by Will Bardenwerper

Indian relay racing is sometimes called America's first extreme sport. For years, the Brew Crew - team from the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota - were a dominant force. Then tragedy struck. This is the story of the Lakota's spiritual relationship with the horse, and a quest to regain glory on the track.

On the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota, you hear it again and again: “There will never be another Hermis Tall.”

Hermis was the greatest Indian relay rider of his generation, a natural horseman who led a team of Oglala Lakota to three consecutive championships at the sport’s marquee event, held every summer in Sheridan, Wyoming. The sight of him thundering bareback across the finish line - astride a 1,200-pound thoroughbred, shirtless, his chiseled physique glistening with sweat - will forever be ingrained in the minds of his teammates, friends, and rivals. His team, known as the Brew Crew (a nod to the last name of their captain, Stan Brewer), racked up a remarkable 19 wins during the summer of 2015 alone, making them Indian relay’s dominant force, the subject of envy and occasional resentment over Hermis’s aggressive riding tactics.

There’s no reason to resent Hermis Tall anymore. His picture is now attached to a wooden cross, marking his grave site on a lonely, windswept reservation bluff. He lies next to his brother Earl, not far from the overcrowded family trailer where he grew up and lived for most of his life, much of which he spent on horseback.

Hermis may be gone, but the story he started isn’t over. It’s the story of the team he left behind, of their struggle to overcome heartbreak and adversity on and off the track, and of their attempt to once again find glory in the powerful union of man and horse.

Read more: Steal the Thunder

Most of us can remember the names of legendary horses, their most iconic victories in famous races around the world, often made immortal by the subsequent bloodlines. Arguably the best-known thoroughbred in American horse racing history is Man o’ War, the legendary stallion foaled in Kentucky that won 20 from 21 races in 1919 and 1921.

No horse has drawn more historical acclaim than “Big Red” as the powerful chestnut was also known. After his retirement from racing, Man o’ War became a leading sire who produced multiple champions, including Triple Crown winner War Admiral. He was also the grandsire of Seabuiscuit, while that remarkable bloodline still continues to this day, coursing through the veins of modern champions. Although not a direct descendent, even the hugely popular 1970’s champion Secretariat was a distant relation.

The names of those horses are forever etched in our collective memories. But how often can we name the jockeys who urged those thoroughbreds to success? Well, unless we happen to have an encyclopaedic knowledge of horse racing history, chances are the names of those jockeys are shrouded in the mists of time. Yet in truth, without such highly skilled jockeys in the saddle, those iconic horses might not have registered the successes they achieved.

Read more: Why the Jockey is Just as Important as the Horse They Ride

Grand National legend Tiger Roll has once again been withdrawn from the Grand National by his owners in protestation at the “absurd” rating and subsequent weight handed to him by the race handicappers. Owner Michael O’Leary was vociferous in his criticism of the handicappers despite them cutting Tiger Roll’s weight by 5lb from last year. O’Leary believes the rating and weight – despite his back-to-back wins around Merseyside’s iconic Aintree Racecourse – to be “unfair” on a chaser that’s now 12 years old and in the twilight of his career.

Tiger Roll made history with back-to-back Grand National victories in 2018 and 2019 respectively. He was the first thoroughbred to capture the imagination of the British public so much since Red Rum. Tiger Roll’s gutsy displays saw even the most casual of punters take him to their hearts, with many hoping to see him in action in 2021 only to be denied that opportunity by unrealistic weight and ratings from the handicappers.

Ahead of the 2022 National, Tiger Roll was given a rating of 161, which bemused O’Leary who issued a statement within hours of the weights being published. O’Leary stated that Tiger Roll is “clearly not as good” as he was in his prime, aged “eight or nine”. Despite his ageing limbs, O’Leary revealed the handicappers rate Tiger Roll “2lb higher” than his rating in April 2019, when he came into the race as the defending champion. O’Leary believes it is “a pity” that the handicappers have not given Tiger Roll a fair crack at emulating Red Rum’s historic hat-trick of wins.

Read more: No Fairytale Bid for Grand National Hat-Trick as Tiger Roll is Withdrawn

When we think about betting on anything with four legs, the most obvious choice is horse racing. This was the most popular sport for the betting community and, while it’s recently been overtaken by football, it retains a huge following.

