The breeding of purebred racehorses was a passion of royalty that began about 300 years ago in England. Now, the” sport of Kings ” can be found in America, Australia, East Asia, the Middle East, and other regions. Nowadays, anyone can go to the racetrack and enjoy the “sport of Kings”. Even a simple horse racing aficionado who bet on his favorite can win or lose a real sum in a single day. But why is it called the “sport of Kings”? Mainly due to the enormous cost involved in the acquisition, breeding, maintenance, and training of horses. When this sport began, Arab horses had to be shipped from the Middle East or North Africa, and of course, at least two were needed. Despite the rise of the middle class, the cost was prohibitive, except for the very rich.
Horse riding is known as the sport of Kings.
While it is possible to buy a horse for a few thousand dollars, the most coveted often cost millions. In September of this year, the Keenland Association, based in Kentucky, United States, sold 13 foals (horses under one-year-old) for values of around US$1 million; two of them for us$2.2 million.
Once the animal is purchased, you need a trainer, who usually charges about the US $ 37,000 a year, pays the veterinarian and assumes the costs of feeding, transportation and so, on. If you add it all up, you could spend more than $ 100,000 a year. Unfortunately, this does not ensure a winning horse.
In 2006 a group of British rich people paid the US $ 16 million for the Green Monkey. After losing three consecutive races, the horse was withdrawn from the competition.
In most races, the winner gets approximately$100,000. “But the rich don’t have horses to get their investment back,” says Jill Mullvihil, director of communication and public relations at the National Thoroughbred Racing Association in the US. “They do it because they love these animals and sport.”
The polo is one of the oldest sports in the world and, although it has been called “the sport of kings”, there are those who are not noble but practice it in our country. It is not common to see, but because of its showiness and curiosity, it becomes a very fun activity to see and enjoy.
Bogotá is one of the cities where polo is most practiced, a sport of which there is not much tradition in Latin America, except in Argentina. This journalistic work explains what this sport is about and what its particularities are. Andrea Quintero, one of the few Colombian poleis in the world, talks to us about this issue.
These days the polo season of this year is about to end and the observers ‘ conclusion is that this sport has experienced in the last year an upsurge, both in terms of the professional level of the players, as well as the number of fans. Although in Colombia there are few teams Bogotá, Cali, and Medellin, the permanent exchange with foreign teams has made the Colombian pole reach competitive levels with the outside world. This fact and the presence of foreign stars in the courts of the Polo and the Country Club of Bogotá, the Country Club of Cali and the Llano Grande in Medellin, has given an additional attraction to the sport that has seen it increase its audience in recent times.
Additional, because the polo, which has been par excellence the sport of “the Chosen Ones”, has always had a very special attraction: it is a show of cooperation between the man and the horse, in both cases the” exemplary ” is usually of good stamp, and it convokes the most select of the society since it is practiced by families of long tradition such as the princes of Wales in England, the Domecq in Spain, the Trujillo in the Dominican Republic, the Heguy in Argentina or the Sanz of Santamaría, Lloredas, Herrera and Reyes Colombians.
The curious thing is that the hosts of the polis are increasing even though it is such an expensive sport. To be in everything you have to, have at least six mares-preferably Argentine, at least 10 tacos-hopefully English -, several pairs of Boots-English even if you support American Texans-bandages. All this for the modest and minimal amount of $ 100,000, not counting, maintenance.
In spite of this, the Polo continues to gain adepts in the country, and the one who was the most elitist sport sees its circle extended. Not only in terms of New interested in playing it but also the number of fans who want to fill the stands to see the rich and good young men in action.