Horse People: Thoroughbred Culture in Lexington and Newmarket

by Rebecca Louise Cassidy

Overview

The world of Thoroughbred racing is glamorous, secretive, dangerous, and seductive—the sport of kings and the poor man's obsession. While the spectacle of racing stirs the imagination, it belies the ruthless business that lies beneath.

This engaging original study demystifies this complex world by comparing centers of excellence in Britain and North America. Drawing from intensive field work in Suffolk's Newmarket and Kentucky's Lexington, Rebecca Cassidy gives us the inside track on all players in the industry—from the elite breeders and owners to the stable boys, racetrack workers, and veterinarians. She leads us through horse farms, breeding barns, and yearling sales; explains rigorous training regimens; and brings us trackside on race day.

But the history of Thoroughbred racing culture is more than a collection of fascinating characters and exciting events. Cassidy's investigation reveals the factors—ethical, cultural, political, and economic—that have shaped the racing tradition.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780801895968
Publisher:	Johns Hopkins University Press
Publication date:	12/01/2007
Series:	Animals, History, Culture
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	224
File size:	2 MB
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Rebecca Cassidy is a senior lecturer in the anthropology department at Goldsmiths College, University of London. She is the coeditor of Where the Wild Things Are Now: Domestication Reconsidered.

Table of Contents

Preface
1. Histories
2. The Right to Be Well Born
3. The Horseman Makes the Horse
4. The Centers of the World
5. Stud Farm
6. Auction
7. Training
8. Racing Today
Epilogue
Notes
Essay on Sources
Index

Editorial Reviews

Combining thorough research with an excellent writing style, this volume goes beyond such personal accounts as Jane Smiley's A Year at the Races (2004) and Nan Mooney's My Racing Heart (2002). Not about the sport of horseracing per se, this is an entertaining and enjoyable anthropological study of the relationships between humans and animals.
—Choice

Cassidy has created an engaging study that would appeal to anyone with even a passing interest in horse racing.
—Jeff Meyer, Register of the Kentucky Historical Society

[A] comprehensive and entertaining book.
—Margaret Taylor, Journal of the Royal Anthropological Inst.

From the Publisher

Cassidy has created an engaging study that would appeal to anyone with even a passing interest in horse racing.

Register of the Kentucky Historical Society - Jeff Meyer

[A] comprehensive and entertaining book.

Journal of the Royal Anthropological Inst. - Margaret Taylor

Combining thorough research with an excellent writing style, this volume goes beyond such personal accounts as Jane Smiley's A Year at the Races (2004) and Nan Mooney's My Racing Heart (2002). Not about the sport of horseracing per se, this is an entertaining and enjoyable anthropological study of the relationships between humans and animals.

Choice