There are many guides available for those interested in getting involved with horse racing markets but did you know that there are other equine disciplines to consider? Here is a rundown of what is available.

The Obvious Choice

Horse racing needs to be quickly mentioned because of that vast following across the world. Sportsbooks will put markets in place for all professional competitions and there are daily options for those that are interested.

All of the regular bets are available including straight winner, each way, forecasts, straight line multiples, formulas and more.

In regards to finding a sports betting provider, there are lots of review sites such as Asiabet.org. Here, you will find sports betting sites that cover every possible meeting in the horse racing world.

Read more: Betting on the Horses: It’s Not Just About Horse Racing

Highlight of the Cheltenham Festival, the Gold Cup is a steeplechase race with 22 fences to overcome. It is England's most valuable handicap-free race, with a total prize money of £468,750 in 2021. Get ready for the 2022 edition with these Cheltenham Gold Cup tipsand read this article in the meantime to find out more about the world of racing. As you may have noticed, when we talk about money in the racing world, we often focus on the winnings from the races. However, when a horse wins a race, the owner does not actually get the full amount. So how much does a racehorse really make ? And also, how much does it cost ? 

Cost of buying and training the horse

There are over 8,000 racehorse owners in the UK. Their profiles are very varied : some are wealthy landowners, others are racing enthusiasts with a job as a schoolteacher or plumber who have bought a racehorse in co-ownership. The average cost of a racehorse is £23,980, so it is indeed easier to get into shared ownership than individual ownership. The horse is young and inexperienced so will need to be put into training, which costs around £22,000 a year to train a flat racehorse and £16,000 for a jumping horse. Of course this amount varies depending on the training centre chosen. There are also other costs to consider such as race entry, insurance (which varies in price depending on the quality of the horse) and veterinary costs which can rise exponentially.

Read more: How Much Money Does a Cheltenham Gold Cup Winning Horse Make Over Time?

The UK has a long history of horse racing tradition, boasting some of the world’s best and most iconic tracks. Famous racing venues include Aintree, famous for hosting the Grand National every year, Cheltenham, known for its prestigious festival and Ascot recognised worldwide for the yearly Royal meeting held there. These events all have illustrious histories with countless legendary moments, they are extremely popular with fans, many of whom take advantage of free bets listed by sites like oddschecker who cover all major events at these racecourses. Of course, betting has been an important part of UK horse racing history, with the nations tracks hosting some of the biggest shocks wins and surprising narratives the sport has ever seen.

Aintree

Based in Merseyside, just outside of the city of Liverpool, Aintree Racecourse is one of the UK’s most iconic sporting venues. It was built in 1829 as a place for Liverpool’s growing number of competitors and fans to enjoy racing. It is most famous for the Grand National, which started in the late 1830s as “The Grand Liverpool Steeplechase” before countrywide interest made it a national event. Throughout its history, Aintree has had its ups and downs, from structural problems to numerous changes of ownership, but the Grand National has kept it alive throughout, creating an emotional attachment with fans that means they’ll never give up on the magical venue. In addition to the Grand National, Aintree hosts many smaller race meetings throughout the year and has even hosted the British motor racing Grand Prix five times. Outside of sport, Aintree has also hosted concerts from Michael Jackson, P!nk, Kaiser Chiefs and The Chemical Brothers, so it has a special place in the hearts of people who aren’t into horse racing too.

Read more: UK’s Best Horse Racing Tracks

by The British Horseracing Authority

Scientific research into equine vision leads to trial of new fence and hurdle design to further improve safety in jump racing.

The research by University of Exeter shows that horses see better and may jump differently over white and yellow obstacles compared to the orange currently used on hurdles and fences.

The recommendation to trial the use of fluorescent yellow for all hurdles and guard-rails, and fluorescent white for take-off boards at fences is approved by Racecourse Committee.

The trial will be rolled out first at training yards before being used in a live racing environment, and has the objective of making jump racing safer for horse and rider.

The research will be shared with other jurisdictions and equine pursuits.

The colours deployed on hurdles and fences on British racecourses may be set to change off the back of cutting edge research led by the University of Exeter into the way that horses perceive colour.

