Central Moscow Hippodrome

The Central Moscow Racecourse (TsMI) is one of the largest racecourses in Russia. The Moscow Hippodrome is a state test and scientific training ground and an experimental base of the All-Russian Research Institute of Horse Breeding.

History

The edge of the historical part of the city passed at the Tverskaya outpost. The main Moscow road passes through it - to St. Petersburg. There was a ceremonial entrance to Moscow and dachas of nobility - "Rublevka" of the XIX century. Here there was a Yamskaya settlement and travel palaces, here they went on pits to "Yar," "Strelna" and other famous restaurants. The oldest racetrack in Europe was built here. But the races were organized in winter on the Moskva River near the Kremlin, and in summer - on the Don Field. It is believed that Count Orlov lobbied for the construction of a special structure.

1834-1880

The history of the Moscow Hippodrome began on August 1, 1834, when the first trotting race took place on the Khodynsky field. The result of the first trotting on the Khodynsky field: "Ivan Sokolova Gornostai 1st won. Prince Obolensky Krechet - 2nd. " The friskness of Ermine in running was very modest - 6.56 (3 versts) and on the run - 6.41. This small, modest note about the first race of trotting horses marked the birthday of the Moscow Hippodrome. In the year of the opening of the hippodrome, only two running days were held on it, there were only 12 horses running. In 1835, winter runs were already held - along the ice path on the Moscow River. The distance was marked, a judicial gazebo was built. The influx of the audience was grandiose - "even the ice was bursting." Usually two horses competed on the run, and if the third was put up for the prize, then it was put behind one of the rivals. In 1835, the conduct of the tests was improved by equipping another, third, parallel track for running in equal conditions of three horses. The turns were made in the form of pears, 20 fathoms (43 m) long, but which were still very steep. In the early years of the hippodrome on Khodynka, two small two-story arbors made of wood and benches for the public were built at the ends of the treadmills, supplemented then by two galleries 10 fathoms (21.3 m) long. In 1843, the "News of Moscow Trotting Horses for Prizes and Mortgages" reported reconstruction: "The new roads form three oval circles, one in the other, and the turns range from 60 to 40 fathoms in diameter. The distance of running, or the measure of laps... there is versta. " Five years later, in 1848, a new two-story gallery was built, about which the historiographer of the Russian horse breeding V.I. Koptev wrote: "by its grace it makes up the decoration of the Khodynsky hippodrome, being one of the most beautiful in Europe." Above the gallery there was a judicial gazebo to observe the "failure," that is, the correctness of the run. In the middle of the second floor there was also a separate place for judges "to observe the win."

1880-1900

Based on technical innovations, since the late 1880s, the improvement of records at all distances began. To increase the entertainment of running and attract a large number of visitors, the "fields" (that is, the number of heads of starting horses) of participants were expanded. And only at the end of the last century, another reconstruction and innovations in the rules for testing horses (1891) allowed several horses to be launched simultaneously along one "common" path. Soon, in 1899, the construction of new grandiose stone stands was completed, which, according to sports journalists, had no equal in Europe. The founder of correct, regular race tests in Russia, as well as runs, was A.G. Orlov-Chesmensky. Horse racing in Moscow took place on the Don Field at the end of the 18th century. Unlike the trotting runs of the time, the "Rules for Horse Racing" were developed in detail: the weight of jockeys and the colors of their camisoles were determined. Prizes, open and closed, were played on a milestone lap at a distance of "1 lap," "2 laps for one" and "3 laps for one" with jump. To win the prize, the horse had to beat rivals twice. At first, in race stables, trainers and jockeys were only their own, Russian people, from whom Stepan Soroka was especially distinguished by riding, and Kunakov was the best trainer. After the establishment of the Horse Racing Society in Moscow in 1831, horse racing became a matter of honor. On the horses of Russian horse breeders, almost exclusively English jockeys galloped: Wood, Goodson, Day, Eve, Taylor, Evison and others.

In 1889-1894, the Running Gazebo was built - the main building of the Moscow Hippodrome according to the project of architects I.T. Baryutin and S.F. Kulagin, with the participation of S.M. Zharov. Moscow trotting and racetracks belonged to different societies and, being in the neighborhood, were independent of each other and had their own staff.

