Humane Society of North Texas Fighting to Save Mare's Life

A Texas charity says a neglected mare found stumbling down a country road three weeks ago is making excellent progress in its care.

The Humane Society of North Texas has been fighting hard to save the life of Stella since her rescue.

Stella was unable to stand without support when she first arrived in the charity’s care. Photo: Humane Society of North Texas

It described the 12-year-old horse’s condition as critical when she first came into its care, with a sling needed to keep her on her feet.

Stella has since rallied under round-the-clock care.

“Stella is making amazing progress,” the charity reported on its Facebook page.

“Stella still relies heavily on the sling, but she is now able to get out for daily walks to exercise and build muscle.

“She’s not out of the woods yet, but she is certainly gaining strength.”

It renewed its appeal for any information on the bay mare’s past. How she came to be wandering alone along a quiet country road west of Fort Worth remains a mystery.

A $2500 reward has been posted by the Murrell Foundation for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the individual or individuals responsible for her condition.

Stella has been on a carefully planned feeding program and had received antibiotics, anti-inflammatory drugs, eye medication, and wound cream for the scrapes and bites on her limbs.

If The Rider Is Right The Horse Is Right

Rider Number 1

by Cheryl Childs 
  
Here are several riders who are all riding      different disciplines. All these rider have one  thing in common they are right in the saddle so
 there horses are right.

Rider number 1  is riding on a Flat Seat English.  She has her irons at the proper length so she is able to post the trot properly. She is balanced in the saddle. Her hands are in the correct  position even as she rises posting the trot. She is balanced and correct which helps her horse be balanced and correct.  She is perfect example of a Flat Seat English rider.

Rider Number 2

Rider number 2 is riding Hunt Seat. Her Irons are the correct length and she is seating balanced in the saddle. Her hands are in the correct position not to low or too high. This rider is balanced and correct as is her horse.  She is a perfect example of a Hunt Seat Rider.


Rider number 3 is riding Western Pleasure. Again her stirrups are the proper length so she is well seated in the saddle. Her hand is in the correct position on the reins and she is riding one handed as she should be. She is balanced and correct in the saddle.  She is a perfect example of a Western Pleasure rider.

Rider Number 3

Rider Number 4 

Rider number 4 is riding Dressage. His stirrups are the correct length, so he is seated properly in the saddle. His hands are in the correct position too. He balanced and correct in the saddle. He is perfect example of a Dressage rider.

Rider Number 5

Rider number 5 is a pleasure riding on a western saddle. She like the other riders have her stirrups at the correct length and she is seated properly in the saddle. Her hand is in the correct position. Just like those other rider she riding balanced and correct. She is the perfect example of a Pleasure rider.

My point here is whether you are in the show ring, dressage ring or trail riding it's important that you are right in the saddle so your horse will be right. Being right means having your stirrups at the correct length not too short or too long. You should be centered and balanced in the saddle sitting on your seat bones. You should have your hands in the correct position for reining for your horse. Being balanced in
the saddle is also important for your safety when you are riding on the trail, because if you are properly balanced than when you encounter obstacle on the trail like a limb of a tree or your horse is startled by something you won't be so likely to become unseated. If you are riding correctly your horse will find the ride less tiring and less stressful , which will make a more enjoyable ride for  you both.

Are Your Choices Effecting Your Horse Badly?

Here are some phrases that always make me cringe: "I had 30 days put on him by a friend of mine" or " I had a young guy who's kind of cowboy start him" or " My farrier is a trainer too and he put 30 days of him for me" or " This guy rides them every day for hours, you know really gets them broke". When I hear those statements I feel badly for the horse, because that person has made a bad choice and the horse is paying the price for that bad choice. They don't realize it, however, and often times will blame the horse or become angry with the horse.

Every choice you make affects your horse in a positive or a negative way. 

When you choose a person to train your horse whose only objective is to "saddle break" the horse and achieves this objective by riding your horse for hours on the trail or until he has saddle sores or is physically exhausted your horse ends up paying the price for that decision. Don't be surprised if your horse doesn't want you riding him. If your horse has not been taught to change leads, collect his gait, flex or rein properly don't get flustered with him because he can't do those things when you ask.  You made that choice - your horse didn't.

You make choices all the time that affect your horse. Choosing a saddle, tack and bit for your horse affects him. If the saddle doesn't fit him properly it may cause him pain. If it doesn't fit you properly you won't be seated correctly on your horse - which will affect him and could cause him pain as well. Choosing the right bit for your horse is important, too. The bit needs to fit him correctly and be suited to him. This , of course, applies to young horses, but to horses that have already been trained as well. In some cases you might purchase a horse and find out the previous owners were rough or heavy handed which hurt the horse's mouth. That's when you need to change the bit or perhaps try a Bosal. Choosing the wrong bit will harm you horse.


