In 1788, a British Thoroughbred stallion named Messenger came to
Philadelphia. This unannounced immigrant soon began a breeding career that
launched the sport of standard breed racing in America. When Messenger died in 1808, he was buried with full military honors.
Horses were our first sports heroes. Eager crowds approaching 100,000
Gather to watch legendary horse races in the 19th century. Today, our equine athletes are not
less revered. More American museums hold horse competitions than any other
sport.
The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in Saratoga Springs, New
York (Union Avenue and Ludlow Streets, Saratoga Springs 12866, 518/584-0400) is
a thoroughbred racing sanctuary. Inside the brick building across from the Saratoga
Hippodrome The Museum winds in a racing oval around a central courtyard. Grace
the courtyard is a statue of the Triple Crown-winning Secretariat. In the front garden sits
an eighth pole that was at Belmont Racetrack when Secretariat won the Belmont
Stakes for a remarkable 31 lengths in 1973.
Inside the Museum, which is accessed through a real exit door, the highlight is
the sprawling Hall of Fame honoring horses, jockeys and trainers in black, brown
and green plates on lighted booths. Fans can get information about their
favorite induced or any of AmericaÕs 130 computerized video race tracks
monitors in the cabins. A widescreen movie theater, with works from Race America
into the Hall of Fame.
Thoroughbred racing history is traced through equine galleries
paintings and photographs. The skeleton of a horse in long action helps explain
How a 1500-pound Thoroughbred with incredibly brittle ankles is a perfect move
machine, accelerating to 42 mph in just over 2 seconds. The atmosphere of the race track is
recreated in a simulated paddock area and jockeyÕs locker room.
On the other side of town, tucked away at the back of Saratoga Raceway, is a
Rustic dark green wooden building with a green and red striped roof. with its wide
Landscaped front porch and yard could easily be the local garden center. in fact
is the Saratoga Harness Racing Hall of Fame and Museum (352 Jefferson Street,
Saratoga Springs 12866, 518/587-4210), a little gem of a dedicated sports museum
for jogging races in Saratoga Springs dating to 1847, 16 years before the
start of Saratoga’s most celebrated thoroughbred races.
Harness teams, photographs and exhibits abound as tributes to the
horses and riders that have been bred in Saratoga. A large side room features a
collection of vintage sulkies including two 1800’s cutters with blades
instead of wheels, which were used for winter ice racing. Every visitor to the Hall
of Fame receives a free pass to harness racing at Saratoga Raceway. you are
encouraged to sit on the horseshoe bench before leaving the museum to test their
good luck in the races
The Trotter Hall of Fame in Goshen, New York (240 Main Street, Goshen,
10924, 914/294-6330) is in the famous Tudor-style Good Time Stable in downtown
from the city. Inside the Museum, the atmosphere of the stable, built in 1913, is maintained.
The stalls have been transformed into showrooms and the hay slides have been transformed into
miniature stages for statues and trophies. Behind the Museum is the Camino Histórico, the
first sports site in America to be designated a Registered National Monument.
Exhibits in the original stall area tell the stories of legendary horses including
Hambletonian who sired over 1,300 foals and to whom all trotters can trace his
lineage. An amusing exhibition portrays the extent to which horse racing has permeated our
common language. Terms such as starting from scratch, whipping a dead horse, biting
to the bit, and hold your horses are just some sayings originating from the equine
world. Also on display are weather vanes from the 1800s that were largely inspired by
the trotting horse
Living Hall of Fame of the Trotter ranks among Most Attractive Horses
museum exhibits. Each living member is honored with a colorful 12′ clay figurine in
Realistic environment displayed in a plexiglass box. In his wake, Hall of
Farmers are automatically enshrined in the Peter D. Haughton Room of
immortals
In a large side gallery hang many of the nearly 200 trotting etchings of Currier &
Ives collected by the Trotting Horse Museum. At the back of the museum the
The clubhouse of the historic track has been recreated, giving a glimpse of the turn of the
elegance of the century Above, the Sulky Loft sports a collection of sulkies, wagons and
sledges of more than 100 years that demonstrate the evolution of the
sport. The first mobile exit door, welded to the rear of a Ford, is also available.
