Horses have been accompanying people for thousands of years, being not just a working animal, but also a faithful comrade who can be trusted even with life, when in difficult weather conditions the rider loses orientation on the terrain. Galloping horses remember the road well and feel where they are going and stepping. The attachment of the horse to the owner is unusually strong, and their relationship is more correctly called cooperation, and not the exploitation of the animal by man.
In addition to helping in everyday life, horses were also used for competitions, in which not only the owner, but also his animal could show off his skills. Today, equestrian sport is one of the elite sports, the aristocracy, nobility and beauty of which amaze and enchant. Allocate adult and children's equestrian sports.
There are many types of equestrian sports, but the classic ones included in the program Olympic Games, only three are recognized:
Non-traditional types include various jumps. The costs of equestrianism are high, as is its profitability. The offspring of the winners can cost a fortune, and elite horses are a piece of luxury. The passport of a sports horse allows you to get as much information about it as possible.
Classic sports
The classic is considered the elite of equestrian sports and the sport of aristocrats. Especially often representatives of the ruling families are engaged in it in the countries of the East.
The sport consists in the fact that a rider on a horse overcomes a series of obstacles in a certain period of time. The height and width of the barriers are different. There are separate obstacles and rows of barriers. All planks are fixed gently so that the horse is not injured, and also so that the touching of the barrier is immediately fixed by the fall of the bars.
Jumping - types of obstacles
Movement along the distance goes in a strictly defined order along a predetermined route. Overcoming high-altitude, latitudinal (horse jump in length) and altitude-latitudinal obstacles alternate.
Jumping - high jump The judges evaluate the cleanliness of the route. A touched or knocked down barrier, a rider's fall or going beyond the time limit in a large direction lead to penalty points or the athlete's elimination from the competition.
Jumping - broad jump Women and men participate in show jumping on equal terms. This is due to the fact that it is not the physical data of the rider that is important, but his skill, coordination of actions with the horse and the training of the animal.
For discipline, you need a fast horse that is able to gallop and run clearly, perceiving all the commands of the rider.
Triathlon is a sport discipline that includes cross-country racing, overcoming obstacles and dressage. The competition lasts 3 days. Every day there is 1 stage. All 3 types of discipline are performed on one horse. Types of horseshoes for different competitions are not the same. The length of the track along which the races are held is several kilometers. It is laid at the discretion of the organizers and has natural or artificial obstacles such as water barriers, ditches and fences. All of them must meet safety requirements so that the risk of injury to the rider or horse is minimal. However, due to the fact that the obstacles are fixed firmly and do not fall off when touched (this is required, since during the races it is impossible to return them to their place for the attendants), triathlon remains the most traumatic kind of classical equestrian sport.
The speeds during the races are high, and when falling, the large mass of the horse and the movement forward by inertia lead to severe injuries the animal and the rider. Today, only very experienced riders and horses of the highest training go to triathlon.
In dressage, the horse does not require significant physical strength and speed. The key to victory is the obedience of the horse to the rider and the accuracy of movements. During dressage, from the side it seems that the person simply sits motionless in the saddle while the horse performs a complex dance. Types of movement of horses during dressage vary. Equestrian dressage is recognized as the most refined.
In fact, the rider masterfully controls the animal with light movements of the body, legs and arms, which are practically invisible. A special sensitivity is required from the horse in order to catch all commands. Calm graceful horses are selected for dressage, ready for well-coordinated work with a person and not striving to take the lead. Emotional horses are unsuitable for dressage, for which measured and precise movements are boring.
horse racing
Jumps are not included Olympic sport and are presented on hippodromes as a betting sport. There are various types of horse racing.
The most famous type of horse racing. Horses are put on special saddles that are comfortable for jockeys. The horse is brought into the compartment at the start. At a signal, the gates of the compartments swing open, and the rider lets the animal in from a place. The horse moves in a special gait, which is called a quarry. The winner of the race is the first animal to reach the finish line. The running distance is determined by the age of the animals and a number of their physical parameters. short distances- 400 and 600 meters, and long - 15 km and 25 km. At first, the main thing is the ability of the horse to achieve maximum acceleration in short term, and on the second - to show endurance. Most fast run horses are noted precisely in short races.
horse racing On the run, the horse is harnessed to light rocking carts. There is a rider on the rocking chair. The horse must move at a brisk trot (a type of horse running). The animal that reaches the finish line first wins. Races are held at the hippodrome on the ring tracks. Trotting breeds are used. According to the results of the races, the best are determined. The winners make up the elite tribe. Horse racing is popular all over the world.
The discipline is a competition of teams pulled by 2, 3, 4, or 6 horses. Competitions for 8 harnesses are held extremely rarely and more often as an exception. During the competition, it is necessary to go around a number of specially equipped obstacles along the established route. Everything must be done cleanly. Great importance in driving attach general view teams and equipment for the driver of the horses.
Driving - team with 4 horses Separately, in this discipline, the competitions of Russian triples stand out, in which not only the purity of execution is important, but also speed. The suits of the horses in such a harness must be the same. A difference in the color of the central animal is allowed.
Such competitions of horses are a particularly spectacular view.
Trotting horses take part in the competitions, which are not harnessed, but saddled. During the races, the endurance of the animal and its ability to run at a “flying” trot over long distances are tested. There are different types of horse running and only one of them is allowed in competitions.
Races are held at the hippodrome on the tracks. They put barriers at a certain distance from each other. The competition is similar to smooth races, but with the difference that the horses must overcome barriers without losing their speed. Types of saddles for horses in straight and barrier races are different.
A type of equestrian sport that is beginning to gain popularity today. The sport is winter, as with it the skier is towed by a horse, who holds on to special reins. More often a rider sits on a horse, but sometimes the towed skier himself controls the animal. Competitions are held at the amateur level. The owners have a need to use horseshoes for horses designed for the winter.
As a fun, such equestrian sport is popular with horse owners, and then the towed person may not be on skis, but on a sled or snowboard. Sometimes pieces of plywood or linoleum are even used.
Dzhigitovka
Equestrian sport, in which the rider performs acrobatic stunts on a galloping horse. The types of bridles are not the same. Initially, horseback riding was a national phenomenon, but today it has become widespread even among horseback riding enthusiasts. Only persons with a good physical training, as the injury can be severe in the event of a fall.
Initially, the main elements of dzhigitovka were used practically. They helped to pick up an object from the ground while galloping and shoot, hiding behind the body of an animal.
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There is an opinion that the strength, power and beauty of horse movements are ideally revealed in sports. Is it really so? The issue has been and remains controversial. Nevertheless, the history of equestrian sport dates back centuries, and already in our time - in 1912, equestrian sport was included in the program of the V Summer Olympic Games held in Stockholm ... In this dictionary you will find all the basic terms of equestrian sport.
A
Gait - (French allure, lit. - gait), a way of forward movement of a horse. In a natural gait (walk, trot, amble, gallop), the horse moves without prior training. Artificial gait (elements high school riding - piaffe, passage, school or Spanish step and trot, three-legged gallop, pirouette, etc.) are developed in the horse by special training.
American - 1. Invented in America, an old two-wheeled carriage with large wheels (radius about 1.5 m) for racetrack testing of trotters. 2. The former name of the rocking chair.
