Just Stallions

Every horse racing enthusiast must know the different type of races, their requirements, and their implications on the horses that compete in them. Surprised that there are more than just one type of horse race? Then read on.

Every time horse racing becomes the topic of conversation, people usually think of only one thing, and that is the thoroughbred. But contrary to the misconception, there other types of horse racing such as harness racing and steeple chase. It just so happens that the thoroughbred is the most popular! In fact, the Kentucky Derby is known as the most exciting two minutes in the world of Sports.

The Famous Kentucky Derby

The Kentucky Derby is only part of a three-part grand slam horse racing: The Triple Crown. Imagine the excitement offered by the entire race. It’s triple the fun and adrenaline! The Kentucky Derby plus the Preakness and the Belmont Stakes complete the renowned Triple Crown prize. To this day, there are only 11 known horses to have achieved such a prestigious prize.

For the record, the highest level of competition for horse racing are the stake races. This type of race is reserved for the best horses, and even then, there is a required registration for each horse. The money collected is added to the prize money. When a Stake race is a Graded race, there is a certain appeal of class to it.

Other Types of Horse Races and their Criteria

Horses have to meet criteria before they can be allowed to race. A race may require additional weight requirements for better horses. This type of race is called a handicap race. The added weight is dependent upon past performances of the horses.

Other races sometimes require that horse must be a “non winner of three”. This is called an allowance race. Horses entered in this type of race is usually chosen to be prepped for better races. Most of the time these horses go on to compete in handicap and stake races.

Another type of race, and probably the most common, is the claiming race. A claiming race may also be “optional.” Before the race, owners are asked to specify an amount by which the thoroughbred may be claimed or purchased for.

You can rest assured that the racing field is leveled by this requirement. Obviously, owners will not list better horses in a claiming race. This type of race may be a good place to expose or train your weaker horses. Who knows? They might just need a little training to turn into a champion. Just make sure you are ready to part with your horse.

If you don’t want to part with your horses and you want to list them in a race to see just how they perform or to familiarize them with competitive races, a maiden race is the best avenue for this. This type of race is confined for horses with no record of wins. The winner of the race is said to have “broken his maidenhood.”

When to Watch Which Race

Race tracks usually hold eight or more races each day, combining all of the above-mentioned races. It doesn’t matter which type or race you watch and whether you win or not. In the end, you’ll still experience the fervent excitement that keeps horse racing enthusiasts coming back for seconds.

Go To Source

Horses seem to always be a staple in toy stores. Chances are at least some of them are made by Breyer, one of the best known model horse manufacturers in the world. Breyer is famous for to-scale, authentic collectible horses. They also make special editions, and routinely retire several models every year.

Children and adults alike love and collect Breyer horses. Most will collect the special editions or those models that are produced to honor a particular horse… one of the recent honorees was Barbaro, the Thoroughbred who injured himself during the second leg of the Triple Crown and later had to be put down due to complications. Other collectors concentrate on particular breeds (i.e. Arab, Warmblood, Quarter Horse) or colors (i.e. black, bay, palomino). It is getting more common to see the rarer breeds represented as well, such as the Trakehner, the Friesian or the Hanoverian.

The Breyer horses are created in a variety of sizes and scale. The Breyer Collection is the largest size, and is sculpted in a 1:9 scale. The Classic is done in a 1:12 scale, while the Paddock Pals are a bit smaller, being sculpted in a 1:24 scale. Stablemates used to be the smallest Breyer horses at 1:32 scale, but now the Mini Whinnies are even smaller. All sizes are fully detailed and come in a variety of colors and breeds. Some also are available with accessories.

Showing of Breyer Horses has become a popular past time. Shows include Photo Shows and Performance Shows, with some live and some by photo only. With Photo Shows the collector presents their horses decked out for the target class – i.e. western pleasure or English Equitation. Performance classes require the appropriate tack be on the model, and sometimes a rider is also included. Some areas host live shows as well. Exhibitors bring their models to the show to be judged right there and then. Winners receive ribbons and sometimes trophies for their models. Show models are sometimes repainted or even repositioned to make them more unique. Breyer is a favorite to use since they are already so realistic and come in so many different positions.

Whether you decide to show your Breyer model horse or not, collecting them can be great fun. Every year new models are released, and others are retired. Some go up in value quite a bit, especially if they are in good condition.

Of course, children like to play with Breyer horses, too. They can spend hours playing with them, designing pastures, or utilizing the many accessories that are available, such as stables, fences, barn tools and realistic Western and English tack to put on the horses.

No matter what your age, if you love horses, you’ll enjoy Breyer model horses. Whether you collect a hundred or only a few, they are a fun way to enjoy the beauty of horses.