Scottish Harness Racing Club
Harness racing has been around in this country for many years and is a very "spectator-friendly" sport. Most tracks are 1/2 mile or less in circumference, meaning the crowd is never far from the action. There is plenty of action, with some very determined horses and drivers vying for position as they race the mile in fractionally over 2 minutes from a rolling start.
Horses normally race over 1 mile, 1 1/4 miles, on grass or hard tracks, controlled by a driver who is seated in a "<i> sulky<i> (cart) behind the horse. Races start behind a mobile "<i>gate<i>, a vehicle with a wide "gate"mounted on the rear; this "star car" brings the field of competitors up to speed (around 25-30mph), this accelerates away at the start line allowing the race to commence. Four or more horses may line up behind the gate, with the remainder of the field in "<i>lines<i> trailing behind according to each horse's handicap rating (e.g. you may hear people refer to a "<i> gate horse <i> or a "<i> 20 yard horse"<i>). Before being allowed to enter handicapped races, a horse must prove itself by winning four lower class races.
Contact
Mr
Paul
Cullen
Bannockburn
Stirling
Stirlingshire
FK7 8AQ
Scotland
Tel: +44 (1786) 470251
Tel: +44 (1786) 450275