Azil (Arabic asil - thoroughbred, noble) is a purebred Arabian horse of especially valuable origin.
B
Buggy (English buggy) - sports crew, phaeton.
Banquet (English banket - earthen shaft) - an artificial obstacle on which the horse must jump, and then jump off it. It is an earth embankment up to 175 cm high, 350-450 cm wide and 3.5-14 m long.
Bars 1 - a gray stallion, the ancestor of the Oryol trotting breed. Born in the Khrenovsky stud farm in 1784. For 17 years he was used as a producer and gave numerous offspring, which played a decisive role in the formation of the breed.
Barrier racing is a type of racing with obstacles. Obstacles (herdeli) with a length of at least 12 m and a height of 100-110 cm are set every 250-300 m. The last obstacle is placed at least 200 m before the finish line.
A pool of water is an obstacle in the form of a rectangular pit filled with water 9 m long, 3 m wide and up to 1 m deep.
Races are the colloquial name for trials of trotting horses, as well as the hippodrome where they are held.
Running harness - used for training and testing trotters. A running harness is put on a horse standing at the junction in a certain order. After bandaging the legs and putting on the necessary shoes, a saddle with a sweatshirt and undertail is applied and the girth is fastened. Then they put on a capsule, a bridle with a bit and, if necessary, wrappers with a snaffle. The set of running harness includes: martingale, sweatshirt, earrings, drawstrings, auxiliary girth, caps with horns, shorka. The reins are fastened to the rings of the bit last.
The running circle is a track for training and testing trotters. It usually has an elongated shape with straight long sides and rounded turns. The length of the running circle is 1067 m (verst) or 1600 m, the width is 12-16 m. An even, not too hard, dense coating is made on the track so that the running speed does not decrease. In winter, the path is icy. The finish line is always located in one place - against the judges. At large hippodromes, prize-winning and training running circles are arranged.
Bereitor (German Bereiter) - 1. Rider, specialist in dressage of riding horses. 2. Assistant horse trainer in the circus.
Bidarka is a springless two-wheeled light vehicle, common in the southern regions of the European part of Russia.
The Grand National (Liverpool) steeplechase is one of the most difficult equestrian events in the world. It has been played since 1836 annually in Liverpool at the Antry Racecourse. Distance 4 miles 856 yards (7218 m) with 32 jumps.
The Great Pardubice Steeple Chase is the toughest competition in continental Europe. It has been played since 1875 at the Pardubice hippodrome in the Czech Republic at a distance of 6900 m with 30 obstacles.
Breck (eng. break) - an English 4-wheel spring hunting carriage with goats for the coachman and two longitudinal benches for passengers.
Breeches (English breeches) - trousers for riding a special cut (wide at the hips and narrow, tight-fitting leg at the lower leg).
Brichka - 1. Light open carriage (both spring and primitive unspring), common in the past in the west and south of Russia. 2. A wagon with a body for transporting goods in bags and in bulk.
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IN
Volt (French volte - turn) - 1. The figure of riding arena, movement in a circle with a diameter of 6 m. It is considered as disobedience of the horse and is penalized.
Brooding - a show, a short-term exhibition of a horse on a specially equipped area in front of the commission, buyers, spectators.
Saddle cloth (it. qualdrappa) - a blanket made of cloth or velvet, worn on the horse's back under the saddle.
G
The gallop is the fastest jumping gait in 3 measures with a free suspension phase. According to the speed and nature of movement, arena gallop (up to 300 m/min), canter (400-750 m/min), swing and frisky gallop are distinguished.
Git - 1. A single passage by trotters of a distance during hippodrome tests. 2. Informal name for a single passage of parkour in some competitions for overcoming obstacles (eg for the Cup).
Horizontal cross - an obstacle consisting of 2 poles crossing in a horizontal plane.
D
Two-wheeler - a single-horse single-axle spring wagon with a body for 2 people. Load capacity about 180 kg.
A stall is a completely closed room in a stable for the individual keeping of a horse without a leash. The stall is placed in the stable along the aisle on one or both sides of it. The stall is equipped with feeders and drinking bowls.
Derby (eng. Derby) - 1. The main prize, which has been played since 1780 at the Epsom Hippodrome in England for three-year-old stallions and mares of a thoroughbred riding breed. Named after its founder, Lord Derby. The original distance of the race - 1 mile (1609 m), was increased in 1784 to 1.5 miles and in 1872 to 2440 m.
2. In many countries the main prizes are for thoroughbred saddle horses and trotters.
3. The name of some of the main prizes in Russia, used in colloquial speech and unofficial publications.
4. Some major traditional competitions classic views equestrian sports, for example. Hamburg Dressage and Jumping Derbies.
Stagecoach - a multi-seat horse-drawn carriage for the transport of passengers and their luggage, as well as mail. Before the advent of a developed railway network, stagecoaches made regular flights along certain routes between settlements.
Dog kart - a light single-axle or two-axle open carriage with a single-horse or paired team.
E
Rider - at the hippodrome, a participant in the race trials of horses who does not have the title of jockey.
AND
A pole is an integral element of obstacles with a diameter of 10-12 cm, a length of 4 m.
Jockey (English jockey) - a specialist professionally engaged in training and racing horses of riding breeds. To get the primary title, you must pass the technical minimum and win 50 first prizes.
W
Fence - a sheer obstacle made of poles or boards. In combination with ditches, notches, poles, etc. constitutes altitude-latitudinal obstacles.
Notch - a type of obstacles in equestrian competitions. It consists of a wooden strapping on poles, inside of which there is brushwood or living shrubs. The notch is installed as a single obstacle and in combination with one or two ditches.
AND
Amble - fast symmetrical gait with two-hoofed lateral support and free flight phase. The length of the horse's stride at amble is less than at trot, but the speed of movement may be greater due to the more frequent stepping characteristic of the amble.
Hippodrome (Greek hippos - horse and dromos - running, place to run) - a complex of facilities for testing horses and equestrian competitions, exhibitions and horse breeding.
Hippology (Greek hippos - horse and logos - teaching) is the science of the horse, which has existed since ancient times. Hippology includes information about the origin of the horse, breed formation, anatomy and physiology, horse breeding and rearing of young animals, testing and equestrian sports, feeding and basic hygiene of horses.
Hippotherapy (reit therapy) is a physiotherapy treatment based on neurophysiology, using a horse and riding.
TO
Convertible (French cabriolet) - a light 2-wheeled carriage.
Camisole (German Kamisol) - uniforms for riders and jockeys for racetrack testing of horses, usually a brightly colored jacket or shirt.
A ditch is a type of obstacle. In parkour, many obstacle course competitions necessarily include a dry or water-filled open ditch. Its width, depending on the class of competition, is 200-450 cm, and there is no obstacle in front, in the middle or behind that exceeds the water level.
Carriage (Italian carretta) - a large closed comfortable carriage with windows, doors and steps.
Quarry - frisky gallop. At the races, thoroughbred riding horses travel 1 km in a quarry faster than in 1 minute (the world record is 53.6 seconds).
Rocking chair - a light wheeled cart for training and racetrack testing of trotters, the main type of cross-country carriages, which replaced the cross-country droshky.
Carriage - a comfortable passenger carriage for passengers with a seat on top.
