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 what you need to know about owning a standardbred |
| Harness Racing Jargon Harness racing, like most sports, has its own language. Here are some of the commonly used terms exclusive to our industry. Boring Pole—attaches from the bridle to the saddle and is designed to keep the horse’s neck straight. Break—generally means to gallop thus breaking the gait they should be in. Cardigan Bay—former great New Zealand pacer. First harness horse in history to win one million dollars. Christian Cullen—champion pacer of the late 1990s. Colt—male horse up to the age of three years. Ear Plugs—gear used to settle horses down and relax them by plugging the ears, hence minimising noise. Entire—male horse over the age of three that has not been gelded. Executive—Eleven person board who oversee HRNZ. Those on the board are voted on, or elected by their respective kindred bodies. Filly—female horse aged up to three years. Free-For-All—type of race that allows horses of all classes to compete off equal marks. Gait—type of running action. There are two—pacing and trotting. Gear—the harness worn by horses. Gelding—male horse of any age that has been neutered. Grand Circuit—consists of the major Group One races in Australia and New Zealand. Both pacers and trotters have a Grand Circuit. Group One—highest level of competition, most prestigious and richest races (for example, New Zealand Cup). Handicap—race where horses with a higher assessment start from a mark behind the front line. Hopples—harness used to help keep pacers in their correct gait. Hopple Shorteners—are inserted to the hopples to make them shorter to help pacers at the start of a race. Horses’ Birthday—all horses share the same birthday of 1August, regardless of their actual birth date. This date corresponds with the start of the racing season. HRNZ (Harness Racing New Zealand)—harness racing’s administrative body. Inter-Dominions—yearly fixture that involves horses from Australia and New Zealand competing in the richest and most prestigious racing series of the season. JCA (Judicial Control Authority)—independent body established under the Racing Act to consider judicial matters pursuant to the rules. Junior Driver—driver under the age of 25 who hasn’t driven more than 50 winners. Lyell Creek—champion trotter of the modern era. Mare—female horse over the age of three years. Markers—new safety measure, many racetracks now have them. They line the inside of the track and are used instead of a running rail. Mile Rate—complicated calculation that converts race times into mile rates so each horses performance over varying distances can be compared. Mobile Start—race where horses assemble behind a vehicle with a wide gate attached so all horses can be moving at near top speed when the race starts. Nasal Strip—new apparatus that is applied across the nose to help clear nasal passages and enable the horse to take in more air during a race. One/One—prime racing position where a horse is one out from the markers (or rail) with one horse in front of it. Parked—sitting outside the leader with no horses in front of it. Passing Lane—inward expansion on a racetrack in the front straight that gives the horse trailing the leader a clear run to the winning post. Racecourse Inspector—covers security on race day and undertakes non-race day enquiries (for example drug investigations). Season—the season runs from 1 August to 31 July. Spreaders—harness that attaches to the sulky from the horse’s legs. It is designed to stop horses from hitting their knees when racing. Standing Start—start type where horses assemble behind a barrier strand. Once all are standing well in a line the starter will release the barrier. Stipendiary Steward—employed by HRNZ to ensure race meetings are conducted in line with the rules of harness racing. Prosecutors in race day enquiries. Stud Book—biennial publication from HRNZ that includes all horses from mares that have been bred in the last six years. Sulky—racing cart pulled by harness horses. Three Wide—a horse is three wide when there are two horses racing inside of it. Trail—racing directly behind the leader. Turnover—total number of dollars invested through the TAB on any given race or race meeting. UDR (Universal Drivers’ Rating)—rating dividing wins and placings by the number of starts or drives a trainer or driver has. Weanling—a foal that has been taken off its mother. Year Book—annual publication from HRNZ that includes all race results from the previous season and associated racing information. Yearling—one year old horse. Paul Thomson (Captain, Auckland NPC rugby team) |
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