Training clinics are very popular today, but you need to be careful about the clinics you choose. I have had clients come to me with nervous, fretful, stubborn and sometimes fearful horses that they have created by attending a clinic. Remember just because they bill themselves as " the world's best or most trusted" doesn't mean that is the case. Going to a clinic where someone encourages you to poke your horse with a stick or chase him with it might not be your best choice. Going to a clinic where the person giving it insists you keep making your horse gallop around the round pen until he is exhausted is not the right choice. On the human side of it going to a clinic where the person giving the clinic ridicules and humiliates you is not a good choice for you or your horse. Please don't go to a clinic where they tell you to "move those feet" or they want you to push your horse away from you - that's ridiculous. You want your horse to enjoy being around you.  Don't make a bad choice in what clinic you attend with your horse - it may harm your horse and you as well.

I guess what I'm saying here is think about what are you doing where your horse is concerned.  I believe that 95% of the problems horses have today are caused by their humans making thoughtless
choices that harm them.

Forward thinking: The perils of going backwards in horse training

My pet aversion is seeing people chase horses backwards on the ground. The last thing I want any horse to do is move backwards away from me to relieve pressure. Everything you ever want to do with your horse relies on moving forward, not backwards. You must have forward movement to control your horse.

I teach every horse I work with to step forward to me to relieve pressure.

Forcing horses to run backwards seems to be the “in” thing these days. Many trainers justify their approach by saying that they use natural techniques. Some claim to have camped out in the bush to observe wild horses and say this has given them an understanding of horse behaviour. They claim that their training techniques are just what horses do to each other in their natural state.

If you watch a mob of horses, some horses do chase others away from their feed. The chased horse turns and runs away because he’s scared of being bitten or kicked. He wants to move away as quickly as possible and does so by turning and moving forward.

When you watch any mob of horses, you rarely see horses taking many backward steps. Although they may back up for a step or two, a horse’s natural inclination is to turn and run forward as soon as he can. In the wild, a horse won’t try to escape danger by facing his foe and rushing backwards. Every horse will turn and run as soon as possible. The horse’s first means of defence is to run. Speed is his saviour. When a horse runs from an enemy, his second line of defence – his hind legs – are at the ready. He can kick out with his hind legs to ward off an attack. A horse’s best chance of survival is to turn and run and it’s natural for him to do this.

Yet the first thing that so-called ‘natural horse trainers’ do is chase horses backwards. They spend hours on the ground forcing horses to run backwards away from them. This is the most unnatural thing that you could ask any horse to do. Horses don’t naturally run backwards at any time.

If you teach a horse to run backwards on the ground, he may also run backwards to relieve pressure if he becomes worried when you’re on his back. This is the most dangerous thing that any horse can do. When a horse panics and runs backwards, he stops thinking altogether and you have absolutely no control. A horse running backwards like this can easily roll over backwards and it’s usually on top of the rider.

I teach every horse I work with to step forward to me to relieve pressure. Every horse must know that it’s always easy and pleasant to step forward and be with me. I want every horse to know that if he’s worried or confused, life is easy and pleasant when he steps forward to me.

When you ride, you must concentrate on teaching your horse to move forward. Even backing a horse under saddle is an extension of moving forward. You must have impulsion and forward movement before you ask any horse to move backwards. Backing up should be taught only after a horse has been ridden for a few months. There’s absolutely no reason to teach any horse to back up in his early training. It won’t help him to stop, give, turn or anything else.

You must have forward movement to control your horse. Forward movement forms the basis of everything you ever want to teach any horse. When you understand this, you’re beginning to understand horses.

Neil Davies began training horses full-time in 1977. Over the next 15 years, he started more than a thousand horses under saddle and trained thousands of so-called ‘problem’ horses. [read more]

He is the author of Fear-free Horse Training – every step of the way.

Visit Neil’s website at www.fearfreehorsetraining.com.

Researchers Identify the Genetic Footprint of Horse Domestication

A total of 125 genes have been identified by researchers as playing a key role in a wide range of physical and behavioural traits promoted through selective breeding to give rise to the domesticated horse.

The domestication of the horse revolutionized warfare, trade, and the exchange of people and ideas. It is a process that has been unfolding for at least 5500 years, which has transformed wild horses into the hundreds of breeds living today.

The international team of researchers zeroed in on the 125 candidate genes by comparing the genomes of two ancient horses with those of the Przewalski’s horse and five breeds of domesticated horses.