Show jumping, jumping-ippik (French Concours Hippique - equestrian competitions) - in the broadest sense, any equestrian competition. In our country there are competitions to overcome various obstacles (from 6 to 18).
The stud farm is a horse breeding farm intended for breeding and improving pedigree horses, breeding pedigree horses. Part of the grown horses is intended for equestrian sport, export and other user purposes.
The equestrian school is the main form of organizing equestrian sports, along with equestrian clubs and sections. Equestrian schools teach horseback riding, conduct training sessions with athletes in different types equestrian, dressage and training sport horses organize equestrian competitions.
Equestrian sports - various types of riding and exercises on horseback. Includes dressage, overcoming obstacles, triathlon, horse races and crosses, runs, horse riding and vaulting, equestrian games, sports riding in carriages.
A hitching post is a log or a thick pole fixed horizontally on poles dug into the ground for tying a horse outside the stable. Height - 100-120 cm, length at the rate of 150 cm per horse.
Stable - a room for keeping working and breeding horses. Most often it has a two-row internal layout. Machine tools and stalls are placed along the outer walls, and between them is a stable passage.
Cross - an obstacle consisting of 2 poles that intersect in a vertical plane.
Cross (eng. cross - cross, cross) - a jump with obstacles over rough terrain.
Korda - long, strong braid 8-10 m long and 15-20 mm wide, designed to drive the horse in a circle.
Gaiters - 1. Removable solid tops with fasteners. 2. Bells on gloves used by riders on the run.
L
Lando (French Landau) - a four-wheeled carriage that spread in the 19th century with soft springs, easy running and luxurious finishes.
M
Arena (French manege) - an open or closed area for riding. It usually has the shape of a rectangle measuring 20x40 m or 20x60 m (minimum - 10x20 m).
Color is one of the main identifying features of a horse. The exact definition of the suit, along with the description of the signs, makes it possible to distinguish one horse from another. The color is a hereditary trait of the horse and is determined by the color of the integumentary hairs of the head, neck, body and limbs and the guard hairs of the mane, tail and brushes. The main colors of horses are black, bay, red and gray; derivatives from them - karak, brown, igren, buckskin, nightingale, savrasai, kaurai, mouse, roan, piebald, chubaraya.
H
The rider is a specialist in the training and testing of trotting horses. Performs daily work with the horse, prepares it for tests, rides a horse for a prize.
Halter - a bridle without a bit, a stable household item designed to keep a horse on a leash (using a rope) and take it out of the stable.
Boots - protective devices that prevent operational injuries to the lower part of the horse's limbs - safety shoes.
ABOUT
Sheep corral - a closed system of obstacles in show jumping or cross-country, which looks like a site fenced with palisades or pole fences. It is overcome in two jumps: inside the corral and out of it.
Oxer (English oxer) - a height-latitudinal obstacle, consisting of 2 parallel elements with a third located between them, most often - parallel bars with hurdles or a notch.
Omnibus (from Latin omnibus - for everyone) - a multi-seat horse-drawn carriage for regular transportation of passengers along certain routes in cities and between settlements. It was widely used in the 19th century, especially in England and France.
P
Palisade (from the French palissade - palisade, fence) - a vertical obstacle in the form of a picket fence. Two palisades, located one after the other, form a height-latitudinal obstacle.
Parallel bars - a height-latitudinal obstacle of 2 parallel poles, mounted on racks.
Parkour - a set of obstacles located on the site for competitions to overcome them. The rider must pass the parkour along the established route, keeping within the time limit and making the minimum number of errors.
Pyramid (from the Greek pyramis) - a tee, a triple bar, an altitude-latitudinal obstacle for show jumping, consisting of three poles located one after the other at a gradually increasing height.
Horseshoes are metal plates attached with nails to the hooves of horses to protect the horn from abrasion and breaking off. For the first time they began to be used in the VIII-IX centuries in France.
Obstacles - 1. Artificial structures for jumping and steeple chases. There are vertical, latitudinal, high-altitude-latitudinal. In all show jumping obstacles cannot be higher than 170 cm and wider than 200 cm, the maximum width of the ditch is 450 cm. On steeplechases, the maximum height of the obstacle is 140 cm, the width of the ditch with water is 4 m. 2. At the cross-country distance in triathlon, natural obstacles are used as much as possible. They, as well as artificial obstacles, are strengthened so that they do not change until the end of the competition. Arrange obstacles so that they cannot be bypassed by combining artificial obstacles with natural ones (slopes, streams, ditches, hedges, etc.).
Proletka - a four-wheeled spring carriage for fast driving in the city.
Seating is the position of the rider in the saddle. He should sit confidently, evenly, freely, without straining and gently following the movements of the horse. The rider's center of gravity is as close as possible to the horse's center of gravity line.
Girth - part of horse equipment, a wide durable belt made of leather or other material. Covers the body of the horse from below and from both sides and holds the saddle on it.
R
Redingote (from the French redingote - a frock coat for riding) - an elongated fitted jacket made of brightly colored (red, blue, etc.) dense material with a black velvet collar. The traditional dress of riders at competitions in overcoming obstacles and triathlon, as well as when participating in horse hunts.
Agility - 1. During hippodrome tests and preparation for them, the designation of the time during which the horse covers the entire distance or part of it.
2. In the expressions \"Speediness of the race 1.35\" or \"Speediness of the race 2.03.7\" indicate the time shown by the winner of the race or race.
3. The expressions \"frisky horse\", \"frisky gait \", etc. means moving at high speed.
The grate is a sheer obstacle.
The Russian troika is a traditional Russian harness that first appeared in the 18th century. The middle, indigenous horse is harnessed to the shafts with a collar and an arc, and the lateral, attached horses are harnessed to collars or shorts with traces, which are hooked to the rolls put on the hooks of the wagon. When riding fast, the rooter runs at a trot, while the harnesses gallop.
Trotters are a group of breeds of light-draft horses, the main distinguishing feature of which is the ability to move at a frisky, flying trot for a long time. They were bred in the 18th-19th centuries due to the increased need for fast-gait horses for carriage transportation.
The trot is one of the fastest gaits of the horse. When moving at a trot, the horse alternately steps over with diagonal pairs of legs: right front - left rear, left front - right rear.
WITH
Saddle - as a device for riding has been known since the beginning of the 1st millennium BC. At first they were fixed on a horse with the help of a tail and chest straps, then they began to use a girth.
Races - 1. Hippodrome performance tests of horses of riding breeds with a frisky gallop under the rider.
2. One of the equestrian sports, including barrier races and steeple chases held at the hippodrome, as well as cross-country races. Many nations have national species jumps at various distances. The speed of the horse's movement is 4 km / h at a walk, 9-30 km / h at a trot, 20 km / h at a gallop (canter) or 1 km in 2.5 minutes.
Machine - 1. A stall, a place for the individual maintenance of a horse on a leash in a stable. The length of the machine must be at least 2.85 m, width - 1.6 m.
2. Device for fixing the horse during veterinary treatments.
Stack (eng. Stiek - stick, rod) - a riding whip with a handle at one end and a belt loop at the other.
Wall - a stone wall, in show jumping competitions a high-rise obstacle in the form of a wall made mainly of wood and painted to look like brick or stone. The high wall is made up of 2 parts. The upper one lies freely on the lower one and gets knocked off when touched.
