The rich heritage of Virginia horse racing traces its roots back to the colonial days of the late seventeenth century. Horse racing began as single-day events held at county fairs, family farms, and hunt meets, taking a long and meandering path to become the sport we know and love today. "Colonial Downs and More" examines the important changes that occurred in Virginia's horse racing industry during the last half century, with a particular focus on the debates over pari-mutuel wagering. The legalization of pari-mutuel wagering became a hot-button legislative issue in the 1980s, sparked by horse breeders and owners hoping to improve the industry. In 1988, voters approved the legalization of pari-mutuel wagering, a move that opened the doors for the establishment of a new racetrack that would come to be known as Colonial Downs. Colonial Downs faced major obstacles from its inception. Construction was bogged down by licensing delays and legal issues. Nine long years elapsed before it finally opened its gates in 1997. After a modest opening, attendance and wagering slumped over the next three to five years. Nonetheless, despite the difficulties, the track and associated operations remain high quality, offering breeders and owners needed funds and providing racing fans with unparalleled fun and excitement.

Six Chukkers of Love is more than Clark Hetherington's autobiography. It is a first-hand account of the history of polo in the United States post World War II. Clark knew all of the movers and shakers, great players and sundry characters that were responsible for polos growth and development. His book is filled with wonderful stories of these individuals and their enthusiasm for the sport. These pages portray not only his love of polo and his important role in its growth but also the influential roles played by each of many other individuals. At the National Museum of Polo and Hall of Fame part of our mission is to preserve, record, and archive the history and tradition of polo. Much of what Clark has written in these pages are anecdotes of personal experiences no where else previously documented. The anecdotes and stories convey what all of us who live the sport know to be the true flavor of its tradition. Our heartfelt gratitude goes out to the author for preserving this history. Six Chukkers of Love is another chapter in Clark Hetherington's dedicated service to the sport of polo. In 2004, the National Museum of Polo and Hall of Fame recognized his lifetime contributions with the Iglehart Award. Some of these contributions are briefly outlined on the plaque in his honor at the Museum as follows: He spent a lifetime dedicated to polo. An avid player since age 7. He later captained the Oklahoma University team. He started Broad Acres Polo Club in 1954 and served four years as USPA circuit governor. At his own expense, he produced educational films such as Charlie Chukker and an umpire training presentation. Clark has been called by many, "The father of professional umpiring." He tirelessly promoted a uniform standard for all umpires to the USPA and to clubs around the country. After his appointment as USPA chief umpire, he developed umpire training programs and conducted numerous clinics across the nation, furnishing horses and equipment. More than 250 polo players, including several Hall of Fame inductees, claim Hetherington as their mentor. I know the many friends Clark has made over the years on the polo field will enjoy reading through these pages. Undoubtedly, they will arouse in each reader treasured memories of polo fun. For me and countless others in the sport, his career has been a wonderful influence and example. Stephen Orthwein Chairman National Museum of Polo and Hall of Fame

Originally published in France 1854 then translated into English in 1919 by John Swire. The author's methods are simple and practical. He treats a horse like a human being; he maintains that the rider can only influence his mount by placing it in such a position that the movement desired is the only possible one, and then stimulating it; the placing being made easy by specially graduated exercises which supple the horse's will as well as his muscles. Contents include: New method of giving the Rider a good Seat. - Control and Distribution of Energy. - The Suppling Exercises. - Suppling the Hindquarters. - The Use of the Horse's Energy by the Rider. - Concentration of the Horse's Energy by the Rider. - The Canter. - Jumping. - The Piaffer. - Scheme of Work. A Concise Explanation of the Method by means of Question and Answer. . Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. Home Farm Books are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.

Although pony-like in stature (measuring no more than thirty-eight inches at the shoulder), miniature horses nevertheless resemble small, well-proportioned horses with refined features. As pets or show horses, for driving, as well as therapy and guide animals, miniatures are ideal whether kept in limited space or on larger property. With stunning photographs by Bruce Curtis, The Book of Miniature Horses is as delightful an introduction to this fascinating breed as the horses themselves.

Explore the history of Old Friends in Georgetown, Kentucky.

Hook to the BookThere are two, I repeat, two things standing in the way of your personal success with exotic wagering. One of the two is you. The other is a paradox involving your approach, the standard approach, to playing the exotics. I will provide you a quick, yet thorough explanation in this book. Realizing your vision of winning exotic wagers consistently necessitates a brand-new mindset, and then soon you will be on the surefire road to unparalleled success. You are only a couple of hours away from identifying the other hurdle, thus obliterating the hindrances and obtaining your long-elusive dream.

"Learning never stops. It still surprises me that I can discover new and effective ways to train" Gill Watson's lifelong dedication to training and mentoring young riders has taken her on a journey that has spanned decades. Many of today's most renowned British eventers began their international careers under Gill's watchful eye. Full of insight, humour and occasional spills, Gill has drawn together memories from over forty former pupils and colleagues. This is an extraordinary record of life as an international team coach, and a fascinating look at the skills and techniques which forge young talent into future stars. With guest contributors including Olympic Gold Medal winner Laura Collett and a foreword by Pippa Funnell.

Memoirs Of The Life Of The Late John Mytton, Esq. With Notices Of His Hunting, Shooting, Driving, Racing, Eccentric And Extravagant Exploits. By Nimrod. Originally published in 1837. A cracking sporting memoir. Contents include: Pedigree of Mr. Mytton - With Whom Compared - The breaking up of his establishment at Halston - The author's allusion to a second edition of Mr. Mytton's life. Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. READ COUNTRY BOOKS are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.

"Precision ... Statistical and Mathematical Methods in Horse Racing" thoroughly discusses the mathematical and statistical methods in handicapping and betting techniques. Differentiations, combinatorics, normal distribution, kernel smoothing and other mathematical and statistical tools are introduced. The jargons and equations are kept to a minimum so that it is easy to understand for most readers. More than 20 professional programs are freely available to download, which can allow readers to easily apply the methodology introduced in the book.
This book can be divided into three main parts: horse handicapping (Chapters 2-6), wagering (Chapters 7-9) and theories in practices (Chapters 10-11). Chapter 1 will explain why long term gains are possible in horse racing. About horse handicapping, we will start with analysing racing forms in Chapter 2. Other handicapping factors such as weight carried, jockeys, trainers and pedigrees will be discussed in Chapter 3. Some advanced statistical methods, such as chi-square test and kernel smoothing, will be introduced in Chapter 4 to further analyse those handicapping factors discussed in previous chapters. The following two chapters are about probability estimations. In Chapter 5, normal distribution and multinominal logistic regression are introduced in estimating winning probability of each race horse. In Chapter 6, we will talk about some methods in misconceptions in estimating placed probability.
Two main concepts in wagering, Kelly criterion and hedging, will be discussed in Chapters 7 and 8. To hit exotic pools, those theories in combinatorics in Chapter 9 will definitely help the readers. The author will share his experiences in betting syndicate in Chapter 10, and tell you how to be a successful professional horseplayer in the last Chapter.
Some readers may find the mathematics in this book difficult, but the free program will take your pain away and do all the calculations. You can simply apply all the professional formulae by no more than a click, and pick your horses like an expert analyst.
As an awardee in Asian-Pacific Mathematics Olympiad, the author abandoned his career as an actuary and became a key member in a gambling syndicate. This book was reprinted in the 4th edition in Hong Kong, ranked #2 in the best-selling chart in the international Chinese weekly Yazhou Zhoukan, and now available worldwide.