The heroine in my recent release House of the Cat is a jockey so my Thursday Thirteen this week has a horse racing theme.
Thirteen Random Things About Horse Racing
1. All modern racehorses are descended from three Arab sires: the Byerley Turk (a horse owned by Captain Robert Byerley), the Darley Arabian (a horse purchased in Aleppo in 1704 for Mr. James Darley) and the Godolphin Arabian (a horse gifted from the Emperor of Morocco to King Louis XIV).
2. King Henry VIII took little interest in racing, but his daughter Queen Elizabeth I attended races on Salisbury Plan. King James VI and Charles I were also keen racing men.
3. The first race of the Royal Meeting at Ascot commemorates Queen Anne, who played a part in the start of racing there. The first race took place on 13 August 1711.
4. Historians believe that organized racing in America occurred around the early to mid-17th century.
5. One of the world’s greatest handicap races takes place at Flemington in Melbourne, Australia. The Melbourne cup was introduced in 1861 and takes place in early November every year. Many workplaces in Australia and New Zealand run Melbourne Cup sweepstakes each year. Without fail the horse I draw is a duffer. Without fail my sister picks the winner, much to hubby’s disgust.
6. The most famous steeplechase in the world (race with jumps) is the Grand National. It’s held in March or early April each year and began in 1837. The race is 4 ½ miles with 30 fences for the horses to jump.
7. The largest race for the Grand National was in 1929 when 66 took part and the race was won by the 100-1 chance Gregalach. The smallest was the very first running in 1837 when only 6 horses took part.
8. Although racing began as a test between owners to see whose horse was fastest, it undoubtedly was the result of a wager. Betting and horse racing are undeniably linked.
9. In 1903 doping horses was declared illegal by the Stewards of the Jockey Club in response to a campaign by trainer George Lambton.
10. Starting stalls were used for the first time in 1965 on a race course in Great Britain.
11. A two-year-old colt , later named The Green Monkey, was sold for $16 million at the Fasig-Tipton Florida Sale at Calder Race Course. The price is a world record for a horse of any age, sex or breed at public auction.
12. In 1993 the Grand National was abandoned after disruption by animal rights campaigners and two false starts. In 1913 Suffragette Emily Davison attempted to disrupt the Derby by grabbing and bringing down a horse. Anmer, the horse she grabbed was unarmed but Ms. Davison was killed.
13. In House of the Cat the heroine Camryn O’Sullivan must train a hell-horse and attempt to win the inaugural Dowry Derby. Hell-
horses are man-eaters and not the same as the horses on Earth. Here’s a short excerpt:
The gates rattled. Suddenly Camryn could see the track stretching out in front of them.
“And they’re off!”
Gabby hesitated. The other horses sprang from the gates. Camryn nudged Gabby, squeezing the barrel of her body with her thighs. The mare jumped from the starting gate finally. Camryn leaned low, urging her on with hands and heels. Over to their left a horse squealed and reared in the gates. Camryn heard a man shout.
A hell-horse appeared beside them, neck extended and teeth barred. Gabby frog-hopped out of the way, the abrupt sideway move throwing Camryn off balance. Only instinct, honed from years of experience, allowed her to stay on Gabby. She kicked her hard, surprising a grunt from the mare. Gabby wasn’t used to vigorous kicks. She leapt forward, thankfully heading in the right direction.
“Run, girl. Run. Come on. Please. We need to find Luke.”
Something crashed into the back of Gabby. Again, experience allowed Camryn to keep her seat. Gabby whirled to attack the hell-horse behind. Bigger than her, it was an aggressive male with a scar-covered hide. Terror gripped Camryn as she hauled on Gabby’s head and wished they’d been able to work out some sort of a bit and bridle to give her more control. This halter wasn’t the best.
“Gabby. Turn!” Camryn applied the signal she’d taught the mare, squeezing her thighs tightly and leaning her weight forward. Too late. The mare had caught the bloodlust of the others. She charged the stallion without a shred of fear or hesitation. The clash almost unseated Camryn. She lurched sideways. With desperation, she grasped Gabby’s mane and clung. If she fell… God!