Steeple chase (English steeple - bell tower, and chase - chase, pursuit) - originally a jump over rough terrain to a predetermined point, for example, a bell tower visible from afar. The steeplechase was first played in England in 1792 at a distance of 8 miles (12875 m). The Big (Liverpool) National and Big Pardubice are considered the most difficult. In our country, the steeple chase is played at a distance of 4000-6000 m for horses of thoroughbred riding and half-breed breeds.
Stirrup - part of the saddle, a device for resting the rider's legs when landing on a horse and riding. Initially, the function of stirrups was probably performed by holes along the edges of the animal skin, laid under the rider on the back of the horse. Then stirrups were invented in the form of belt loops. Metal stirrups appeared in Asia and Europe in the 4th-5th centuries. n. e.
Collection - balancing the horse under the rider to give it a position from which the horse can easily move in any direction.
T
Tarantas - at the beginning of the 19th century, a road cart on long quicksands, later - a four-wheeled spring passenger cart with an open body, equipped with semi-soft removable front and rear seats, handrails, steps and shields. A single-horse tarantass is designed for 2 passengers, in a double-horse there is a third place next to the coachman in the front seat.
Taratayka (Polish taradajka) - gig, light springless 2-wheeled carriage.
Tote (French totalisateur) - 1. Counting machine (originally a mechanical counter) at the hippodromes, on which bets are counted in each race or race and the winnings for a ticket with a correctly guessed winner or a combination of winners and prize-winners are determined.
2. Playing for money on races and races, organized by the administration of the hippodrome through special cash desks, where bets are accepted and winnings calculated by the betting machine are paid out.
Horse training (English training - training, exercise) - a systematic process of preparing a horse to achieve the highest performance in racetrack trials or in sports competitions. The goals of the training are the formation and improvement of the horse's necessary motor skills and qualities of strength, speed, endurance.
Trot - slow and shortened trot (step length approx. 2 m.). There is a quiet trot that does not have a hanging stage (speed 1 km in 4.5 minutes) and an accelerated trot, also called free, or cheerful (speed of 1 km - 3.5 min). Free trotting is about half of a trotter's training.
Snaffle (from German Trense) - a snaffle iron, a bit, consisting of a gnaw and 2 rings, for which the snaffle is attached to the cheek straps of the headband, a rein is also fastened to the rings. In the horse's mouth, the bite lies on the tongue and toothless edges of the lower jaw, touching the corners of the mouth.
At
Harness - a harness, a device for transferring the traction force of a horse to a wagon (crew). They select and adjust it to each specific horse so that the harness contributes to the maximum manifestation of efficiency and does not injure his body.
A bridle is a piece of horse equipment and harness designed to control a horse. It consists of a headband, or halter, put on the horse's head, a bit and reins.
F
Favorite (French favori, favorite) - at the hippodrome - a horse that is considered the likely winner of the upcoming race or race. More than other horses are betting on her in the sweepstakes.
Pheasant path - a height-latitudinal obstacle, consisting of parallel bars and 2 hurdles, located one at a time in front and behind the bars.
Phaeton (French phaeton named after Phaeton - the son of the owner of the fiery chariot, the ancient Greek god of the sun Helios) - a light four-wheeled spring sports carriage with a convertible top. Harnessed by a pair of horses or four trains.
X
Herdel - a fence made of rods tightly stuffed into a wooden frame.
A whip is an auxiliary means of controlling a horse, the use of which is limited by the rules of equestrian sports and racetrack testing of horses. The whip must be no longer than 75 cm, and when testing trotters - 125 cm.
C
The center of mass of the rider and the horse - at rest, when the horse is standing, evenly leaning on all 4 limbs, is located approximately at the point of intersection of the horizontal line passing at the height of the humeroscapular joint and the vertical touching the posterior edge of the xiphoid process of the sternum of the horse. During movement, the position of the center of mass changes all the time. In order to collect the horse, the rider tends to move it back to make it easier to control. By changing the position of his center of mass by tilting the body, the rider affects the balance of the horse, regulates and directs its movement.
H
Chumbur - a halter reason for tying a horse. Chumbura are chain, rope or braid.
W
Step - 1. Slow gait of the horse without a free hanging phase with 2 and 3 hoof support, in which 4 successive hoof strikes on the ground are heard. The step frequency is about 100 per 1 min. The step speed of fast-gait horses is 6-8 km / h, heavy trucks - 4-5 km / h. 2. One step over a limb, the length of which is measured by the distance between two successive traces of one hoof and varies at a step from 0.8 to 1.2 m, at a trot - from 2.5 to 6, at a gallop - from 5 m to 8 m.
A charaban (French char a bancs - a wagon with benches) is a light spring four-wheeled carriage with 2 seats, most often located along the body one against the other.
A stack of poles is an altitude-latitudinal obstacle.
Schenkel (German Schenkel) - one of the means of controlling a riding horse, inner surface the rider's legs from the knee to the foot, attached to the horse's body behind the girth.
Spur (German Sporen) - spikes. Auxiliary agent that enhances the action of the shanks. Fastened with a strap on the top of the back of the boot.
Shvung - increasing the step while maintaining the pace
SCH
Brushes - tufts of long guard hairs on rear surface the lower part of the metacarpus, metatarsus and fetlock joints. Brushes are developed mainly in horses of local and draft breeds, especially in draft horses. Riding horses most often do not have them.
E
Exterior (French exterieur from lat. exterior - external) - external structure, external forms of a horse. The term was introduced into science by the French anatomist K. Bourgel in 1768. Knowledge of the exterior makes it possible to correctly evaluate the horse during its external examination.
Relay races (French estafette) - team competition to overcome obstacles, in which team members alternately go through all or part of the parkour. The winner is the team that showed the best total time of the route or received the maximum amount of positive points.
YU
The Jutland breed is a Danish breed of heavy trucks. In the 19th century, they were dry, dense horses, but then, as a result of crossing with Cleveland, Suffolk, Clydesdale and Shire horses, they were enlarged and acquired characteristics typical of horses. heavy draft breeds. They have a large head, a short neck, a long body, and a significant overgrowth of the limbs. Height is 157-163 cm. The color is red and lilac, inherited from Suffolk ancestors.
I
Manger - 1. Horse feeder. 2. A device for feeding hay to a horse in the form of a lattice of vertical rods. It is fixed at an angle on the wall of the stall or stall, slightly above the level of the horse's head. From the nursery, the horse eats hay gradually, it almost does not fall on the floor and is not trampled.
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What is parfor hunting?
Parfors (dog) hunting is still popular in many countries. Sometimes the hunters gallop after the dogs, and the ranger invisible to them - the leader - drags a sponge moistened with a special liquid with the smell of a fox on a rope in order to drag the dog pack with him.
The distance to be overcome by the participants of the hunt is precisely determined, several obstacles are set on the route: barriers made of sleds, fences, green hedges, ditches were dug, earthen ramparts were poured. The huntsman sets the pace and chooses the direction of the race, making sure that a sufficient distance is maintained between riders and dogs to prevent accidents.
According to tradition, trumpeters participate in each such hunt. The sounds of hunting horns herald the beginning and the end of the chase, under the roar of the horns there is a general gathering of participants. Everyone, both horsemen and dogs, gather around a large fire, where the hounds receive meat - an imitation of hunting prey, and oak branches are handed over to hunters in memory of their participation in the hunt.
