Horse racing is a very popular sporting event involving animals.

The participation of animals in sport may directly or indirectly involve people and are a specific form of working animals. Many animals, at least in more commercial sports, are highly trained. Two of the most common animals in sport are horses and dogs. Image File history File links Monmouth Racetrack in New Jersey coming around the final turn. ... Image File history File links Monmouth Racetrack in New Jersey coming around the final turn. ... A working animal is an animal that is kept by humans and trained to perform tasks. ... Animal training is a method to teach animals to perform specific acts in response to conditions or stimuli. ... Binomial name Equus caballus Linnaeus, 1758 The horse (Equus caballus, sometimes seen as a subspecies of the Wild Horse, Equus ferus caballus) is a large odd-toed ungulate mammal, one of ten modern species of the genus Equus. ... Trinomial name Canis lupus familiaris The dog (Canis lupus familiaris) is a domestic subspecies of the wolf, a mammal of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. ...

Many organisations are dedicated to prevent cruelty to animals, with supporters cricising the mental or physical suffering caused to animals, the death of the animals, or the fact that they are used at all. This is particularly relevant to blood sports involving animals. Cruelty to animals refers to treatment or standards of care that causes unwarranted or unnecessary suffering or harm to animals. ... Bull fighting is an example of a modern blood sport. ...

Types of animal sporting events

There are many types of animal sporting events, with varying levels of participation from humans – some are solely between the animals while others use the animals in a lesser role. Most sports involve training, while some can also involve selective breeding. It has been suggested that Backyard breeder be merged into this article or section. ...

There are some large-scale events that include animals in a variety of sports. A rodeo can comprise many different sports, ranging from bull riding to pole bending. Steer roping Rodeo is an outgrowth of Mexican bullfighting. ... Bull Riding in Del Rio, Texas Bull riding is a rodeo sport that involves a rider getting on a large male bovine, and attempting to stay mounted for at least 8 seconds. ... Pole Bending is an amateur rodeo event that features a horse and one mounted cowgirl, running a weaving or serpentine path around six poles arranged in a line. ...

Racing

Greyhounds preparing for a race.

Racing is the most popular form of animal-related sport, particularly horse racing. Some racing events directly involve humans as riders while others see the animals race alone. In some sports the rider is not directly riding the animal(s), instead being pulled along. Examples of this include dogsled racing and popular ancient Greek and Roman sport of chariot racing. ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (2592x1944, 2211 KB) Summary Several dogs prior to a race. ... ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (2592x1944, 2211 KB) Summary Several dogs prior to a race. ... Horse-racing is an equestrian sporting activity which has been practiced over the centuries; the chariot races of Roman times were an early example, as was the contest of the steeds of the god Odin and the giant Hrungnir in Norse mythology. ... Dogsled racing is a winter dog sport involving the timed competition of teams of sleddogs that pull a sled, on the runners of which the dog driver or musher stands. ... The Temple to Athena, the Parthenon Ancient Greece is a period in Greek history that lasted for around three thousand years. ... Motto Senatus Populusque Romanus (SPQR) The Roman Empire at its greatest extent, c. ... Chariot racing was one of the most popular ancient Greek and Roman sports. ...

Greyhound racing, one of the more popular forms of animal racing, dates back to the 1800s in the United States, with the dogs brought over from Europe to help control the hare population. While track racing is the most common, there are other forms of racing. Pigeon racing, for example, sees homing pigeons finding their way home from a set distance away. Several greyhounds before a race. ... This article is 150 kilobytes or more in size. ... Jack rabbit and Jackrabbit redirect here. ... Pigeon racing is a sport in which pigeons are removed by an agreed distance from their home coops and then released at a predetermined time. ... The homing pigeon is a variety of domesticated Rock Dove (Columba livia) that has been selectively bred to be able to find their way home over extremely long distances. ...

