near Liverpool, England. The showpiece steeplechase, which concluded a three-day meeting, took place on 6 April 2013. The maximum permitted field of 40 runners competed for a share of the £975,000 prize fund, which made the National the most valuable jump race in Europe.
Sir Des Champs was a French-bred, Irish-trained AQPS racehorse who competed in National Hunt races. After winning only one of his five races in his native country, Sir Des Champs was transferred to Ireland and won seven races in succession including the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle, Greenmount Park Novice Chase, Killiney Novice Chase, Jewson Novices' Chase and Growise Champion Novice Chase. The 2012/2013 saw the emergence of a rivalry between Sir Des Champs and another Irish-trained chaser Flemenstar. After beating his rival in the Hennessy Gold Cup, Sir Des Champs was regarded as a leading contender for the 2013 Cheltenham Gold Cup in which he finished second to Bobs Worth. He suffered a fatal injury when competing in Point-to-point racing in May 2018.
Goat Racing is a sport that originated in Buccoo, Tobago, which is part of the twin-island republic of Trinidad and Tobago. The sport has been continued by some legends in Townsville. Started in 1925 by a Barbadian, Samuel Callendar, goat racing historically occurs on the Tuesday after Easter day, which is known as 'Easter Tuesday' in Trinidad and Tobago and is an unofficial public holiday in Tobago. Today, it is called the Buccoo Goat Race Festival, which is a popular and lively event that draws thousands of spectators, mainly from Trinidad. Also part of the festival is the less popular crab racing. In crab racing, large blue crabs and their jockeys are placed in the centre of a large circle drawn in the sand and coaxed towards the circle's perimeter by their jockeys through a bamboo pole with a string attached to the crab. The first crab to breach the circle is the winner. The Buccoo Goat Race Festival is Tobago's most internationally acclaimed festival.
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The Grey Gatsby is an Irish-bred racehorse who was trained in Britain and Ireland. In 2014 he established himself as one of the best colts of his generation in Europe by winning the Dante Stakes and the Prix du Jockey Club before defeating the dual Derby winner Australia in the Irish Champion Stakes. At the end of the year he was rated level with Australia and Kingman as the best three-year-old colt in the world. He has continued to compete in Group races until 2017 but did not recapture the form shown in his three-year-old season.
Postponed is an Irish-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse. He won one minor race as a two-year-old before establishing himself as a useful middle-distance performer in the following year with wins in the Glasgow Stakes and the Great Voltigeur Stakes. In July 2015, he recorded his biggest victory in the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot Racecourse and followed up with a success in the Prix Foy. After a change of trainer he returned in 2016 to win the Dubai City of Gold, Dubai Sheema Classic, Coronation Cup and International Stakes. He was retired from racing in May 2017 having won 9 of his 20 races and earned nearly £5,000,000 in win and place prize money.
Antonio "Tony" Vega was a Puerto Rican American Thoroughbred jockey and community activist from New Brunswick, New Jersey. He was a graded stakes winning, three-time champion jockey who competed in North American horse racing from 1982 to 2012.
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