In 2017 the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) and Racing Foundation commissioned – and provided funding support for – research into equine vision. The opportunity for this project was identified by the partnership between the BHA and RSPCA who work together on an ongoing basis to develop new ways to make hurdle and fence design safer.

Read more: Scientific Research Into Equine Vision Improves Safety in Jump Racing

New York has a long and prestigious reputation in the sport of horse racing. There are many tracks, both Thoroughbred and harness, in the Empire State. The state boasts many farms of myriad breeds, and historic, world-renowned tracks.

The first formal horse race in North America took place at Salisbury on Long Island, in 1665 – not far from the site of Roosevelt Field, a sentimental favorite harness track in the 1940s – 1988. The first track was named Newmarket, no doubt influenced by the British, as Newmarket was the home of British racing.

In 2005, Belmont Park celebrated the 340th anniversary of that first race meet with a ceremony during Belmont’s Breeders’ Cup weekend. English equestrians and their horses, adorned in gear and tack from the mid-17th Century, paraded onto the track, holding ceremonial flags.

Many tracks in the State are being renovated; even the world-renowned Saratoga Race Course has created new dining and seating options to accommodate the sport’s growing fanbase.

To many, horse racing is synonymous with betting, and the New York State Gaming Commission oversees all gaming in the State. The Commission has authority over all racing to assure that they adhere to the letters of the law. As online betting is becoming the new trend across most American states, horse races will be included within the new options available for sports betting in New York.

The Gaming Commission requires all facilities to maintain the highest standards, to assure that horses living and working on their tracks are well cared-for. Racetracks in New York have some of the nation’s most advanced facilities: horses here get the best care before, during and after events.

This list of noted tracks are highly-recommend and if you love horse racing and visit New York - do check them out!

1. Aqueduct Racetrack

Aqueduct Racetrack is an historic Thoroughbred track in New York, built in 1894. (Saratoga Race Course is the oldest, opened in 1864.) The New York Racing Association’s offices are at Aqueduct, in the Ozone Park/Jamaica neighborhood of Queens and it is located adjacent to the Resorts World New York City Casino;—distinguishing Aqueduct as the only horse track in New York City.

Read more: Five Unique Horse Racing Tracks In New York

In light of the sad news about Medina Spirit suffering an apparent heart attack, we thought this article very relevant.

By Dan Ross

The sudden death during training hours this summer of Bobby Abu Dhabi (Macho Uno) was a tragic incident. Connections lost a horse they loved. Racing lost one of its sprint stars. His death, however, opens a window into a still relatively obscure corner of equine fatalities.

While Bobby Abu Dhabi was originally reported to have suffered cardiac arrest, it was later reported he died of other causes. What this confusion betrays are some common misunderstandings surrounding “sudden deaths,” namely that the term

comprises a variety of different health issues and injuries, some of them completely unrelated to the heart. Another problem, said Dionne Benson, executive director of the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium, is that while we can speculate why racehorses' hearts suddenly give out, we're still unable to provide definitive answers, like we can for humans.

“This is such a hard area to dig into,” Benson said. “We have so little information out there.”

Defining “Sudden Death”

Veterinary medicine defines exercise-induced “sudden death” in racehorses as the collapse and death in an apparently healthy horse during, or within one hour after, exercise. The term comprises many different causes, not just sudden cardiac death. Massive bleeding in the lungs or abdomen; fractures of the skull or neck; hemorrhaging from a pelvic fracture–all these injuries can prove swiftly fatal in a manner that, outwardly, resembles a cardiac issue.

Of paramount importance, then, is that a thorough post-mortem is conducted swiftly, to identify, if possible, what happened. While some jurisdictions have comprehensive necropsy programs for all horses fatally injured during racing and morning training, this is far from a blanket requirement across the nation, meaning that many sudden deaths, which happen relatively rarely anyway, go unexamined.

What's more, even if a post-mortem is performed, when it comes to sudden cardiac death, oftentimes there are no lesions, ruptured arteries or damaged heart tissue that pathologists can point to with authority and say this or that caused the heart to stop.

Read more: Sudden Cardiac Death in Racehorses: What We Know and Still Don't