what you need to know about owning a standardbred

Harness racing plays an important part in the lives of thousands of New Zealanders, whether it is through employment or as a leisure activity.  Dating as far back as 200 years ago contests were held between travellers driving their buggies in the same direction on dirt roads, until police started arresting the out of control drivers.  Special trackswere organised where races could take place without endangering travellers.  As these races becamemore popular people tried to breed a fasterhorse.  Before they were able to race, horses were required to trot or pace over one mile(1609 m) in a standard time of two minutes thirty seconds or less.  The name standardbred comes from this requirement.

In New Zealand there are 51 harness racing clubs that race on 39 different tracks.  The three feature events are the Canterbury Draught New Zealand Trotting Cup held at Addington Raceway on the second Tuesday in November, the Auckland Trotting Cup held in December at Alexandra Park and the New Zealand Derby held at Addington during Easter.

With over 2300 races and $17,000,000 in stakes on offer, there seems no better time to get involved in the ownership of a harness horse.

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