Model-T, which solved the problem of how to start a harness race fairly.
The Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington (I-75 and Iron Works Pike, Lexington,
606/233-4303) is actually several museums. The International Museum of
Horse recounts all the horse breeds as you travel on a circular ramp past exhibits
and artifacts. The exceptionally colorful American Saddle Horse Museum represents the
world of the American Saddlebred. Stunning dioramas explore the graceful saga of
the quintessential American show horse. An innovative exhibition puts you in the
mount champions like Imperator, Skywatch, and Wing Commander. Tea
The museum is also home to the United Professional Jockeys Association Hall of Fame.
In one corner of the Park is the Polo Museum and Hall of Fame with exhibits
and works of art on polo horses. An exhibition of polo clothing shows how the sport gave
world the button-down shirt, introduced by Brooks Brothers in 1900. Also in the
grounds is the Man O’War monument, burial place of the great racehorse.
Off I-64, under the familiar twin towers of Churchill Downs in Louisville, is the
beautiful white Kentucky Derby Museum (700 Central Avenue, Louisville, 40201
502/637-1111) where every day is Derby Day. The order and the winning silks of each
Kentucky Derby, including the timeline around the first floor Great Hall. The boots,
no shoes on display, worn by the first Derby winner Aristedes in 1875. other
Unique artifacts from the Derby’s history include an 1896 silk purse awarded to Kingman.
In the center of the Great Hall, a life-size statue of the reigning Derby winner.
and jockey stand inside a replica of Churchill Downs Winners Circle before a bag
the board reads with the final results. Embroidered blankets of Triple Crown winners hang from
the two-story ceiling. A 360 degree multi-image presentation displayed with 96
projectors on a 225 foot screen around The Great Hall reveal the drama of
Kentucky Derby Day. The film is updated each year to honor the current Derby.
champion.
Many computerized interactive exhibits bring horse racing to life. On time
Machine Theater videos of 65 Derbys are available at the touch of the screen. Square
Your Bets is a computerized race that demonstrates how placing bets changes the
odds of a horse race. Derby Trivia is a
computer test your knowledge of Kentucky horse racing. Horse Talk teaches you the
language of the final stretch. Aspiring horsemen can lift a saddle and weigh themselves
for a race Hundreds of artifacts capture the magic of the Kentucky Derby. exist
trademark mint julep glasses and winning blanket woven with 600 roses. Guided
Walking tours of the Churchill Downs track are included in museum admission.
In Amarillo, Texas, three galleries at the American Quarter Horse Horse
Heritage Center & Museum (2601 I-40 East, Amarillo, 806/376-5181) celebrates this
supreme equine athlete. An Orientation Theater familiarizes newcomers to this
fabulous horse. The Museum contains photographs, artifacts, and videotapes of
historic horses, colorful people, and iconic events associated with the neighborhood
horse. A special exhibit in collaboration with the Smithsonian Institution traces the
impact of the horse on American life. Live quarter horse demonstrations are held
regularly scheduled for the adjacent outdoor arena.
Is there a true American sport? Leaving the action-packed ProRodeo
Museum and Hall of Fame (Colorado Springs, Colorado 80919, 719/528-4763)
It would be hard to name another sport as totally American as rodeo. Rodeo,
which evolved from the everyday tasks of Western work to sport, is a wholly American sport.
experience. Your precisely orchestrated semi-guided tour takes you through two
past video presentations and an impressive collection of cowboy gear.
Cattle are honored along with cowboys in the Hall of Champions. During
In the summer months, a champion bronco lives in the backyard barn area. After your
retired roughy Hall of Fame bronco Descent made his home in the stable
area. Thus, she was able to meet a living Hall of Famer at the site of her
consecration, something that is not possible in any other sports museum.
These museums are only the largest of the horse museums in the United States. exist
others honoring different breeds and local horse communities. whatever you are
equestrian passion there is an interesting museum for the enjoyment of horse lovers.