To complete the work, the researchers sequenced two complete horse genomes that predated domestication by many thousands of years.

By comparing the genomes, they found positive selection for genes in domesticated horses involved in various aspects of locomotion, physiology, and intelligence.

© Ludovic Orlando

One group of genes they identified is involved in muscular and limb development, joints, and the cardiac system, and may represent physiological adaptations for human use. A second group comprises genes with cognitive functions, including social behavior, learning capabilities, fear response, and agreeableness, all of which may have been crucial in taming horses.

However, on the downside, they found that modern horse genomes contained an excess of harmful mutations, which they characterised as representing the genetic cost of domestication.

This genetic load is in line with the “cost of domestication” hypothesis also reported for rice, tomatoes, and dogs. It is generally attributed to the relaxation of purifying selection resulting from the strong demographic bottlenecks accompanying domestication.

The researchers, across a dozen international universities, suggested that a significant part of the genetic variation in modern domesticated horses could be attributed to interbreeding with the descendants of a now extinct population of wild horses.

This population was distinct from the only surviving wild horse population, that of the Przewalski’s horses in Mongolia. The Przewalski’s horses descend from a mere 13 individuals, preserved only through a massive conservation effort.

As a consequence of this massive loss of genetic diversity, the effects of horse domestication through times have been difficult to unravel on a molecular level, said Dr Ludovic Orlando, an associate professor at the University of Copenhagen’s Centre for GeoGenetics, who led this work.

The usual way to evaluate the evolutionary impact of domestication involved comparing the genetic information present among wild animals with their living domesticates. This approach was ill-suited to the minimal diversity in the remaining Przewalski’s horses.

For that reason, the researchers decided to sequence the genome of ancient horses that lived prior to domestication to directly assess how they looked genetically.

In 2013, Orlando and his team had succeeded in decoding the genome of a 700,000 year-old horse, which still represents the oldest genome sequenced to date. This time, they focused on bone specimens dating from about 16,000 ago and about 43,000 years ago. They were excavated in the Taymyr Peninsula region of Russia, where arctic conditions favoured the preservation of DNA in ancient specimens.

With the genomes mapped of the two ancient specimens, they compared them to those of the Przewalski’s horse and five breeds of domesticated horses.

This led to the identification of the 125 candidate genes for traits most likely favoured through selective breeding.

Their comparison also revealed that the ancient individuals contributed a significant amount of genetic variation to the modern population of domesticated horses, but not to the Przewalski’s horses.

This suggested that restocking from a wild population descended from the ancient horses occurred during the domestication processes that ultimately led to modern domesticated horses.

“Our estimate suggests that at least 13 percent, and potentially up to as much as 60 percent, of the modern horse genome has been acquired by restocking from the extinct wild population,” said Mikkel Schubert, a doctoral student at the Centre for GeoGenetics.

“That we identified the population that contributed to this process demonstrates that it is possible to identify the ancestral genetic sources that ultimately gave rise to our domesticated horses,” Schubert said.

Horse euthanized after chuckwagon race at Calgary Stampede

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A horse was euthanized after breaking a leg during the sixth heat of Saturday’s chuckwagon races at the Calgary Stampede.

A veterinarian was on the scene immediately and determined that the horse, a 10-year-old thoroughbred named Duke, had suffered a broken cannon bone in his right hind leg.

The horse, who was competing in the team of Layne Bremner, was euthanized.

Bremner had acquired Duke about three years ago after a previous career as a racehorse.

Officials said a Stampede veterinarian had inspected Duke earlier this week and before the heat.

Stampede officials will undertake a review to determine if there were any contributing factors to the incident that could have prevented it.

The injury appeared to have been sustained in contact with another wagon.

Bremner, who was driving, received a “no-time” sanction, a $2500 penalty, and a five-second penalty for interference.

A post-mortem examination will not be performed, as the official Stampede veterinarian determined that the injuries were self-evident and did not require further investigation.

Stampede organisers have increased efforts in recent years to improve safety in chuckwagon racing, in response to public concern over the death and casualty rates.

They brought in changes in 2011 aimed at making chuckwagon races safer for horses and competitors.

All horses are now inspected by veterinarians on arrival at the Stampede, and before and after races. Horses are now given mandatory rest days during the competition.

Officials also reduced the number of outriders in each chuckwagon.

Some People Just Don't Get It

by Cheryl Childs 

Horses have been part of my life for 40 out of my 52 years, so one would think that after all those years people wouldn't say things like " well if you didn't have those horses" to me. How in the world do they not realize that horses are who I am for heaven sakes? That's right I'm a 52 year old  woman who couldn't imagine my life without horses in it. 

