Swiss Style Horse Racing

Though the Swiss have been attached to horses since Roman times, horse racing in the country has begun to come of age only of late. The Swiss Trotting Federation (STF) has almost 500 members and annual sports betting tops 100 million Swiss Francs. Switzerland now has more than 50 days of horse racing events every year, and the popularity grows by leaps and bounds. The Lake Geneva Region leads in this activity, with Avenches, which was known as Aventicum in Roman times, as the country’s premier center. However, German-speaking parts of the country have begun to take to horse racing, and may soon be a major simulcast wagering site in the near future.

Horse Racing is on in Moscow

Horse racing is an engaging Russian attraction from every May to September. Events are held on all Wednesdays and weekends. The Moscow Derby, which was conducted for the first time in the late 19th century, has survived communist regimes and a major fire in the 1950s, to continue as an important event in Moscow’s calendar. The Derby is now named after a legendary jockey Nikolai Nasibiov, while soccer has hijacked the term ‘Derby’!

A Memorable Horse Racing Victory

May 2006 will remain an important month in the history of US horse racing. The Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, introduced by the Virginia Republican, Bob Goodlatte, has received the approval of the House Judiciary Committee with important exceptions for horse racing. The verdict was clear with a wide margin of 25-11, and all amendments to curtail the exemptions were defeated. The bill has been numbered as HR 4777, and may be taken up by the House soon. It would prohibit the use of the Internet for some forms of gambling. Such restrictions already apply to the inter-state telephone network. US horse racing would have received a major setback had it not been granted exemptions from key clauses of HR 4777.

Double Edged Sword

Missoula authorities that thought of stopping horse racing have second thoughts. Horse racing lovers bring in dollars to the County Fair Grounds, and form the bulk of the crowds as well. Just one company from Philadelphia, as we reported earlier, insures all Montana racetracks, and the monopoly has resulted in enormous increases in insurance costs. Fair authorities also crib about the ambulance and related emergency management costs that are inevitable when a terrible accident works: Missoula is known to have a couple of these every year.

The Importance of Jockey Silks in Horse Racing

If you’ve ever been to see a horse race and seen about five bay horses galloping around the track with almost identical markings, you may wonder how it is that the race commentators are able to identify the horses so easily. Likely it didn’t take you long to figure out that the horseracing silks went a long way to simplifying the equation.

Northern Dancer, Sire of the Century

There are few, if any, thoroughbreds who can match the combined accomplishments of the great Northern Dancer, both on the track and at the stud farm. The respected Thoroughbred Times considers Northern Dancer to be the 20th century's best sire of sires. Northern Dancer's influence has extended as far as Japan, where one of his sons named Northern Taste was the leading sire in the country for a decade. Northern Dancer ranks 43 out of 100 in the Blood-Horse rankings of the top U.S. thoroughbred champions of the 20th Century.

Tattersalls Introduces the Tattersalls Millions

Tattersalls is Europe’s largest bloodstock auctioneer. It also has the distinction of being the oldest bloodstock auctioneer in the world, having been founded by Richard Tattersall in 1766. Tattersalls have the well-earned reputation for offering the best thoroughbreds to be found worldwide. Over 200 years of service has proven their commitment to high standards of service and integrity. The branch at Fairyhouse outside Dublin in Ireland operates with the same levels of integrity and service that buyers have come to expect from Tattersalls.

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