Source: The Complete Encyclopedia of Horse Racing by Bill Mooney & George Ennor
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October 15th, 2009 at 2:02 am · Link
Hi Shelley :)
Thank you for sharing today.
I loved the excerpt!
All the best,
RKCharron
xoxo
October 15th, 2009 at 2:11 am · Link
Never been to a horse race but do hope to do so one day.
That excerpt is intense!
October 15th, 2009 at 3:13 am · Link
Interesting stuff in your list today. I’m from Kentucky, and I miss seeing the Thoroughbreds racing.
One day, I’ll take the hubby there for a race. I think he’d enjoy it. :)
Ciao for now!
Happy TT!
October 15th, 2009 at 4:11 am · Link
Hmm, I’ve never been to a horse race, or any animal race before. DH is from Ky, he loves this stuff.
Happy T13.
October 15th, 2009 at 4:21 am · Link
Great information, Shelley. I’ve never been to a horse race, but I’d love to go to one. Happy Thursday!
October 15th, 2009 at 5:52 am · Link
Great excerpt and informative list.
Happy T13!
October 15th, 2009 at 5:55 am · Link
I always love how you incorporate interesting stuff with your stories.
Awesome.
October 15th, 2009 at 5:56 am · Link
Oh so very interesting!!!!
My Thursday 13 is Halloween Themed jokes…come on over for some laughs. [You'll find it below my Thursday Thunks...scroll down a bit.]
Click HERE
October 15th, 2009 at 6:16 am · Link
Haven’t been to a race in years. Great list.
October 15th, 2009 at 6:20 am · Link
$16 Mil for a horse!?! Craziness!
October 15th, 2009 at 8:01 am · Link
Hi!
Great TT. If I would have had the money the year Secretariat ran at the Kentucky Derby, I would have been rich. I picked him to win. Great into, thanks for sharing. Have a great day!
Sherrie
October 15th, 2009 at 8:39 am · Link
Great T13 and excerpt, Shelley!
October 15th, 2009 at 8:43 am · Link
interesting. i didn’t know anything about this before your tt! i always like learning new things!
October 15th, 2009 at 8:44 am · Link
Interesting TT! Congratulations on the new book!
*hugs*
Paige
My TT is at http://paigetylertheauthor.blogspot.com/
October 15th, 2009 at 9:08 am · Link
Very interesting list….since all that I know about horse racing comes from watching National Velvet and Seabiscut, I learned a lot :)
Happy TT!
October 15th, 2009 at 9:47 am · Link
Exciting little excerpt you’ve got there.
October 15th, 2009 at 10:19 am · Link
Oh girl, I love the new book! A new book about shifters, and it;s Sci-fi to boot! Love it, love you! HUGS!
October 15th, 2009 at 11:22 am · Link
Very cool. Nice tie in excerpt also!
October 15th, 2009 at 11:48 am · Link
Love the exerpt, thanks for sharing.
October 15th, 2009 at 6:26 pm · Link
My cousin is a veterinarian for a horse racing facility. I’m e-mailing her the link to your post. She loves everything horses. Congratulations on the new book!
October 15th, 2009 at 6:48 pm · Link
My grandfather was into horse races. Never got into it myself, and DH’s mom is into hunting rather than racing. But the list is interesting.
Question: in #4…. what century is that?
October 15th, 2009 at 8:43 pm · Link
Cambria – I know. 16 million for an unproven horse is madness. I bet the insurance premiums were hefty!
Elise – sorry about that! That would be the 17th century. I fixed the typo.
October 15th, 2009 at 8:44 pm · Link
Amy – hugs right back.
Jennifer – I strive to do things a bit differently. Sometimes I think that’s a problem being out of step with everyone else.
October 15th, 2009 at 9:27 pm · Link
I’ve never been to a horse race but I find the information very interesting.
October 16th, 2009 at 1:07 am · Link
I’m glad you enjoyed the post, Linda.
October 16th, 2009 at 3:07 am · Link
Wow, what a wild race. I guess with hell-horses there are a lot of casualties?
Happy belated TT.
Janice~
October 16th, 2009 at 10:21 am · Link
I’m small enough that it wasn’t a stretch to consider becoming a jockey. I think I’ll always harbor a little bit of longing for that life.