The Feats of Many - World Records Set by Horses
November 20th 2006 12:56
In 1921 a horse called Humorist won the Derby, England’s jewel in the racing crown, and was dead three weeks later. An autopsy allegedly revealed the horse had only one lung! In America, a palomino horse grew the longest tail in the world measuring some 22 feet long while a Californian horse possessed the longest mane at an interesting 18 feet. There are very credible feats in the equine industry that span the centuries of recorded time, some completely ridiculous and others a biological wonder. The world’s tallest horse, smallest horse, oldest horse, greatest jockey - the merits roll onwards and upwards. So here is compiled a list of records that have been set in the world of horses, some still standing (literally) and others that still bewilder decades after their inauguration…
Dan Cavanah in Tennessee lays claim to the world’s largest collection of stick horses. His hoard was given official recognition by the Guinness Book of World Records in 2002, and the record-setting collection can be viewed for free at Dolly Parton’s Dixie Stampede at Pigeon Forte in Tennessee!
The smallest horse alive today is Thumbelina, believed to be a genetic midget of an already tiny breed of horse, the Miniature. Thumbelina stands at 4 hands high to the horse world, or a mere 17 inches! While still a horse, the miniature of a Miniature would struggle to jump clear over a bucket.
It is impossible to imagine how formidable a 21.2hh Shire would be before us, as much as it is difficult to grasp how a diving horse might have looked jumping from a 40ft tower in the 1930s. Like so many aspects of life where horses are present, it is the seeing that is believing.
The Highest Jump
A horse called King’s Own was ridden into unofficial history in the 1940s by Fred Wettach Jr. by clearing a fence standing at 8ft 3½in (over 2.5 metres)! Motion picture cameras captured the awesome effort but the record remains unofficial because it was not achieved before a public gathering of witnesses.The Most Consecutive Wins
In 1953 a three-year old Puerto Rican colt, Camerero, was undefeated across 56 races, one after the other! The South American superstar won 73 races from 77 starts in a career that spanned the years between 1953 and 1956.The Oldest Horse
The oldest horse verifiably recorded was Old Billy, a Cleveland Bay heavy draught foaled in Woolston, England in 1760. The average lifespan of a horse is 24, though some do progress towards 30. Old Billy however died in 1822, and that made him an astonishing 62!The Oldest Winning Horse
The oldest winning horse in recorded racing history was a Bathurst thoroughbred called Jorrocks who raced to victory at the age of 18, an impressive effort in light of most racehorses retiring before they reach 8.The Largest Collection of Stick Horses
The Highest Earnings by a Jockey
Astonishingly, jockey Laffit Pincay Jr. set the record for the highest earnings of a jockey. From 1964 until 1996, Pincay Jr. amassed a staggering $190,538,811 US in earnings.The Smallest Horse
..And The Tallest Horse
For many years the world’s tallest horse was a Percheron stallion called Goliath who stood an imposing 19.1 hh, or 6ft 5in to the withers. Goliath weighed 1¼ tonnes before his death in 2001. The current record for the tallest horse is held by a 19.3hh Belgian Draft in the US called Radar, but even this record leaves air between it and a Shire named Samson who, foaled in Toddington Mills, England, in 1846 stood at 21.2½hh!It is impossible to imagine how formidable a 21.2hh Shire would be before us, as much as it is difficult to grasp how a diving horse might have looked jumping from a 40ft tower in the 1930s. Like so many aspects of life where horses are present, it is the seeing that is believing.
seeing is believing...
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Comment by Sonya O
I like the one about the highest jump, that is truly amazing. Thumbellina is totally cute, about the size of a small dog?
Comment by JessOw
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Comment by Sonya O
Comment by JessOw
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Comment by The Stick Horse Kids
There are a couple of error that need to be corrected. It should read:
Dan Cavanah lives in Florida and the collection is on display in Your text goes here[][U]Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.
This is a very unique gathering of all sorts of stick horse and stick horse stuff that should be seen by everyone. In 2008 stick horses will acheive a few more world records when over 8,600 Jolly Rider kids ride one stick horse named Jolly 4,300 mile pony express styled from Seattle, WA to Miami, FL as a fundraising ministry for childrens charities.
Comment by The Stick Horse Kids
There are a couple of error that need to be corrected. It should read:
Dan Cavanah lives in Florida and the collection is on display in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.
This is a very unique gathering of all sorts of stick horse and stick horse stuff that should be seen by everyone. In 2008 stick horses will acheive a few more world records when over 8,600 Jolly Rider kids ride one stick horse named Jolly 4,300 mile pony express styled from Seattle, WA to Miami, FL as a fundraising ministry for childrens charities.
Comment by JessOw
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