1900-1950

In 1917, the newspaper "Horse Breeding and Sport" noted:... "at the end of the war, the turnover of the sweepstakes will fall and if by this time there are no spare capital in society, then you will inevitably have to resort to reducing the value of prizes, which is completely undesirable in the interests of horse breeding. Thus, the General Administration foresees a change in the present situation for the worse in advance. " A year after the publication of this news, the newspaper ceased to exist, and Moscow racetracks were mothballed. In connection with the civil war, military training sessions were held on their territory, rallies of workers were held in the stands. At one of them, V.I. Lenin made a speech (in honor of this event, a memorial stele was installed in the park in front of the racecourse).

The resumption of regular horse trials began in the 1920s. Trial runs and races at the Moscow Hippodrome were carried out at the beginning of 1921 and served as the Main Directorate of Horse Breeding and Horse Breeding (GU KON) decided to organize planned tests of horses from the autumn season of 1921. The beginning of regular tests of horses in Soviet Russia dates back to the 1920s. Trial runs and races at the Moscow Hippodrome were held at the beginning of 1921 and served as the Main Directorate of Horse Breeding and Horse Breeding (GUKON) decided to organize planned tests of horses from the autumn season of 1921. In September 1921, trotting runs resumed in Moscow: "The Moscow Hippodrome, which had been frozen for several years, came to life again, regular tests resumed again, again it is a lighthouse illuminating the path of horse breeding throughout the country," the press noted. In 1921, 163 trotters were tested at the Moscow Hippodrome. This figure has increased every year. Already in 1929, 1,030 trotting horses passed the tests in 101 running days. From the very first days, a tote was opened. In 1926, at the Moscow Hippodrome, horses not only of stud farms, but also brought from villages and villages began to be tested for the first time. This was a great incentive for the prize case and understanding its need, since until then the majority of the country's population still lacked love and interest in the fate of the blood horse, understanding the goals and objectives of the racecourse. In the journal "Agriculture and Forestry" No. 4 of 1926, the "mini-program" of the racecourse was formulated: "About the racecourse and running among the majority, in the masses, the most vague and incorrect idea... Very few people know that running is beautiful, full of life and a healthy passion for sports spectacle. And even less know that the racecourse is a necessary and useful institution designed to serve one of the most important national economic undertakings - the work of improving the horse breed. " In 1929, 87 peasant horses were tested at the Moscow Hippodrome, and, as in previous seasons, their exhibition was held.

Until 1930, the trotting and racecourse racetracks in Moscow were separate and located near each other, while they belonged to different societies. In connection with the need to expand and reconstruct the railway junction of the Belorussky railway station, the question arose of rebuilding or transferring the racecourse. The project of merging two racetracks into one - combined - was carried out in 1930. During the Great Patriotic War, breeding horses were evacuated to preserve the gene pool, and on the territory of the hippodrome there were positions of anti-aircraft gunners guarding the sky over Moscow from enemy raids. In 1941, the director of the hippodrome, the chief veterinarian, about a hundred employees - livestock experts, riders, jockeys went to the front as volunteers. Many did not return from the war. On July 17, 1944, Muscovites were shown living Germans - a convoy of several thousand prisoners of war passed through Moscow streets under the escort of machine gunners. Before this demonstration march, prisoners were kept in the camp on the field of the racetrack.

In the summer of 1949, the stands of the Moscow Hippodrome destroyed a fire. The modern building of the hippodrome with stands was built in 1950-1955 according to the project of architect I.V. Zholtovsky (head), P.I. Skokan and V.L. Voskresensky in the style of Stalin and Palladian architecture.

1950-2000

From 1970 to 1983, at the Central Moscow Racecourse, trotting horses set more than 50 new all-Union records and one absolute record.

In 1997, a children's and youth sports school was located in the arena and two-story stable of the hippodrome. In 1997, after a long break, bells of Russian triples rang again on the tracks of the racetrack. Thanks to the joint efforts of NP Sodruzhestvo, the Central Moscow Hippodrome and the Moscow Stud Farm No. 1, only three triples were prepared, but the work done and the race carried out showed the great attractiveness of this type of competition for horsemen and the public, the press and television. The exciting run of the Russian troika did not leave anyone indifferent, and how can you not admire the beauty and swiftness of the three flying trotters? The troika is a symbol of Russia. Rampant, beautiful, strong. And the Moscow Hippodrome regularly demonstrates to the admiring public the true power of "horsepower" - the rapid running of trotters rushing forward. The championship of Russian triples twice a year regularly pleases the audience with a spectacular ride, and gradually there are more and more such unique Russian teams. Forgotten art is reborn.

Camel running at the racecourse, Moscow, 2000.