 No, I don't take many vacations to the Caribbean (if I could afford it) because I have horses, but I don't care. Yes, I have to live in the country instead in town, but that's fine with me if it means I can walk out my back door and hear those horses whinny at me every morning -that's what keeps me going. Sure there are times when I  have to leave a social event earlier than others do because I have to go home to feed the herd, not a problem for me - I enjoy taking care of those horses and some days it's all that gets me through my day. I know if you're not a horse person you don't understand this, but please just smile and accept it because it makes me happy. 

 I realize to some people horses are just a beast, but to me they are for more than just a beast. Horses have given me so much in life like confidence, courage, grace, patience, compassion and spirit. When I was in the 7th grade I was terrified to get up in front of the class and give an oral book report, but today I stand in the middle of an arena, with far more people watching than those in that 7th grade class, and conduct clinics at Horse Expos. My job today is standing up in front of people instructing, giving clinics, judging horse shows and speaking to groups of people with no fear whatsoever. I think horses helped me face difficult things in my life both now and when I was younger, but I didn't realize it then the way I do today. If it hadn't been for horses I probably wouldn't have become a writer. I think horses make me a better person and actually help me see things more clarity.

To me horses are very spiritual beings. I read a book  called Horses and the Mystical Path The Celtic Way of Expanding The Human Soul and in that book they talk about how horses have affected human lives throughout time. There were so many things in the book that made me say " yes that's how I feel," and made me feel connected to the Celtic people. For me horses connect me to my ancestors. 

When I'm training a horse I feel a connection to my Grandfather. Being around my horses often time makes me feel closer to family members that are no longer here with us. 

In conclusion I'm proud to be a unabashed horses enthuses who is looking forward to 40 more years of taking care of horses, riding horses, training horses and just having them in my life. Monica Dickens said it best. " If you have it, it's for life. It is disease which there is no cure. You go on riding even after they have to haul onto a comfortable wise old cob, with feet like inverted buckets and back like a fireside chair," If don't understand it I can never explain to you, but please never say to me  " if you didn't have horses".

Horses heat up 10 times faster than people – study

A hot humid day. One rider. One horse. Both are exercising at a moderate level. Who is more likely to overheat? 

It might surprise you to know that your horse gets hotter much faster than you and is more susceptible to the negative effects of heat stress.

Professor Michael Lindinger, an animal and exercise physiologist at the University of Guelph, explains: “It only takes 17 minutes of moderate intensity exercise in hot, humid weather to raise a horse’s temperature to dangerous levels. That’s three to 10 times faster than in humans. Horses feel the heat much worse than we do.”

And the effects can be serious. If a horse’s body temperature shoots up from the normal 37 to 38 C to 41 C, temperatures within working muscles may be as high as 43 C, a temperature at which proteins in muscle begin to denature (cook). Horses suffering excessive heat stress may experience hypotension, colic and renal failure.

Lindinger, a faculty member in the Department of Human Health and Nutritional Sciences, became interested in the effects of heat on horses when he was a lead researcher on the Canadian research team that contributed information on the response of the horse to heat and humidity for the Atlanta Summer Olympics. He recently presented a workshop on the topic at Equine Guelph’s outdoor Equine Expo on June 4 at U of G’s Arkell Research Station.

Horses are more susceptible to heat for several reasons, explains Lindinger. First, they are larger and have a higher percentage of active muscle than people do during exercise. When muscles are being used, they produce a lot of heat.

Horses also rely to a significant extent on sweating to cool them off. They can sweat 15 to 20 litres per hour in cool, dry conditions and up to 30 litres per hour in hot, humid conditions, but only 25 to 30 per cent of the sweat produced is effective in cooling the horse by evaporation.

“Because so much more sweat is produced than can be evaporated, the rest just drips off the horse’s body,” says Lindinger. “By comparison, up to 50 per cent of the sweat people produce is evaporated from our bodies during exercise and helps to cool us.”

The salts in horse sweat are also four times as concentrated as in human sweat. Lindinger refers to a photograph of an area where endurance horses had been standing while their sweaty bodies were repeatedly scraped and cooled with water. As the liquids evaporated from the ground, the soil surface was left white because of the salt in the horses’ sweat.

“Those salts have to be replaced,” he says. “Just giving the horse water will not rehydrate a dehydrated horse. When horses drink plain water, it dilutes their body fluids, and their bodies respond by trying to get rid of more water and more electrolytes.”

Horses also pant to dissipate heat, but Lindinger says this is effective only if the air is at least five degrees cooler than the horse’s body temperature.