How is it customary to dress for sport hunting?
Probably, everyone is familiar (at least from films) with the outfit of riders rushing after a pack of barking dogs: red jackets, white leggings, black hats, sometimes even a white neckerchief. A young man, who first got on such a hunt, should wear a black jacket instead of a red one, until he adequately proves himself to be a “real hunter”. All these eye-catching colors are not accidental. The bright red rider is clearly visible on the ground, and the neckerchief can, if necessary, serve as a bandage.
Members of the hunting clubs in England at one time, leaving "in the field", put on high black silk top hats, and those invited - jockey hats or bowlers. This was explained simply: in order to pay the expenses of the organizers of the hunt, a “hat tax” was levied on the invitees: the collector went around those present and collected money. Hats helped him distinguish between those who had to pay and those who did not.
HORSEBACK RIDING
How old is racing?
When and where the first races took place is not known exactly. Perhaps this happened in China or Persia, in Arabia or Scythia, because wherever people bred horses, they were proud of the agility and strength of their horses and everyone wanted to prove the superiority of their horse. Already in antiquity, from the 7th century. BC, arranged chariot competitions, and then horse races at the Olympics. Ristania - the race of horses harnessed to chariots - later became popular in the Roman Empire.
in England since the 17th century. they began to breed breeds of swift-footed horses specifically for racing. Thoroughbred Arabian stallions were crossed with local English mares who excelled at the races. The resulting offspring, if the foals showed themselves well on the hippodromes, were used for further breeding work. As a result of strict selection, a thoroughbred English horse appeared, combining the advantages of various breeds. Such selection methods are still used today.
At the end of the XVI century. at the stud farm of Count Orlov-Chesmensky near Voronezh, a new breed was bred - the Oryol trotters, crossing Arab, Danish and Dutch horses. Their ancestor is the gray stallion Bars I (born in 1784). Orlovtsy in Russia were bred by more than a hundred stud farms, they were willingly bought in Europe and America.
An important role is played by traditional equestrian competitions that have been held regularly in England: in Ascot - since 1711, in Epsom - the famous Derby races, named after the Earl of Derby, one of the best horse breeders, since 1780. only three-year-olds, so this kind of competition is held in many countries and is also called a “derby”.
In Germany, the first hippodrome opened in 1822 in the small Mecklenburg resort town of Bad Doberan. Races and horse races are held in many cities of the CIS. The Moscow hippodrome is also very famous.
What qualities should a good racehorse have?
An excellent exterior (external data) and noble blood received from parents is not a guarantee that the foal will become a good racehorse. Whether on the track or in the field, it's all about speed and courage.
The heart, lungs, muscles and tendons must provide the horse with strength and endurance. In order for a Thoroughbred horse to perform at its best, even if all of its purebred competitors in a given competition have no chance of winning, the horse must be properly educated and trained, carefully cared for and proper nutrition. A foal, from which they are going to raise a real racehorse, should be transferred already at the age of one. experienced coach and start going around. At two years old, the foal participates in its first competition. And if he proves himself well, then at the age of three he can be applied for participation in the main races, the result of which will depend on his entire future sports career.
Good race mercy are highly valued. The winner of the Kentucky Derby was sold in 1980 for DM 41 million.
What equestrian sports are being held now?
Horse racing is a competition for speed at a distance. They mostly take place on the hippodrome track, where you can most accurately determine the agility of the horse. There are also steeplechase races on rough terrain, where skill and agility are required from both the horse and the jockey. One of these prestigious competitions, the Great Liverpool Steeple Chase, has been held annually in Great Britain since 1836 at a distance of 7200 m with 30 obstacles up to one and a half meters high. These prestigious races are dangerous: horses and jockeys are often severely injured. Jumps are not so dangerous when you have to jump over the "green" fence.
How did trotting trials originate?
The English Puritans who moved to America were people of strict morals, they did not favor running and gambling related to them, but they did not object to trotting trials, where horses were harnessed to light rocking carts. On Sundays, local farmers with their horses gathered in the meadow to measure their strength with neighboring trotters. This is how trotting trials arose - races, in which, unlike the races popular in Europe, horses had to trot only. The gallop was forbidden. Soon, a special breed was bred for such competitions, called the "American Trotter". In Russia, the breed "Russian trotter" was bred, crossing a purebred Oryol trotter with an American one. The Russian trotter turned out to be faster than the Orlov.
At the turn of the XX century. trotting trials have gained popularity in Europe, in particular - in Germany and France.
In 1874, the Altona sport Club racehorses and trotters, and in 1895 the first trotting trials took place in Berlin. Trotting races in Russia have been regularly held in Moscow since 1834.
The trotter begins to go around after the first year of life, and by two he is already participating in his first competitions. During this time, the trotter must learn the main thing: not to fail - that is, not to switch from trot to gallop while running, otherwise he will be disqualified and removed from the race.
In Germany, trotting trials are only done on rocking chairs with one rider; in America there are separate races only for pacers, and in France there are trotting races with jockeys.
Steeple - Chaz - the most reckless race among all equestrian competitions. Its origins are in the spontaneous competitions of Irish farmers. Steeple - bell tower, chaz - chase, pursuit. From the bell tower to the bell tower, focusing on their high spiers, without roads, jumping over ditches, ditches, rubble, windbreak, farmers rushed to the intended finish line. They started their crazy competitions about 250 years ago. The first "documented" steeple chase took place in 1742. There were two competitors - Cornelius O * Callahan and Edmund Blake. The gentlemen found out whose horse was better.
Alfred Steinacker (1838 - 1914). Obstacle course according to instructions.
Soon, not only the whole of Ireland was rushing headlong over rough terrain, but also the stiff Great Britain "sunk" into the new equestrian entertainment. The British, in awe of their own traditions, in 1866 created a committee for steeplechases at the Jockey Club and, trying to preserve the crazy atmosphere of the old Irish competitions, began to arrange "artificial difficulties" for riders on the hippodromes. According to the rules of the steeplechase, at a distance of 4 to 8 km, there are from 12 to 36 obstacles, up to 150 cm high and up to 7 m wide. 1.5x1.5 m, you can fall into a ditch 5 m wide and up to 2 m deep, there is also an "Irish bench" - two huge steps that you need to jump from top to bottom. The track pleases the participants and various types soil. The most cheerful is the "plowed field", which turns into thick jelly in rain. “Lucky” to get out of the quagmire of a “plowed field”, it can brush off the next obstacle from the horse - for example, the “Chair” of the Liverpool Hippodrome 1.57 m high. Finally, you can simply get into the “blockage” of fallen horses and urgently dismounted riders. Therefore, the number of starters is always significantly greater than the number of those who have come to the finish line. At the first Great Pardubice steeplechase, out of 14 riders, 6 reached the finish line, and in 1899 only one. But this is not the end of bad luck. No one can win if the time limit is overdue. Only mounted kamikazes can participate in such competitions.