Racing events are a common way to gamble, with billions spent worldwide every year. This is one reason that some countries or states have made such sports illegal. The term gambling has had many different meanings depending on the cultural and historical context in which it is used. ...

One-on-one and team events

There are some non-racing competitive events involving animals. Polo is one of the most popular examples, with competitors hitting a ball with mallets while on horseback. Elephant polo dates back to the early 20th century when members of the British aristocracy in Nepal began playing the sport. A game of polo. ... Balls are objects typically used in games. ... A mallet is a type of hammer, and is manufactured in different designs according to their intended use. ... Elephant polo is a variant of polo played whilst riding elephants. ... (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999...

In the 14th to 16th centuries jousting was a popular one-on-one tournament event involving knights on horseback. This 14th-century statue from south India depicts the gods Shiva (on the left) and Uma (on the right). ... (15th century - 16th century - 17th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 16th century was that century which lasted from 1501 to 1600. ... Jousting is a staple entertainment at Renaissance Fairs. ...

Fighting

Bullfighting is legal in some countries.

In most counties the act of two or more animals fighting each other, such as cockfighting, is seen as cruel and is therefore illegal. Some legal animal fights take place around the world, including cow fighting and camel wrestling. There are also some legal forms of sport where humans fight animals, such as bullfighting which has a long history in Spanish and Portuguese tradition. Not all animals are large, however, with cricket fighting being a popular (though illegal) sport in Macau and Hong Kong [1]. Bull attacks matador, Arles, France Image by ChrisO File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Bull attacks matador, Arles, France Image by ChrisO File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... A cow fight in the amphitheatre at Martigny, Switzerland. ... Camel wrestling is a sport in which two male dromedary camels wrestle in response to a female camel in heat being led before them. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Cricket fighting is a bloodsport involving the fighting of Crickets. ...

There are several other blood sports in history that were intended as entertainment, many of which involved baiting by dogs. Many different types of animal have been placed into a pit, sometimes tied to a post, and set upon by dogs. This ranges from rat-baiting and badger-baiting to bear-baiting and lion-baiting. There are even some tales of human-baiting. Bull fighting is an example of a modern blood sport. ... Contemporary picture of Bull-baiting Bait or Baiting is the act to worry or torment a chained or confined animal by setting dogs upon it for sport. ... Rat Baiting Pit Rat baiting is a bloodsport involving dogs killing rats in a pit. ... This page is a candidate for speedy deletion, because: no relavent information If you disagree with its speedy deletion, please explain why on its talk page or at Wikipedia:Speedy deletions. ... Bear_baiting in the 18th century, engraving, 1796 Bear_baiting is a blood sport that was a popular entertainment from at least the 11th century in which a bear is secured to a post and then attacked by a number of dogs. ... This article or section needs a complete rewrite for the reasons listed on the talk page. ... Human-baiting is a blood sport involving the baiting of humans. ...

Animals that take part in modern fights are usually specifically bred for strength and stamina.

Hunting

Fox hunting has been a recent controversial issue, particularly in the United Kingdom.

Main article: Hunting

Hunting began as a crucial component of hunter-gatherer societies, being an important source of food. The domestication of animals and the development of agriculture lessened the need for hunts, with food being more readily available and hunting turned into a sport for those of a higher social class. In most parts of medieval Europe, the upper-class (aristocracy and higher clergy) obtained as proud privilege the sole rights to hunt in certain areas of a feudal territory. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (891x585, 89 KB) photo by R.W. de Salis, Feb, 2005. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (891x585, 89 KB) photo by R.W. de Salis, Feb, 2005. ... “Hunter” redirects here. ... In anthropology, the hunter-gatherer way of life is that led by certain societies of the Neolithic Era based on the exploitation of wild plants and animals. ... Social class refers to the hierarchical distinctions between individuals or groups in societies or cultures. ... The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times. ... This article is 150 kilobytes or more in size. ...