His tips for protecting horses from the harmful effects of summer heat begin with teaching your horse to drink an electrolyte solution (water with the right proportion of salts dissolved in it) to replace sweat losses. “Start with a small amount in the water, allowing the horse to get used to the taste, and gradually increase it over days and weeks until you have reached the manufacturer’s recommendation.”

Keeping your horse properly hydrated is the most important step in protecting it against the harmful effects of heat, he says.

Keeping your horse properly hydrated is the most important step in protecting it against the harmful effects of heat.

If you’re preparing for a competition, Lindinger recommends trying to acclimatize your horse to the heat by spending four hours daily, at least five days a week for three weeks, in hot conditions. For best results, exercise the horse for an hour during the second hour of each of those days.

“Many riders will train their horses in the mornings or evenings, when it’s cool, then go to a competition held during the hottest part of the day. You need to get horses used to being ridden in the heat and allow them to develop the full spectrum of beneficial adaptations that come with heat acclimation.”

Lindinger says that horses who have been through a process of heat acclimation will lose more heat through sweating and respiration and will be better able to stay hydrated because they are more likely to drink.

When your horse is hot, look for shade and breezes to help cool it down, but never use a blanket or “cooler” on a horse that is sweating, he adds, suggesting the best way to cool a horse quickly is to rinse the horse’s body repeatedly with cold water and scrape off the excess water.

“You can cool the horse two degrees in 10 minutes this way: pour on the water, scrape it off, pour on more, and just keep repeating it,” says Lindinger. “The scraping part is important because otherwise the water will be trapped in the horse’s hair and will quickly warm up. By scraping and pouring on fresh, cold water you keep the cooling process going.”

Just as equestrians pack a canteen of water, some sunscreen and a hat with a brim for summer riding adventures, Lindinger says they should also equip themselves with the tools needed to protect their horses from the heat and humidity. If you prepare your horse in advance and have a plan to cool him down if he becomes overheated, he says, even the hot, muggy days of summer can be great riding fun.

The sport of horse racing is to celebrate its 350th anniversary in the US this year.

Painting by Frederick Elmiger titled “First Horse Race, Garden City, Long Island”, from a series of New York City’s early history.

In 1665, the construction of the Newmarket course in Salisbury, New York, a section of what is now known as the Hempstead Plains of Long Island, NY, was established.

This first race meeting in North America was supervised by New York’s colonial governor, Richard Nicolls. The area is now occupied by the present Nassau County, New York, region of Greater Westbury and East Garden City.

In celebration of the anniversary, The Jockey Club’s fan development platform America’s Best Racing (ABR) has launched a four-part series of digital video ads filmed and produced at historic Keeneland in Lexington, Kentucky.

The occasion of the first race meeting in the US was marked by a painting by US artist Frederick Elmiger, showing a group of dignitaries assembled on the lawn of the Newmarket racecourse as riders on horseback gather in the background. The figure in a long red coat is probably intended to represent Governor Nicholls.

Other significant events in 1665:

March 4, 1665: The Second Anglo-Dutch War began.

April 10, 1665: The Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society began publication, the first scientific journal in English.

April 12, 1665: Margaret Porteous is the first person recorded to die in the Great Plague of London. This last major outbreak of Bubonic plague in the British Isles has possibly been introduced by Dutch prisoners of war. Two-thirds of Londoners leave the city, but more than 68,000 die. Plague spreads to Derby.

March 11, 1665: A new legal code was approved for the Dutch and English towns of New York guaranteeing all Protestants the right to continue their religious observances unhindered.

July 3, 1665: The first documented case of cyclopia is found in a horse.

August 27, 1665: Ye Bare & Ye Cubbe, the first play in English in the American colonies, is performed in Pungoteague, Va.

September 17, 1665: Charles II of Spain becomes King while not yet 4 years old.

Triple Crown Winner-First in 37 Years

ELMONT, N.Y. – American Pharoah accomplished one of the rare feats in sport Saturday, becoming the first horse in 37 years and just the 12th horse ever to win the Triple Crown.

The heavily favored colt completed the quest by running away from seven rivals in the Belmont Stakes, three weeks after a rain-soaked dash in the Preakness and five weeks after a gritty,stretch-duel victory in the Kentucky Derby.

American Pharoah's name now moves into the history books alongside equine immortals like Secretariat, Seattle Slew, Citation and War Admiral. And horse racing finally has the superstar it has hungered for – a fluid athlete with a massive stride who seems to float over the ground.

The last horse to win all three of North America's biggest races was Affirmed in 1978. Since then, 13 horses have come to this historic track having won the first two legs of the Crown. All had failed (with I'll Have Another scratched prior to the 2012 running), raising doubts whether the quest was still attainable for the modern thoroughbred.