Riders, riders, jockeys. People are unique in every way. In terms of physical parameters, they occupy a strictly intermediate position between jockeys of smooth races - male "molecules" (height 159 cm and weight 50 kg) and normal people. Sometimes these are jockeys - "overgrown" from smooth races. The average height of jockeys is 175 - 177 cm, their weight is strictly regulated, and both too large and too small weight is considered a crime. The lack of mass is made up by lead plates. Among other things, jockeys must, like supermodels, have long legs so that there is something to wrap around the horse and encourage it to jump over the barrier. Also required Strong arms and well-developed musculature on the back and shoulders - as it is necessary to control the behavior of large and very strong animals. It is preferable for jockeys to grow up in the countryside. And the air is cleaner and closer to the horses. How earlier child begins to engage in equestrian sports, the more chances he has to become a good jockey steeple - cheza. Experts consider the age limit to be 12 years. Later, it is extremely difficult to develop the necessary skills. Therefore, basically, the jockey profession is a hereditary affair. If the father and grandfather are not jockeys, then at least they are trainers, or owners of farms.
Horses, horses, horses... There is practically no time left for anything else. Jockeys are absolutely unbearable in their personal lives. Here is what the ideal jockey courtship looks like from the words of one of the jockey wives: “Our courtship consisted of me leaning against the lintel in the stable, and Dick (the future jockey) took endless wheelbarrows with manure out of the horseboxes. And on Sundays we sat in harness, and Dick washed and polished dirty skin. "Jockeys cannot be homebodies: they have to travel around cities and towns, countries, and sometimes continents, constantly moving from one competition to another. And they must earnestly believe that "nature has no bad weather," for the weather during the steeplechase season, from August to April, for example, in England does not often please with fine days. Accordingly, the choice is not rich: either races in indigestible conditions, or the cancellation of long-awaited competitions due to heavy snowfall, frost, soil that has become sour to the point of impossibility, dangerous cracks on the race track left over from a summer drought, and finally, floods of nearby rivers and, of course, signature English fog . Having a place to be - underline.
The jockey must, must... Why shouldn't he? It's simple - you don't have to be a cautious, rational person. "A coward not only doesn't play hockey," but he can't ride stipplers either. Not everyone is on the shoulder of life on the verge of mortal risk. The whistling of the wind in the ears, the fractional clatter of hooves, and one cannot say - “a little slower, horses” - because the horses, in fact, must rush as fast as possible, almost like in smooth races, but at the same time it is still easy to take off over the barriers, as in show jumping. And if in show jumping, in splendid isolation, this can be done with complete comfort: calculate the take-off, bring the horse to the obstacle at the right pace, then in a steeple-chase you don’t have to think about any comfort. All in the crowd, side by side with others. Even if you manage to take off perfectly, it is not a fact that you will have the opportunity to successfully land. Steeple jockeys - the Cheza are very reluctant to conclude contracts with insurance companies - too often have to pay an insurance fee. Risk is a constant part of a jockey's job. At the same time, it is necessary to keep a cool sober head, you can never foresee how the jump will turn out, the steeple - chase is always a cruel improvisation that requires making the right decisions every second. The decision is erroneous - and the jockey who fell at high speed is under the feet of furiously rushing horses. Here we have to rely on another amazing feature of a real jockey - everything “heals like a dog” on him. Wounds heal, bones grow together, often broken several times. And everyone jumps again. They jump out of love for risk, for horses, for their work, they jump because the unpredictability of the steeple gives hope to everyone: the favorite, dragged into the fatal funnel of obstruction, is out of work, and now the green newcomer is rushing to the finish line. Jump for big fees, prizes and glory. Although falls, abrasions, bruises go to everyone, but prizes and glory are the lot of the elect.
Great jockeys."Jockey - (English jockey), a professional who specializes in training, dressage, training horses. And also a rider at the races. The title of jockey can be obtained after a special exam and fifty wins in competitions." If in order to become just a jockey you need to have fifty wins, then how many wins, and on the most major competitions, you need to achieve to become a great jockey...
Peter Scudamore. From 1978 to April 7, 1993, he won 1678 steeplechase races out of 7521 in which he competed. A record 221 wins (out of 663 races) for the season was won in 1988/89. He became the champion among jockeys 8 times (once he shared the victory with another athlete) in 1982 and 1986-92.
Record 6 victories in a day were won by two amateur jockeys: Edward Potter Wilson at Crewkerne, Somerset, March 19, 1878 and Charles James Cunningham at Rugby, Yorkshire, March 29, 1881.
Record 10 wins in a row by John Alnham Gilbert (September 1959) and Philip Charles Tuck (August 23-September 3, 1986)
Tony McCoy. November 7, 2013 won his 4000 victory. 18 times became a jockey - the champion of England. This title has not been inferior to anyone since 1995. He has victories in almost all status races: Gold Cup, Champion Hurdle, Queen Mother Champion Chase, King George VI Chase, Grand National Prize 2010 (Grand National ).
Jockey - champion Tony McCoy.
Of course, the victory of a jockey is the result of the efforts of the whole team: the owner, the coach, the jockey. Moreover, the coach and jockey not only have to properly prepare the horse, but also think over the seasonal strategy - choose races at those hippodromes that are suitable for this particular horse.
Hippodromes and horses. The hippodrome is a whole special world: stands for spectators, paddock, stables, weights, judges' booth at the finish line. But the heart of any hippodrome is the race tracks. In the mind of an amateur, the preferred shape of the racetrack of any hippodrome is a perfect, even oval. In the case of a steeplechase, not only is this oval far from even - most hippodromes have a significant elevation difference - but most often it is not an oval at all: a triangle, complex loops, and sometimes even an open broken line. On large universal hippodromes, a special steeple chase track with permanent obstacles is equipped inside the circle.
Great Britain confidently holds the leadership in the number of hippodromes. Only for competitions according to the rules of competitions of the National hunting committee there are more than 45 of them. Among them, 4 are legendary. Each with its own characteristics, characters and history.
Kempton Park. One of the oldest English hippodromes. Founded in 1872 by S.Kh. Hyde. The hippodrome is universal, both smooth and barrier races are held here.
Accordingly, there can be no elevation difference on the track. It is not endurance and strength that come to the fore, but the speed and technique of the jump. Professionals consider the Kempton Triangle to be a difficult track. There are big, hard barriers here. Jockeys often fall. Victory in the main race The King George VI Chase (King George IV Cup) on Boxing Day (second day of Christmas, December 27) for a distance of three miles can only be brought by a very "talented" horse. Four victories require a brilliant steed, which was Desert Orchid, who won The King George VI Chase in 1986, 1988, 1989 and 1990. A bronze Desert Orchid greets the public behind the stands of the racetrack in Kempton Park. The ashes of the winner are placed in a special capsule and buried under this statue.
Sandown - park. Its track is for hardy jumpers: gentle, but long straight and wide turns climbing up the hill give them an advantage. There are 11 obstacles on the distance, at least 22 on the 3 mile!
All for the entertainment of the venerable public.
For the first time "venerable" audience appeared here.
In 1870, brothers Owen and Hoofer Williams, together with Squire Sir Wilford Brett, decided to create a new type of racetrack - a family racetrack. A fence was erected around the park and a fee was charged for entry to the hippodrome, and not to the stands, as was always the case. This "cut off" the possibility of penetration of the "unreliable" public into the hippodrome. Racing enthusiasts could now invite members of their families - wives and children - to the races. The first competitions at the new hippodrome took place on April 22, 1875. April races have become traditional here. To this day, in the middle of the month, the main competitions at the hippodrome - the Gold Cup - are held here. In 1947, it was from this hippodrome that the first broadcast of the races was made by the BBC channel.