2000-2017

Another difficult period occurred in the 90s. Affecting the entire industry as a whole, of course, the situation in the country also affected the Moscow Hippodrome, in relation to which, due to the collapse of the USSR, many stud farms and racetracks were in the status of foreign. But the CMI was no stranger to change. After almost a ten-year hiatus, in 2000, racing seasons resumed in Moscow, and in 2004 a Decree of the President of the Russian Federation was issued on the establishment of annual races for the prize of the President of the Russian Federation. This decree for many years determined the attitude of the Government of the Russian Federation towards horse breeding. The annual race for the prize of the President of the Russian Federation, the venue of which in 2012 was finally assigned to the Central Moscow Hippodrome, the organization of international championships for riders, the creation of the Commonwealth of Trotting Horse Breeding of Russia and further close cooperation with it... All this became the key to the revival and maintenance of the former glory of the country's main racetrack.

In 2011, FSUE Central Moscow Hippodrome was transformed into OJSC.

On July 1, 2012, a legal totalizer resumed work at the Central Moscow Hippodrome. The sweepstakes opened after a more than 3-year break, again giving visitors a taste of the game and excitement. The sweepstakes opened under the Sportbet brand after more than a three-year break. The profit from the sweepstakes at the Central Moscow Hippodrome, with the exception of the costs of its operation, will be fully directed to the support and development of horse breeding.

More than 800 horse heads were tested at the racecourse in 2013. Also in 2013, two all-Russian records were set at a distance of 2400 meters, which once again confirms that the frolicking horses of Russia run on the tracks of the Moscow Hippodrome. The All-Russian record in the prize for fillies of the Oryol trotter breed of three years old - 3.14.1 was set in 2013 by the gray mare Belizna (Emperor - Snow White) born in 2010, born in OJSC Moscow Stud Farm No. 1. The All-Russian record for a distance of 2400 m in the prize for stallions of the Russian trotting breed of older age - 3.03.4 was set by the bay stallion Versailles (Buvitier d'Anu - Possible) born in 2006, born in ZAO Lokotskaya Stud Factory and owned by A.F. Knorr (leased from K.A.Knorr), July 28, 2013 when drawing the Sorrento Prize under the control of Master YAesev.

In 2017, the Central Moscow Hippodrome is a cult place for residents of the capital. This is not just a monument of architecture - it is a functioning, well-functioning object. The Moscow Hippodrome is a special atmosphere that combines the aristocracy of the pre-revolutionary era and the monumentality of the Stalinist empire. The sculptures of Claudt that have survived since the end of the 19th century coexist with Soviet symbols, and living horses so archaic in their beauty shade a modern elegant and cheerful audience. Racecourse is not just a base to test horses. This is primarily a spectacular object, a zone of excitement. Only at the Central Moscow Hippodrome are the Big All-Russian Prizes (Derby) for trotting and thoroughbred riding horses, collecting the "prize elite" of the best racecourses of our country. Other major competitions of not only national, but also international scale are held here.

The Moscow Hippodrome covers an area of ​ ​ about 40 hectares, has a capacity of more than 1200 horses per year. Maintenance in the order of four leveled, with turns of paths (three running and racing), trotting coaching departments, and in the summer and additional racing departments, transportation of horses both domestically and abroad, regular running and racing, service of thousands of visitors to the racetrack require many auxiliary services and a large staff. At the Central Moscow Hippodrome there is a veterinary infirmary, quarantine, and a fleet of vehicles. Today, horses of five breeds are regularly tested on weekends at the Moscow hippodrome. Year-round, with no breaks, trotters are tested, with a total of about 1,000 heads each year. At the Moscow Hippodrome, these are Russian trotters, Oryol trotters, American trotters, and French trotters bred in stud farms in Russia, Ukraine, as well as brought from France. At the Central Moscow Hippodrome, the main and most expensive prizes for trotters in the country are being played. Among them, the main ones are the Big All-Russian Prize (Derby), the All-Russian Barca Prize, the Elite Prize, the Peony Prize, the Big Open Prize for mares, the Central Moscow Impodrome Prize and many others. Also at the CMI is a prize draw sponsored by the French Trotting Association ("Days of France"), European and Russian rider championships, winter and summer troika competitions. On the racetrack of the Moscow racetrack, racehorse horses are tested annually from May to September. Horses of thoroughbred and Arab breeds grown in various stud farms of Russia, as well as purchased abroad, are regularly tested. For two years in a row, in the middle of the summer season, the prize "Russian Argamak" was drawn - for horses of the Akhaltekin breed. At the Moscow Hippodrome, the main and most expensive prizes for thoroughbred riding horses are being played - the "Big All-Russian Prize (Derby)," the "Anilin" prize, the "N. N. Nasibov Cup," the "Jockey Club" prize, the prize "Minister of Agriculture of the Russian Federation" and others. Not annually, but often at the Moscow hippodrome there is a draw of the prize "President of the Russian Federation" for horses of Thoroughbred horse breed, to participate in which horses performing in other countries are brought. Despite the fact that the main prizes for Arab horses are played at the Pyatigorsk racecourse, the best representatives of the Arab breed perform at the CMI annually. In addition to the main purpose of the Moscow Hippodrome, as a test of horses of various breeds for friskness and endurance, other equestrian events are held at the CMI competitor field located in the center: show jumping, dressage, equestrian polo competitions, ring broods of thoroughbred horses. For the entertainment of the public, in the intervals between horse competitions at the CMI, camel races, dog races, dog sled races, pony competitions, performances of trained horses and ponies, as well as performances by jigitovka masters are occasionally held.