View photo

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Victor Espinoza reacts after crossing the finish line with American Pharoah to win the Triple Crown. (AP)

In front of a roaring crowd, American Pharoah eradicated those doubts in stirring fashion, going wire-to-wire at the Belmont, beating second-place finisher Frosted by 5½ lengths.

Pharoah didn't break well from the gate, but it didn't matter. Jockey Victor Espinoza steered him to the lead, which he never relinquished.

As he came down the stretch, American Pharoah never slowed, widening his lead to win going away in a time of 2:26.65 – the quickest Belmont time since 1992.

The result gave triumphant closure to trainer Bob Baffert's 18-year quest to win the Triple Crown. Three times previously, he had won the Derby and Preakness only to encounter Belmont heartbreak. In 1997, his Silver Charm was passed in deep stretch. In '98, Real Quiet was nipped at the wire. And in 2002, front-running War Emblem stumbled leaving the gate and was never a factor.

Now the 62-year-old Californian finally has his Triple.

It also marked a breakthrough for the 43-year-old Espinoza in his third stab at winning the Triple Crown. Espinoza had been the rider on War Emblem, and on California Chrome last year. He is the first native of Mexico to win the Triple Crown.

And it was a triumph for American Pharoah's owner, Ahmed Zayat, who in less than a decade has become one of the most impactful owners in thoroughbred racing. The 52-year-old Egyptian immigrant had finished second in four Triple Crown races before this year – three times in the Derby (2009, '11 and '12) and once in the Belmont (‘12).

One of Zayat's Derby runner-ups, Pioneerof The Nile, is the sire of American Pharoah. The Zayat homebred established himself as a special horse very quickly.

American Pharoah finished fifth in his debut race as a 2-year-old last August, and has been simply brilliant ever since. This was his seventh straight victory at six different racetracks.

After dominating the competition in Arkansas in March and April, American Pharoah came to Kentucky as the Derby favorite. It took a vigorous ride by Espinoza to budge Pharoah past Firing Line and Dortmund in the stretch at Churchill Downs, but the colt showed his tenacity in winning the roses. He then came back two weeks later and obliterated the field in the Preakness, dancing over a sloppy track to set the stage for this history-making Belmont triumph.

Now he is a racing immortal with the other Triple Crown winners: Sir Barton (1919), Gallant Fox (1930), Omaha (1935), War Admiral (1937), Whirlaway (1941), Count Fleet (1943), Assault (1946), Citation (1948), Secretariat (1973), Seattle Slew (1977) and Affirmed.

It took 37 years for a new horse to join the sport's most selective fraternity. American Pharoah is a worthy inclusion.

Another Big Race This Weekend

It’s a battle of the heavy horses Clydesdales will be going head-to-head with Shire horses on the racetrack.

The breeds will be going up against each other in a two-furlong race on 6 June at Lingfield Park.

Shires have raced at the track before, and Clydesdales have run at Exeter, but it will be the first time the two breeds have competed at a racecourse.

“This race is about proving the versatility of these great horses along with highlighting their endangerment as breeds. We are determined to show that these fantastic horses have a place in the 21st century. This year’s theme of Shire vs Clyde showcases the differences in these two types and introduces a bit of friendly rivalry between the breeds,” said Jacquie Gardiner, from Hurst Green Shires, organisers of the race.

“The history of the Shire and Clydesdale is intertwined. The Clydesdale was developed for use from the Scottish borders and upwards and the Shire was for middle England but both became very popular as working horses for industry and agriculture.

“Their slightly different build made them suited to the different types of ground they were working with. With the onset of the Great War, huge numbers were requisitioned from around the country to serve in the army. This and the subsequent mechanisation of farming left the breeds at critical numbers in the 1970s. A breeding program and some very determined farmers and producers saved these beautiful animals for future generations but they remain endangered.”

Andrew Perkins, of Lingfield Park Resort added: “I’m thrilled we are once again able to stage this fabulous race.

“The fact that there is even more of a competitive twist this year with the Shires v. the Clydesdales, will make it even more exciting.’

As well as the heavy horse race there will be seven thoroughbred races on the all-weather and turf tracks throughout the day.

Julie Reilly, of sponsors Showerking, said: “We are very grateful to the owners of these animals for making this event possible — there is nothing more thrilling than watching those feathers fly down the track. There will be plenty of opportunity for the public to meet the contestants after the race and we’re looking forward to showing them off.”

Once again top National Hunt jockeys will be taking to the saddle to steer the heavy horses to victory.

