Shepparton Trots

Horse racing has been part of the sporting world for many years and will continue to be for many to come. Most people think of jockeys and thoroughbred racing when horse racing comes to mind but there are also other forms of horse racing that are just old and traditional like the shepparton trots. Aussie punters have been placing there bets at the track for years and years now and with the advent of online bookies they can now place bets on multiple races at once in several different countries whether they are happening at the same time or not. This allows the punters to better work there gambling strategies and if they are smart increase there odds. Horse racing is very popular in Europe and Australia but it is hard to say whether or not it is any less popular in other places like in the Unites States or Canada.

Pacers and Trotters

Most people think of jockeys going a mile a minute speeding around the track on top of a powerful horse when they think of horse racing but like mentioned earlier there are several kinds of horse racing out there and a really popular form of horse racing is harness racing. The shepparton trots are an excellent example of a long standing tradition in harness based horse racing. Harness racing is obviously a type of horse racing but it differs in that the horses are in a particular gait. This horse pulls the driver on a cart around what is for the most part the same as a normal horse racing venue. They pull a cart with two wheels that is called a sulky and is sometimes referred to as a bike. The sulky is a very light weight cart which has two large bicycle type wheels on it. The driver in this case is not called a jockey the way they are in a thoroughbred race. The driver uses a small light weight whip in order to communicate with the horse. Unlike what most people who are poorly informed think the driver does not whip the horse very hard or even at all. The regulatory bodies of the sport have implemented very strict rules on how the whip is allowed to be used. Most people think that the driver is whipping the horse harder and harder to make it go faster but this is not the case. In most circumstances when the driver actually makes contact with the horse it is a light tapping in order to signal the horse about turns and other horse? and drivers in the race. When the driver wants to push the horse to go faster a technique is used where by the driver will use loud sounds to drive the horse to a higher velocity. The driver whips or strikes the shaft of the sulky it self in order to create a loud piercing sound to get the horse to move quicker. This loud sound is created both by the sound of the whip making contact with the shaft of the sulky but also more importantly it creates that whipping sound of a thin object slicing through the air. This is what makes the horse run faster not actual physical contact between the driver and the horse. Harness racing generally breaks down in to two categories pacers and trotters. These two categories are very much the same the main differences are how the horse actually moves. In trotting the horse? legs move in pairs diagonally where as with pacers the horses legs move laterally making for a much faster race. Ninety percent of the harness racing in North America and Australia fall into the pacers category mostly due to the fast paced racing it produces. There are a few other similarities between the 2 as well. There are one of 2 options on how the race will run firstly is a motorized gate start like we are used to seeing in thoroughbred racing the other is a handicap based system that implements what is called tapes. These tapes are markers in which a horse will start the race based on past performance and earlier trial runs. This allows for the races to implement handicaps that allow for sometimes a 10 meter head start for less likely winners. Aussie punters take advantage of these races as it allows them a little more leniency with the odds.

The Shepparton Harness Racing Club

The Shepparton Harness Racing Club has been the venue to many traditional harness races for many years. Located in Victoria, Australia at the Quest Racing Complex, the shepparton trots have become synonymous with the sport. The track has an incredible 1000 meter circumference and a beautiful 200 meter straight away. The track supports a number of different race lengths making it the perfect harness race event venue. Some of the sports greatest races have taken place here.

Conclusion

Horse racing is always about a jockey and a thoroughbred horse, harness racing is just as rich in history and tradition. Aussie punters have worked the handicaps in harness races for years and will continue to do so for years to come. Harness racing is popular all over the world with some of the races, mostly in Europe, still maintaining the early rules of the sport simply out of sportsmanship and tradition. Most punters prefer harness racing over thoroughbred races because of the handicaps and tapes that create them.