Top Sporting Animals Around The World
Sports have been around since time immemorial and sporting with animals just as long. Over the many thousands of years, sports have changed and evolved, with some sports going out of fashion and others rising in popularity. Sports that involve animals can be very rewarding but the utmost care must be taken of the animals that are competing.
Here is a list of animals that play major stakes in certain sports, as well as some information on what it takes to be successful in each sport.
Dogs
Dogs are widely known as man’s best friends. They have been with us since the dawn of civilization and have been good companions ever since, so it is no wonder we have included dogs in our sporting events over the centuries. Dog racing is popular the world over, with greyhounds being the most prevalent breed that is raced due to their speed, dexterity, and intelligence.
Sled dog racing is a sport that occurs in colder parts of the world, most notably in Canada, Alaska, and Russia. Huskies are the go-to dog for this sport as they are strong, hardy, and are acclimatized for the cold.
Horses
Horses, much like dogs, have been with humans from very early on in human history. They have been used for a wide variety of things including hunting, shepherding and traveling. It was obvious from the beginning that these animals were reliable, docile and comparatively easily trained. These aspects made it a sure thing that these animals would be included in the human sporting world.
With the advent of pure thoroughbred horses, horse racing has become one of the biggest sports in the world in the past few hundred years. If you do your research, then getting reliable Golden Slipper tips, for example, is nothing more than a formality, mainly due to the consistent skill of high-level horse racing.
It is not just about betting though; the atmosphere of the races at the very least provides an enigmatic thrill that cannot be understated. Above all that, horses are inherently friendly, smart, and loyal animals which is why they have been constant companions of humans for so long.
Ostriches
Ostrich racing may sound obscure but there are plenty of annual events around the world that bring in the crowds. The sport is especially popular in Africa and has been adapted in the United States, with places like Arizona hosting such events as the Ostrich Festival.
Camels
Camels are hardy desert-dwelling animals which humans have used for thousands of years to traverse vast expanses of desert in places such as Africa, the UAE, and Asia. Although camels are not native to Australia, they took to the landscape very quickly when they were introduced to the continent in the 19th century by British colonizers.
Since then, the population has soared. Camel racing is immensely popular in central and northern Australia, with the Camel Cup held in Alice Springs and the Uluru Camel Cup held near Ayres Rock. Prize money for the Boulia Desert Sands race is currently at $500,000AUD. Qatar used to use child jockeys for their races, but this has been banned since 2002, and the use of robot jockeys has been implemented since.
No matter where you look, animals are a key component in sports all around the world with plenty of humans there to cheer them on in the spirit of the competition.