But who has the faster turn of foot, the Shires or Clydesdales? Find out on 6 June…

American Pharoah will attempt to become the 12th Triple Crown winner since Affirmed in 1978

Story by: NYRA Press Office

American Pharoah will attempt to become the 12th Triple Crown winner and first since Affirmed in 1978 when he contests the 147th running of the Grade 1, $1.5 million Belmont Stakes on Saturday at Belmont Park.

  

 

With an approximate post time of 6:50, American Pharoah's date with destiny will air live on NBC as part of a 2 ½-hour broadcast beginning at 4:30 p.m. NBC Sports Network will also provide coverage of the day's racing, which includes five Grade 1 races in addition to the Belmont.

 

 

The 1 ½-mile Belmont, carded as race 11 on a 13-race program, will be involved in a multitude of guaranteed pools. The race will be the final leg of a Guaranteed $300,000 Daily Double starting with the Belmont Gold Cup Invitational on Friday, and a $1 million Pick Six, and $1.5 million Pick Four on Saturday.

 

 

Since Affirmed capped off his historic run 37 years ago, 13 horses have won the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes only to have the "Test of the Champion" elude them. American Pharoah's Hall of Fame trainer, Bob Baffert, has sent out three of the 13: Silver Charm (1997), Real Quiet (1998), and War Emblem (2002).

 

 

"I'm reminded every year of Real Quiet and Silver Charm," said Baffert, who trains the homebred for Zayat Stables. "[American Pharoah] is a different horse than they were. You really don't know until the whole series is over how good the horses are. I'm just hoping I brought the right horse here, but we won't know until halfway into the race."

 

 

Many with imposing resumes have tried and failed.

 

 

Real Quiet was defeated by a nose at the hands of his arch-rival Victory Gallop, whom he had beaten in the first two legs of his Triple Crown run. The uber-popular Smarty Jones was denied in the 2004 edition of the Belmont by 36-1 longshot Birdstone. Four years later, the seemingly invincible Big Brown was eased in the stretch in his Triple Crown attempt.

 

 

Most recently, in 2014, California Chrome had his bid for the Triple Crown thwarted by Tonalist, who returns to the scene of his greatest triumph earlier on the June 6 card in the Grade 1, $1.25 million Metropolitan Handicap.

 

 

Now entering the Belmont on a six-race win streak, all in graded stakes, American Pharoah wasn't always on the path to stardom. His career began inauspiciously on August 9 at Del Mar, when he finished fifth as the 7-5 favorite in a 6 ½-furlong sprint. But his fortunes changed quickly when, one start later, he became a Grade 1 winner by taking the Del Mar Futurity by 4 ¾ lengths.

 

 

The son of Pioneerof the Nile made it back-to-back Grade 1 wins with a 3 ¼-length score in the FrontRunner at Santa Anita Park, but the race proved to be the final start of his 2-year-old campaign after he was forced to miss the Breeders' Cup Juvenile because of a foot injury. Despite his absence from the premier juvenile race in the country, American Phaorah was named Champion 2-Year-Old Male.

 

 

Returning on March 14 at Oaklawn Park in his 3-year-old debut, American Pharoah picked up right where he left off, splashing home to victory in the Grade 2 Rebel by 6 ¼ lengths. He then dominated in his final prep for the Kentucky Derby - the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn - winning by eight lengths under wraps at the finish.

 

 

His brilliance earned him the role of favorite in the "Run for the Roses," and the bay colt ran true to his odds, prevailing by a hard-fought length over Firing Line after a wide trip. The victory wasn't as mesmerizing as his past romps, but it proved he could get in a dogfight and come out on top.

 

 

In the Preakness, American Pharoah delivered a memorable performance. A severe thunderstorm erupted minutes before the race leaving the track a sea of slop. Breaking from the rail, American Pharoah was urged to the front by his rider, Victor Espinoza, and was pressured through fast early fractions. Grade 3 Lexington winner Divining Rod took a run at him leaving the far turn, but the bay colt remained resilient, drawing off to a seven-length score.

 

 

"He's a horse I've never had to talk people into how good he is," said Baffert. "I've been wowed by the way he trains all winter and in the spring, and he continues to show his stuff. When I lead him over, I sort of feel like I have an edge, but coming in here and going one-and-a-half miles, it's a completely different story. We don't know how any of them are going to handle it because none of them have been that far. We just hope and dream from here on out."

 

 

American Pharoah, listed as the 3-5 morning-line favorite, will again be ridden by Espinoza, who was aboard War Emblem and California Chrome for their Triple Crown runs. The duo will depart from post 5 against seven rivals.

