8 Of The Strangest Moments In Horse Racing History

Horse racing dates back thousands of and its modern incarnation is widely recognized as being America’s oldest sport. The skill of the jockeys, the athletic prowess of the horses, and the excitement of the crowd combine to make one of the most enjoyable spectator sports imaginable.

Betting on horse racing is another factor that has helped to drive its popularity with course bookmakers, land-based betting offices, and online operations all accepting a variety of markets. Some US states still have prohibitive regulations regarding betting markets. However, as Darren Moore explains, there are safe offshore sportsbooks covered in his guide that allow players from across the country.

There is no such thing as a sure thing in horse racing and we have taken a look at some of the strangest moments in horse racing history that would have had some customers tearing up their betting slips, and others running to the bank.

The Fraud of 1844

The famous Epsom Derby in the UK was first held in 1780, but it is the events of the 1844 race that takes the title of one of the race’s most bizarre incidents. 

The race rules stated that it was open to three-year-old fillies, and when trainer Abraham Levi’s ‘Running Rein’ passed the post nothing much was thought of it. However, it transpired that the horse running under that name was actually Maccabeus, a four-year-old imposter.

This fiasco threatened the future of the famous race with its reputation in tatters for some time after.

Cheltenham Fog

As a spectator sport, one of the most important aspects of horse racing from a consumer point of view is being able to see it. In 1841 at Cheltenham Racecourse, this was not as straightforward as it should have been as a thick blanket of fog rolled in, obscuring the action.

The fog was so bad that some jockeys pulled out of the race and of the five remaining horses The Currier and Tupsley battled it out. John Chappie who was riding Tupsley went on to pass what he thought was the winning chair and slowed his horse, but the fog had deceived him.

The Currier continued through and won the race causing quite the stir. The rest of the meeting was abandoned until the following day, allowing the weather to clear up.

The Retired Grand National Winner

The racehorse Rubio was the first North American winner of the Grand National, but it didn’t come easy. Following an injury, the horse was retired for three years, spending that time pulling transport to and from a train station to a hotel.

After returning to training, Rubio went on to perform well and was entered into the Grand National in 1908, going on to win the event.

The Last Horse Standing

Rubio’s Grand National victory wasn’t the only strange tale from the race and in 1928, 100/1 long-shot Tipperary Tim surprised everyone by winning.

While all bettors know that even outsiders have a chance of upsetting the odds, it was the nature of the win that was so bizarre. Of the 42 horses that started the race, only Tipperary Tim was able to complete the course without falling at a fence.

Heavy ground conditions and mist made the ride extremely difficult but William Dutton, an amateur jockey, stayed the course and secured a historic victory.

Man vs Horse

The idea of a man racing a horse might seem ludicrous, but that is exactly what happened in 1849 when an American runner named George Seward put his money where his mouth was by betting £20 (not an inconsiderable sum for the age) of his own money that he could beat a horse named Black Bess over 120 yards and 8 hurdles.

Surprisingly the race was a lot closer than you might imagine, with the horse narrowly winning. The slight uphill finish favored the horse who had found its stride by then, winning by a length.

While humans will be able to get to their top speed a lot more quickly than a horse, the length of the race and its conditions showed how superior the beast was to man in this instance.

Horses on Strike

Not all strange stories of horse racing happened in the distant past, though many of them did. As recently as Jun 2022, the French racecourse of Rostrennan was witness to one of the more peculiar instances to happen in a race.

The six racers all decided to stop at the same fence, causing confusion and hilarity among viewers. It is not sure why the horses didn’t fancy the jump, but things such as shadows have been known to affect horses on approach to fences.

The stoppage appeared to be sparked by the leader though, with the other racers in single file all slowing and eventually stopping, with some causing riders to become unbalanced.

Good jockeying helped to avoid disaster and the horses were eventually encouraged to jump the obstacle in their own time. This resulted in a race that was well spaced out, with the first to negotiate the jump in pole position.

The Slowest Steeplechase

On December 29th, 1945 the record for the slowest-ever steeplechase victory was secured by Never Mind II. This strange record came about after the horse initially refused to jump the fourth fence of the two-mile race.

The jockey was resigned to defeat and led the horse back to its paddock before being informed that the other racers had been disqualified or fallen, leaving them as the only contenders.

On returning to the course, they completed the race in a time of 11m 28s, securing their place in the record books as the slowest steeplechase winners ever.

Battle of the Sexes

In 1805, Alicia Meynell surprised the horse racing world by jockeying Louisa to victory against Frank Buckle and Allegro. Buckle was regarded as the top jockey of his time, but it was Meynell who emerged victorious despite riding side-saddle.

The race was won by a neck and the 4-stone weight difference between the riders would undoubtedly have had an impact, but it was still a major boost for women in sport.

Other Notable Mentions

There have been many other strange and bizarre stories to emerge from the world of horse racing over the years, this includes the tale of Ghanaian jockeys going on strike in 1966 after the refusal of horse racing authorities to sacrifice a cow at a dangerous bend of a course.

1967 saw the repeat of Tipperary Tim’s solo Grand National finish as Foinavon was the only horse to complete the course. A 1970 race at Royal Ascot saw the fourth-place finisher being crowned the winner after the first three horses were disqualified.

Conclusion

The fact that many of these incidents are still talked about goes to show how rarely this kind of thing happens at major meetings. While there is a lot of time and money that goes into the training and preparation of a horse, and thousands if not millions wagered on the top races, fans can’t help but get caught up in the excitement that surrounds these strange stories.

After all, if your selection isn’t going to win, wouldn’t you prefer for it to be down to some wild and wonderful set of circumstances rather than just a poor performance?