Dangerous hunting, as for lions or wild boars, usually on horseback (or from a chariot, as in Pharaonic Egypt and Mesopotamia) also had function similar to tournaments and manly sports: an honourable, somewhat competitive pastime to help the aristocracy practice skills of war in times of peace. In ancient Rome the "Venatio" was a form of entertainment that pitted humans against animals in an amphitheater. Hittite chariot (drawing of an Egyptian relief) Approximate historical map of the spread of the chariot, 2000 –500 BC. A chariot is a two-wheeled, horse-drawn vehicle. ... Main article: Ancient Egypt The history of ancient Egypt began around 3100 BC when Egypt became a unified Egyptian state, but archaeological evidence indicates that a developed society had formed much earlier. ... Mesopotamia refers to the region now occupied by modern Iraq, eastern Syria, southeastern Turkey, and Southwest Iran. ... Tournament by Jörg Breu the Elder 1510s, depicting jousting Tournament, or tourney (Fr. ... Template:More soruces For other uses, see War (disambiguation). ... Ancient Rome was a civilization that grew from a small agricultural community founded on the Italian Peninsula circa the 9th century BC to a massive empire straddling the Mediterranean Sea. ... Another form of entertainment in Roman amphitheaters involved the hunting and slaying of wild animals, call the venatio, or hunt. ...

In modern times, hunting is usually legal as long as the hunter has a license, though there are some unregulated forms in some countries. Animals can be on either side of a hunt, assisting the hunters or being hunted themselves.

Fishing is somewhat different to other hunting and is most commonly a pastime or hobby. However, it can also be a competitive sport. Fox hunting has been a controversial issue, particularly in the United Kingdom, regarding the its necessity and the cruetly involved. Pigeon shooting was one of the shooting events of the 1900 Summer Olympics. Fishing is the activity of hunting for fish by hooking, trapping, or gathering. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Angling. ... A fox hunt Fox hunting is a form of hunting for foxes using a pack of scent hounds. ... At the 1900 Summer Olympics, eight shooting events were contested. ... The 1900 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the II Olympiad, were held in 1900 in Paris, France. ...

Shows of training or breeding

A Jack Russell Terrier competing in a dog agility event.

Shows are intended to highlight the excellence of training or breeding of the animals involved. There are a variety of horse riding sports in this category, including show jumping and dressage, both of which feature at the Olympic Games. Jack Russell Terrier doing dog agility (Trump the agility champion and national agility champion) Photo by Elf | Talk 05:06, 7 May 2004 (UTC) May 2004 Sunnyvale, CA File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Jack Russell Terrier doing dog agility (Trump the agility champion and national agility champion) Photo by Elf | Talk 05:06, 7 May 2004 (UTC) May 2004 Sunnyvale, CA File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... The Jack Russell Terrier is a type of small, principally white-bodied, terrier that has its origins in fox hunting. ... Breeding has several meanings related to procreation: In animal husbandry and in horticulture the selection of stock for propagation and the act of insemination by natural or artificial means is called breeding. ... Show jumping is a form of competition in which horses are jumped over a course of fences, low walls, and other obstacles (e. ... An upper-level dressage competitor performing an extended trot Dressage (a French term meaning training) is a path and destination of competitive horse training, with competitions held at all levels from amateur to the Olympics. ... The five Olympic rings were designed in 1913, adopted in 1914 and debuted at the Games at Antwerp, 1920. ...