As of July 2016, the largest gain amounted to 1 million 187 thousand rubles. The man who supplied 1800 rubles won.

RUNNING AND RACING

There are two types of horse trials: racing and running. Horses of Thoroughbred riding and Arabian breed participate in the races. The jockey sits on horseback, the horse gallops. At the gallop, the horse's legs are thrown out in pairs - first two front, then two rear. All trotters (Oryol trotter, Russian and American) participate in the races at the racetrack. The rider sits in a rocking chair, light harness, the horse goes trotting. When trotting, the horses' legs move diagonally, that is, at the same time the front left and back right legs take a step. The first trotters in Russia began in 1776, when Count A.G. Orlov-Chesmensky began to test his horses, the ancestors of the Oryol trotter breed. Abroad, the first tests of trotters in a team took place in 1829. Already in those days, the transition to gallop was prohibited, horses had to run only with a trot. If the trotter goes to a gallop, it is called a "glitch." In some countries, failure immediately disqualifies the horse. According to Russian rules, the rider still has time to correct the course of the horse.

Races take place only three summer months, running all year round. In winter, the tracks are covered with ice for running, and studded horseshoes are put on the horse. All jockeys are small, since the maximum load on an adult horse should not exceed 65 kilograms. If the jockey weighs less, an additional load is placed in special bags around the saddle. Riders have no weight restrictions.

The segment from start to finish in the race is called the race, at the races - the race.

The person who drives the horse on the run is called the rider, in the race - the jockey. The rider sits in a two-wheeled cart - a rocker, and the jockey - in a saddle, riding a horse.

The standard distance of the race is 1600 meters, 1 mile, this is one lap of the racecourse. Tireless Oryol trotters run both 2400 and 3200 meters. This breed was bred not only as frisky, but also hardy. There are two- and three-hit prizes when a horse runs on one day two or three races with breaks for rest. There are also races of Russian triples drawn in the sleigh in winter, and in the summer into a four-wheeled crew like a brick. The team consists of three athletes, one managing horses, two on a safety net.

Kamzol is given to a rider for life and he values ​ ​ it very much. The rider can ride different horses, but the camisole is always the same. The stars on it mean the number of victories in the derby. The athlete's equipment also includes a helmet and a whip. There are no special requirements for shoes, trousers must be with strips, there are special clothes for running, but in winter you can use a ski suit. The vehicle on the run, a two-wheeled cart, is called a rocker.

Any horse has a heyday and a period of decline. There is also an age limit - for example, in running according to the rules, a stallion can start up to 14 years old. Oryol trotters have the best period - at four years, and racehorses are early ripe, they have a peak career of three years. It is in these terms that horses go to the start of the most important competitions - the derby. For athletes, there is no upper bar in age, nine-time Derby winner equestrian Anatoly Sergeyevich Kozlov, and at 80 continues to participate in the race. If in Olympic equestrian sports - show jumping, dressage - there are many women, then men dominate in running and racing.

Car races

In addition to the actual equestrian competitions, the field was used for car races in different years, and at the beginning of the twentieth century there were wrestling tournaments, "running speed races," cyclists competed here, the first aviators demonstrated their skills. In September 1909, at the running hippodrome, the very first demonstration flight in Moscow took place by plane - on an airplane of the Voisin system, which was piloted by the Frenchman Georges Legagne. The show almost ended in scandal, as the aircraft did not want to take to the air in any way. In 1910, Utochkin was more successful in flights on the Farman airplane. Perhaps the strangest fun of the time was the persecution of wolves by greyhound dogs, captured in photographs of 1916. Dziga Vertov's 1926 newsreel captures Red Army skiers who probably trained on a race field.