Daily Racing Form: from nags to doping! Horse racing is one of the oldest pastimes, with wagering on the nags following closely after. Betting intelligently requires either a good eye or an available record of past performance. Originally a Chicago newspaper, this periodical gives the tout the inside scoop on past performances. The monumental digitization of this paper brings a
new light on racing sport. And they're off and running...
posted by mfoight
on Oct 24, 2011 -
19 comments
Secretariat - The Movie opens next week in the US. A
feminist or a
Christian angle might wring some suspense out of one of the least underdoggy sports stories ever filmed, but at least it's an excuse watch Secretariat's three perfect Triple Crown races again.
The Kentucky Derby, relentless come-from-behind classic. For a sense of the speed-- the unfortunate Sham, coming in two lengths behind, is also breaking the track record.
The unique backstretch run in
the Preakness Stakes, may well be the fastest a horse has ever moved. If you watch one race, it should be the transcendent
Belmont Stakes. With Inspirational Soundtrack!
[more inside]
posted by Erasmouse
on Oct 2, 2010 -
28 comments
Commonwealth, schmommonwealth. The Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games are on. Horse lovers the world over are enthralled by the high drama and hijinks in Lexington, Kentucky this week. Already there's been a controversial withdrawal following a
travel-related mishap (on the very same flight
hilariously previewed here.) In all the excitement, Eitan Beth-Halachmy, a "cowboy dressage" rider in the opening ceremony, seems to have
burst a spleen. As expected, the Dutch took the gold medal in Dressage despite one of their team being disqualified with
a horse bleeding from the mouth. Some point to training methods like
rollkur, or hyperflexion, saying they are cruel and abusive. The FEI has banned rollkur; former advocates say that what they do is not rollkur, but "LDR" (long, deep and round.)
Look at the lawsuits fly! In happier news, the gloriously named
Nobby took the gold medal in the Endurance event. "He could go another 100 miles today if you wanted him to," rider Maria Mercedes Alvarez Ponton said of the 15-year-old bay Arab gelding. Still to come, the equestrian triathlon:
Eventing! [more inside]
posted by rdc
on Sep 29, 2010 -
16 comments
Zenyata may be the greatest mare ever. Even if your not normally into race horses, it's worth seeing this one, there may not be another like her. Laura Hillenbrand, who wrote
Seabiscuit, explains
why (NPR 6min).
[more inside]
posted by stbalbach
on Jul 17, 2010 -
44 comments
Perhaps you think you've had your fill of photographs of decaying architecture and abandoned buildings. If so, the rich color and play of light in
Michael Eastman's beautiful body of work from Cuba, Europe, and the U.S. may change your mind. His site is flash - for non-flash folks, the
Duane Reed Gallery has additional works, including his B&W portfolios on horses, landscapes, and succulents.
(no relation to the Kodak family; via BB-Blog)
posted by madamjujujive
on Aug 23, 2008 -
15 comments
Located in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, tiny
Sable Island has a population of about 15 humans, assorted marine birds and seals, and more than 300 wild horses.
The island is a bastion of purity, wildness and beauty unmatched in the world.
[more inside]
posted by loiseau
on Apr 6, 2008 -
27 comments
Horses are not always good role models. Just in case you thought the craziness was limited to this one book, the authors proudly present a "true crime"
glimpse into a shadowy world of... okay, I actually have
no idea what they're talking about. Ah, the joys of
vanity publishing.
posted by OverlappingElvis
on May 16, 2007 -
51 comments
Horse Rescue in the Netherlands--after a heavy storm in October, 100+ horses were standed on a small island. Here's how they were rescued.
Google video; alternate YouTube link. Warning: Vangelis music.
posted by fandango_matt
on Nov 29, 2006 -
43 comments
Two completely dissimilar yet nifty artists: The twisted ink drawings of
Jon Kuta (big enough to make desktops; Flash interface), and the fabulously lifelike driftwood and bronze sculptures of
Heather Jansch (she really likes horses. Warning: you'll have to side-scroll).
posted by Gator
on Jan 15, 2006 -
11 comments
Ideophones are words that are usually spoken but not written and are often
onomatopoeic, including (
but not limited to) the calls—often
reduplicated—with which we beckon domestic animals, kindred to our
animal imitations. In the States there are many more
pig calls beyond
soo-ee. Maxim Gorky wrote that the sound
tse tse is used to call pigs in Russia. In Spanish
coch is used.
Americans use
pipi and
biddy to call chickens and turkeys. In
Ambon Malay chickens are called with
kurrrrr or
pan kur. In
Kiswahili you call chickens with
gurúgurúgurúgurú, call dogs with
aháháhá, and straying cattle with
ishiyeeyeeeeee or
ngoyéeeeee. In Sweden, they call cattle with a loud, high-pitched
kulning (akin to
yodeling). Cervantes wrote that they use
tus tus to call dogs in Spain.
One source says in
Coolderry, Ireland, they use
gen-gen to call pigs to ford,
puddly pudde to call ducks,
peopeo to call horses, and
geg geg to call geese. In Iceland,
kibbakibb is used to call sheep. In the Hiligaynon language of the Philippines, they call cats with
míming. In the parish of Nantcwnlle in Wales they have their own
set of calls.
posted by Mo Nickels
on Aug 27, 2005 -
17 comments
Some people are really passionate about things; in this guys case, he really fucking hates horses. "I am Hitler; horses are jews. Fire up the gas chambers."
posted by dflemingdotorg
on Jul 2, 2005 -
35 comments
FrozenHorses.com -- where you'll learn the answers to such questions as "Will my stallion freeze?" and "Where can the stallion semen be frozen?"
posted by ewagoner
on Sep 4, 2004 -
3 comments
I like it when
Chinese pigs say "hu-lu hu-lu," it's so exotic. Stupid American pigs just say oink. Also, horses in Thailand say "hee hee (with high tone)"!! How cool is it that, first, they even HAVE horses in Thailand, and second, that they sound like Betty Boop?
posted by luser
on Apr 22, 2003 -
5 comments
Today's Grand National Today 40 horses were forced around an arduous and often fatal 'race course'. This year,
only one horse was killed. How can anyone think that this is a sport?
posted by daveg
on Apr 5, 2003 -
31 comments