Dogs, being easily domesticated, are one of the most popular animals to have in shows. Sheepdog trials have been popular in many countries and are used to show how well a dog can herd sheep. Other dog sports of this category include dog agility events, whereby the dogs must tackle obstacle courses, and obedience trials, where they must execute a predefined set of tasks. This is a list of animals that have been domesticated by humans. ... A Sheepdog trial (or simply dog trial) is a competitive dog sport in which herding dog breeds move sheep around a field, fences, gates, or enclosures as directed by their handlers. ... Trinomial name Canis lupus familiaris The dog (Canis lupus familiaris) is a domestic subspecies of the wolf, a mammal of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. ... A man herding goats in Tunisia Herding is the act of bringing individual animals together into a group, maintaining the group and moving the group from place to place—or any combination of those. ... Species See text. ... Dog sports are activities that involve dogs. ... Dog agility is a sport in which a handler directs a dog through an obstacle course in a race for both time and accuracy. ... An obstacle courses is a series of challenging physical obstacles an individual or team must navigate usually while being timed. ... An obdience trial is a dog sport in which a dog must perfectly execute a predefined set of tasks when directed to do so by his handler. ...

Crufts, a conformation show for dogs, has grown to be a massive event since it started in 1886. While dogs are the most common show animal, cat shows are also common. Both of these animals have a wide variety of breeds and compete in categories, comparing each individual to the breed "ideal". Crufts is an annual international Championship conformation show for dogs hosted by the Kennel Club (UK), currently held at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) in Birmingham, England. ... In a conformation show, judges familiar with specific dog breeds evaluate individual dogs for how well they conform to published breed standards. ... Typical cat show benching cage in the US. Cats wait here until called to the ring. ...

Some unusual animals also take part in shows, such as the competitors in rabbit show jumping, most popular in Scandinavia. Rabbit jumping over a fence at a competition. ... Scandinavia is a historical and geographical region centered on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe and includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden. ...

Popular culture

Films and television series about animals in sport can be realistic or very fictional, involving animals in an activity that they cannot really perform. Seabiscuit (film) is a fairly accurate portrayal of the famous American horse of the same name, while MVP: Most Valuable Primate, a film about a hockey-playing chimpanzee, is somewhat less realistic. Seabiscuit is a 2003 American drama film based on the best-selling book Seabiscuit: An American Legend by Laura Hillenbrand. ... Seabiscuit (May 23, 1933—May 17, 1947) was a champion thoroughbred race horse in the United States. ... Hockey is any of a family of sports in which two teams compete by trying to maneuver a ball, or a hard, round disc called a puck, into the opponents net or goal, using a hockey stick. ... Type species Simia troglodytes Blumenbach, 1775 distribution of Species Pan troglodytes Pan paniscus Chimpanzee, often shortened to chimp, is the common name for the two extant species in the genus Pan. ...

The 1980 animated film Animalympics is a spoof of the Olympic Games and features anthropomorphicised animals. In the combination live action and animation film Bedknobs and Broomsticks, animated animals play a game of football. Animation is the rapid display of a sequence of images of 2-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement. ... Animalympics is a 1980 animated film. ... Anthropomorphism, also referred to as personification or prosopopeia, is the attribution of human characteristics to inanimate objects, animals, forces of nature, and others. ... In film and video, live action refers to works that are acted out by flesh-and-blood actors, as opposed to animation. ... Animation is the rapid display of a sequence of images of 2-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement. ... Bedknobs and Broomsticks is a 1971 musical film produced by Walt Disney Productions, which combines live action and animation; it premiered on October 7, 1971. ... Football (soccer) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ...

From 1976 to 1999, the BBC broadcast One Man and His Dog, a television series about sheepdog trials. They also commissioned three series of Pets Win Prizes, a game show with contestants' pets having to perform in various tasks. The British Broadcasting Corporation, usually known as the BBC (and also informally known as the Beeb or Auntie) is the largest broadcasting corporation in the world in terms of audience numbers, employing 26,000 staff in the United Kingdom alone and with a budget of more than GB£4 billion... One Man and his Dog was a television programme in the United Kingdom. ... A television program is the content of television broadcasting. ... This article is about the television genre. ...

Man vs. Beast is an American television show that pitches humans against animals in a variety of unusual challenges, including competitive eating between world champion Takeru Kobayashi and a Brown Bear. Man vs. ... