RESULTS OF HORSE TESTING AT THE KRASNODAR HIPPODROME

Abstract

The improvement of horse breeds for riding and the development of the
prize horse breeding industry in our country largely depend on the results of hippodrome
tests: only they allow us to assess the main breeding trait – performance. The purpose of the
research was to study the results of horse testing at the Krasnodar hippodrome as one of the
leading organizations in livestock breeding, which carries out tests of horse breeds for riding
in the Russian Federation. The research was conducted based on official statistics and annual
reports on the tests of riding horse breeds at the Krasnodar hippodrome in the period 2019 –
2022. It has been established that more than 180 races are held annually at the Krasnodar hippodrome and more than 500 riding horses are tested. This significantly exceeds the characteristics of other hippodromes in the Russian Federation, and in terms of the prize fund of
64083100 rubles, the Krasnodar hippodrome is second only to the Central Moscow Hippodrome. In accordance with the existing rules, tests are carried out separately by breeds, the
largest representation of which is Thoroughbred horse – 83,8 %, the share of Arab and AkhalTeke breeds is 10,4 and 5,8 %, respectively. The development of Russian horse breeding is
evidenced by the high proportion of domestic horses in testing. Among the Thoroughbred
horses, 49,4 % were born in the Krasnodar Territory and the Republic of Adygea, another
26,5 % – in other regions of the Russian Federation, the remaining 24,1 % – horses of foreign
origin. In recent years, this ratio has tended to increase the share of imported horses. Among
the tested livestock, stallions are the most widely represented – 64,4 %, the share of mares is
35,6 %, as well as 2 and 3-year-old horses. 148 horse owners took part in the 2022 racing season, including: 11 thoroughbred stud farms; 27 legal entities of various forms of ownership;
110 private owners. Of the 20 fastest horses in the 2022 season at various distances, 12 were
born in the USA, 6 in Russia, 1 in Ireland and 1 in France. This distribution indicates the significant competitiveness and potential of domestic Thoroughbred horses.