Cheltenham - park. Mecca steeple - cheza. Here is the headquarters of the National Committee. The hippodrome was opened in 1815, competitions have been held since 1818. Everything is special here: the aura, the landscape, the audience. The atmosphere is electrified by an unspoken intrigue-competition - England against Ireland: many Irish horses are brought to Cheltenham. Accordingly, the landing of the Irish public is put forward here. Moreover, the main races of the season at this hippodrome take place on the eve of St. Patrick's Day, which is highly revered in Ireland. Everyone is sick in good conscience, there is even the concept of "Cheltenham roar". This is how fans express their preferences, shouting out their picturesque surroundings. No less impressive is the English composition of the public.
The Queen prefers smooth races, but Cheltenham is a special place...
“You need to see this whole landscape, its trembling air, hear the noise of the stands, inhale the smell of the earth, which excites inexplicable excitement ... On the hills of Cheltenham, the light changes so endlessly - from bright sparkling to soft misty, that artists have been trying to catch it for a hundred years ..." The race track winds its way through these picturesque hills, rising twice to the peaks. The jockey here must be a strategist. Rush to victory or choose the tactics of "sit-and-suffer". It all depends on the horse. The route is difficult for horses who like to go first. But there are exceptions. Cheltenham's absolute record holder is the Golden Miller, who has brought his owner the Golden Cup five times.
Another hero of Cheltenham is the legendary Arkle. He has three victories to his credit. An amazing horse, he was called "an idol standing firmly on a pedestal." He has never fallen in his entire career. Of the 70 races in which he took part, 35 finished first, and the competition was the most prestigious.
Among the legendary winners of Cheltenham there is also a "lady". In 1986, the famous Down Run brought the Golden Cup to its owner. By the way, the Golden Cup is made every year and remains with the owner of the winning horse. The struggle for the Golden Cup has been going on since 1924. Moreover, the first races, known as the Cheltenham Gold Cup, were smooth. Horses without. Now these are competitions within the framework of the March festival "National hunting season". Five times the races were canceled for good reasons: 1931 - frost, 1937 - flood, 1943, 1944 - war, 2001 - foot and mouth disease.
Aintree. The first races here were organized by William Lynn in 1829. This is the same hippodrome where the same legendary obstacles are prepared for the riders: "Chair", "Big taxis" and so on, and so on, and so on ... In total, 30 pieces. The distance of the Grand National, which is 7250 m, is the most difficult (even the legendary Tony McCoy submitted it from 15! times). The most prestigious competition, the most desired victory.
"Every steeplechase jockey has two ambitious dreams. The first is to win more horses in a season than any other rider and become the champion of the year. And the second is to win the Grand National Steeplechase at Liverpool's Aintree Racecourse." Every year on the first Saturday of April, a maximum of 40 horses line up at the start line, 40 riders pull the reins, ready to rush towards their dream. Although for many jockeys the most cherished dream is to get on these races, and passing the entire distance is a great personal victory. Because racing on Aintree is kind of an initiation. "For the first time to participate in the Liverpool Steeple - Cheze - it's like crossing the equator: you are waiting for the performance with trepidation, this is a serious milestone in life that expands the horizon." And while swimming in the muddy water of a barrier moat may be a place instead of a traditional bath in the ocean, many jockeys love this track. It is "spacious", free, here you can not push. And at the far end of the distance there is "a lonely and deserted place: there is no one around, only the wind, earth flying up from under the hooves and long barriers. Here everything is perceived simply: faith in a good horse, a wave of joy when you soar over a birch fence, a safe landing - entire life." The feelings of the jockeys are understandable, but what is surprising is that the horses that start here (and this still needs to be earned) love the racetracks of Aintri. How else to explain the fact that it is often on Aintree that a horse that has lost a jockey does not leave the race, but continues to compete alone. In 1948, Ballington, having fallen and lost his rider at the first obstacle, jumped up and went the whole distance. And he finished first - he tried very hard. The protagonist of the Grand National is Red Rum (Red Rum).
He has 3 wins in the main race (1973, 1974 and 1977) and two second places.
Women's Day at the races in Aintree.
Of course, prestigious competitions are held not only in England. The Steeple Chase in Otoy (France), the Maryland Steeple Chase (USA), the Camden Colonial Cup (USA) and the Pardubice Steeple Chase in the Czech Republic are very popular.
Riders overcome an obstacle at the 118th Velka Pardubika steeplechase in the Czech Republic on October 12, 2008. (REUTERS/Petr Josek)
The track here was created back in 1856, and the first official competitions only took place in 1874.
The Pardubice Hippodrome is a kind of reincarnation of the Aintree Racecourse on the continent. The former participant of the Liverpool competitions Count Zdenko Kinski decided that it would be useful to have such a “toy” at home as well. The tracks are like twin brothers. Both here and there it is necessary to pass two circles, overcoming a total of 30 obstacles. Here and there are high and difficult obstacles. In Pardubice, these are the "Irish Shop", "Popkowice Moat", "French Jump", "Snake Moat", B "Big Taxis", "Great English Jump" and "Gavlov Leap". There is, in Pardubice, its own zest: a quarter of the track goes along a freshly plowed field, and given that the main competitions are held on the second Saturday of October, it is understandable - the autumn rainy weather gives a special charm to what is happening.
But for every jump or jump - English, Howl or French - there is always a brave horse and a desperate jockey. The first winner of the Great Steeple Chase was the Englishman Sayers on the Phantom. The legend of the main Czech hippodrome, J. Vanya, is a five-time winner of the main competition, and the famous Zheleznik "brought" him to victory four times. 4 times finished first - V. Khaloupka, three times under his saddle was the incomparable Korok. In 1937, the terrible Pardubice route was conquered by a ladies' duo. Lata Brandisova won the half-breed Norma. In addition to Norma, 14 more mares finished first in their time. And Lady Anna is recognized as one of the best horses in the history of these races. She has three wins and three prizes to her credit.
In Pardubice, our riders and horses were actively "marked" as well. Three years in a row (1957-1959) the winner here was a thoroughbred stallion from the USSR Epigraph (under the saddle of Vladimir Fedin, and then Vladimir Prakhov). Twice in the first place was Grifel, led by Ivan Avdeev (1960-1961). In 1962 Gaba (jockey Rostislav Makarov) became the winner. In 1967, Dresden came first (jockey Alexander Sokolov). In 1987, Nikolai Khludenev won this steeplechase on Eros for the last time for the USSR. In addition to thoroughbred horses, horses of the Budyonny breed also participated here. In 1964, the stallion of this breed Priboy (jockey V. Gorelkin) became the winner.
In Russia, the prototype of the modern steeple chase was the competition in Krasnoe Selo. In addition to the steeple chases themselves, cavalrymen and gunners often had races over rough terrain, in which they acquired the practice of field riding. The distance of the races varied from 5 to 25 versts.