 

 

Trainer Todd Pletcher, who earned his first Classic victory in the 2007 Belmont with filly Rags to Riches and won the race again with Palace Malice in 2013, will saddle two runners: Madefromlucky and Materiality.

 

 

Madefromlucky, owned by Cheyenne Stables and Mac Nichol, will hope to follow the path Tonalist took to his Belmont triumph. In his last start, the chestnut son of Lookin At Lucky won the Grade 2 Peter Pan at Belmont, just as Tonalist did before upsetting California Chrome.

 

 

Alto Racing's Materiality enters the Belmont off a troubled fifth-place finish in the Kentucky Derby. The son of Afleet Alex, who won the 2005 Belmont, was unbeaten heading into the Derby and coming off a 1 ½-lengths victory in the Grade 1 Florida Derby, for which he earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 110.

 

 

Pletcher had considered entering the bay colt in the Preakness, but ultimately decided to keep him in New York.

 

 

"With those kinds of decisions you just never know, but with the downpour and everything [at the Preakness], I was happy we were safely at home," said Pletcher, who finished second a very close second in last year's Belmont with Commissioner.

 

 

Madefromlucky, who is out of a full-sister to Tapit, sire of Tonalist, will be ridden by Javier Castellano from post 3. He is listed at 12-1 on the morning line. Standing at 6-1 on the morning line, Materiality will break from post 8 with Hall of Famer John Velazquez aboard.

 

 

Kentucky Derby fourth-place finisher Frosted will go out for trainer Kiaran McLaughlin and Godolphin Racing. The son of Tapit made a dramatic turnaround earlier this year to win the Grade 1 TwinSpires.com Wood Memorial by two lengths on April 4 at Aqueduct Racetrack.

 

 

Entering the Wood, the 3-year-old colt was coming off a confounding performance in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream Park, in which he appeared poised to win before fading rapidly in the stretch.

 

 

"The Wood was a really satisfying win for the whole team because of all the time and effort, and all the times we watched the Fountain of Youth and tried to figure out what happened," said McLaughlin, who sent out Jazil to victory in the 2006 Belmont after a fourth-place finish in the Derby. "We ran good [in the Derby] breaking from a wide post in an 18-horse field and going six wide on the far turn. And we wish there was more pace. He ran a great race, but we were a little disappointed; we wanted to win."

 

 

Frosted, 5-1 second-choice on the morning line, will leave from post 6 with Joel Rosario in the irons.

 

 

Preakness runner-up Tale of Verve will give trainer Dallas Stewart his third chance in as many years at Belmont glory. The Charles Fipke homebred entered the Preakness off a solitary maiden win, but charged home to be second at odds of 28-1.

 

 

"We've been good, but we've got to get it done. We've got to march over there and get it done," said Stewart, who finished second in a Triple Crown race for the third straight year. "I think he's a horse that's really bred for the distance. He can take it. He's got the stamina, he's got the pedigree. I think he's got the ability, so it's going to be a real good race for him. I'm feeling real good about it."

 

Standing at 15-1 on the morning line, Tale of Verve will be ridden by Hall of Famer and three-time Belmont winner Gary Stevens from post 2.

 

Bred in Ireland and based predominantly in the United Arab Emirates, Mubtaahij will go out for globe-trotting trainer Mike de Kock off an eighth-place finish in the Derby. The Dubawi colt dominated in the Group 2 UAE Derby, winning by eight lengths before making his North American debut in the Kentucky Derby, in which he was beaten 9 ½ lengths by American Pharoah.

 

 

Keen Ice, seventh in the Derby, will represent Kentucky-based horseman Dale Romans and Donegal Racing. The son of Curlin has only a maiden win to his credit, but closed strongly after enduring a difficult trip in the Derby. He was beaten 8 ¾ lengths by American Pharoah.

 

 

Two-time Belmont winner and Hall of Fame trainer Nick Zito will saddle longshot Frammento, who was most recently 11th in the Derby. History is on Frammento's side, as both of Zito's Belmont wins spoiled Triple Crown bids - first with Birdstone then again with Da' Tara in 2008 - but the chestnut colt has yet to win a race since breaking his maiden on October 4 at Keeneland.

 

 

With the field for the Belmont set, American Pharoah's legacy hangs in the balance. Baffert is cautiously optimistic.

 

 

"We know we're against it. This is a very tough race with a lot of very nice horses in it. Like Pat Riley said, 'In championship games there is winning and there is misery,' so that's what we're looking at right now," said Baffert. "I'm soaking it in. It's exciting. I never thought I'd be back here again in this position, but the way he won his races, and then the Preakness, he was so dominating that day. When he's right, he likes to dominate. He's that kind of horse. Hopefully, he can bring it one more time."