Tuesday, December 04, 2007
Horse:Standardbred
The Standardbred is the fastest harness horse in the world, fueling the passion in the US for harness racing. The Standardbred eclipsed the old favorite of harness racing, the Morgan, by reducing the standard times for the mile by a full minute.
Bred in the mid 19th century, the Standardbred is widely considered as the fastest harness racing horse in the world. This particular breed can be traced back to 1788 to a Thoroughbred stallion called Messenger (a Darley Arabian descendent). This horse is bred for speed not conformation. In 1871, the American Trotting Register was founded. In 1879, a racing "standard" was laid down. Over a distance of 1 mile, trotters were to clock in at 2 minutes 30 seconds, pacers at 2 minutes 25 seconds. These "standards" gave the breed its name. The average speed of these "races" is 30 m.p.h. Since 1879, harness racing has become a hugely popular sport worldwide. It is found in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Sweden, Germany, France and Russia.
Bred in the mid 19th century, the Standardbred is widely considered as the fastest harness racing horse in the world. This particular breed can be traced back to 1788 to a Thoroughbred stallion called Messenger (a Darley Arabian descendent). This horse is bred for speed not conformation. In 1871, the American Trotting Register was founded. In 1879, a racing "standard" was laid down. Over a distance of 1 mile, trotters were to clock in at 2 minutes 30 seconds, pacers at 2 minutes 25 seconds. These "standards" gave the breed its name. The average speed of these "races" is 30 m.p.h. Since 1879, harness racing has become a hugely popular sport worldwide. It is found in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Sweden, Germany, France and Russia.
# posted by saffron @ 7:57 AM 