The largest Russian competitions now are the Epigraph Prize for four-year-old horses and older thoroughbred riding breed for a distance of 4000 m and the Great All-Russian steeple chase for horses of the same breed of six years and older for a distance of 6000 m. Both steeple chases are held at the Pyatigorsk Hippodrome. But despite certain successes in this type of horse racing, the steeplechase never enjoyed too much popularity in Russia. And it is not known whether the Russians should be blamed for such a cool attitude towards this gambling sport. Of course, the steeple-chez is a spectacular sight, but very dangerous and traumatic. Often disastrous, not so much even for jockeys as for horses.
Animal rights activists have long and actively protested against horse racing and especially steeplechase racing. Sometimes the protest takes radical forms: race opponents take to the racetracks of the hippodromes, trying to disrupt the competition. Under their pressure, although slowly, changes are being made to the rules of the competition. For example, wooden barriers are being replaced by safer plastic ones.
But defenders are concerned not only with frightening obstacles, but also with the physical overload experienced by racehorses during competitions, as well as methods of physical influence on the animal: a whip, a mouthpiece. The voices of animal advocates demanding a ban on horse racing are also joined by opponents of the passion for playing horse races. In 1829, at Cheltenham, led by the Reverend Francis Close, fighters against the devilish excitement of the game at the races threw rocks and empty bottles at the racers. The inhabitants of Liverpool, after the opening of the Aintree Racecourse, also timidly hoped that his life would be short-lived. But these hopes were in vain. Horse racing, having become a real industry, continues to exist. On the days of racing festivals, thousands of smartly dressed people flock to the hippodromes, millions cling to the TV screens. All of them are obsessed with completely contradictory feelings. Here is the excitement of getting "free" money.
And the fear of losing...
And the primitive thirst for a bewitching, nerve-wracking spectacle, contempt for gladiator jockeys who are forced to risk their lives for the needs of the public, and envy for these people who are able to put their lives and health at stake almost daily. A desperate desire to live at least a second this incredibly cruel and exciting life, shaking off the routine of everyday life, to put at stake, if not life, then at least money.
Hence the un-English passion and all this masquerade: too extravagant outfits (in contrast to Ascot's elegance),
spilled sea of beer and other strong drinks
and almost a carnival hangover.
The situation requires cardinal decisions in everything - both in clothes and in booze: so to speak, hit or miss. The collective soul of any hippodrome, liberated, in some way, from all moral "clamps" and brakes, soars with the horses over every obstacle in the hope of triumph and with the expectation of failure. This state of flight is what keeps the races "afloat". Even the super-interesting car races that historically replaced them, by the way, appropriated equestrian terminology: paddock, stable - did not replace them. Of course, there is a lot of money at the races, only at the Grand National Prix in Liverpool the size of the bets annually is about 100 million pounds sterling (about 184 million dollars). Accordingly, the bigwigs of the business are doing everything to stir up interest in the competition: they are improving, beckoning the audience with their new “gadgets” hippodromes, competitions are taking on new forms, for example, evening starts are held under artificial lighting, bets can be placed without leaving home, by phone or over the Internet. But these are all pleasant applications, and the core of interest is an explosive mixture of excitement, self-interest, courage, love, risk, admiration and a subconscious desire to return to those distant simple and clear times when a man and a horse were practically one whole, when "Kingdom for a horse! " didn't seem like a high price.
Fans of the steeplechase have their own thoughts about cruelty to horses. If it were not for the races, perhaps the horses would not have been subjected to sufficiently harsh treatment, but it is unlikely that such a number of horses existed in the world at all - competitions maintain interest in horses and, therefore, develop horse breeding. Only "adult", "seasoned" horses participate in the steeple chase. Horses 4 years old are allowed to compete - for a distance of 1600 to 3200 m, older ones - for a distance of 4500-7000 m. As a rule, horses that did not show outstanding abilities at 2 and 3 years old on smooth races ( no barriers). If a steed shows a stubborn reluctance to jump over barriers, he is unlikely to be forced to do so for long - too expensive pleasure. Most jockeys love their players. "I ... thought a lot and realized: if I did not enjoy working with a horse, even without winning, I could not become a jockey. Nobody could. It is a hard life in many ways, but the pleasure of participating in the race outweighs all the bruises and trouble. And every jockey thinks so, because if he did not think so, he would change his occupation. No one can be a steeple chase jockey if he has not become attached to this work in his heart. " Of course there are exceptions. And among the jockeys there are people who are cruel and unscrupulous. But, I want to believe that they are a minority. The most important justice of the steeple chase is that the risk is mutual, the rider and the horse are together, in pairs, in one bundle. It remains to forget everything and rely on luck. True, she can turn away here at the most crucial moment.
Great loser. Dick Francis. Now his name is known to millions of detective lovers. In the middle of the last century, it thundered in the world of horse racing. Despite the fact that his jockey career was "slowed down" by the war, Francis managed to achieve brilliant success. On account of his victory in almost 350 races. He became the champion jockey of Great Britain more than once, he conquered almost all the most prestigious peaks of the steeplechase, it was up to the small, or rather the Grand National Prize. It was not enough in the collection for complete jockey happiness. In 1956, circumstances were more than successful. Francis is a jockey for the Royal Mews. In Liverpool, he had to ride a horse owned by the most eminent owner in England: the queen mother, a big fan of the steeple chase.
Her horse - Devon Loch (Devon Loch) was the favorite of the season. The start at Aintree, the ideal racetrack for him, was to be his finest hour. All other competitions were rehearsals for the main event. On March 24, they went to the start, confident in each other, with the hope of success, that everything would work out. They all succeeded, except for one thing - they could not win the race. "The start went well, there were fewer than usual, twenty-nine, four horses retired after the first hurdle...
He flew cleanly and safely over the very difficult Eintri barriers...
We beat the Bechers and the Canel Turn and the Valentine...
It was a race that one can only dream of... He cleared the "Cheyer" and the moat...Twenty yards before the last hurdle, I knew he was on the right place for the jump, and he took off in such style as if it were not the last of the thirty hurdles, but the first.
It was best moment in my life ... Less than fifty yards to a flat green strip of grass, a little more than ten steps - and we are winners ... "
The Hippodrome went wild. The best jockey on the best horse of the royal stables flew to a well-deserved victory.
"The trouble fell unexpectedly, like an obsession ...
Devon Loch threw out his legs for another soaring step, a poem of harmonious movements! And suddenly - his hind legs became stiff and seemed to be taken away, he fell on his stomach, his limbs were unnaturally and awkwardly sticking out to the sides. When he got up, he could barely stand. Even after that, if he managed to complete the race, he still had a chance, we were so far ahead of the others from the very start, but the rhythm was lost, the dream was broken, the race was lost.
The audience was silent, stunned by the dazzling defeat. History was being made before our eyes. Losing became a legend. The name of the horse turned into a symbol of lost happiness - "to play Devon Loch" - to miss a sure chance.
Something like this, Francis will probably try to explain. The Queen Mother will smile stoically.
But these are jumps. And along with the check, he will send a silver cigarette case to the non-smoking Francis. For memory.
No one can figure out what happened. To extinguish the rising wave of controversy, speculation, hypotheses, sympathy, indignation in 1957, Francis will write his first book, an autobiographical book. And then he will release 40 more magnificent detective novels, one way or another connected with the world of horse racing. And again he will become a champion, having received the highest literary awards: the Edgar Poe Prize, the honorary title of "Grand Master", a "full bow" of prizes - "Daggers" of Diamond, Gold and Silver. But that will be another story.
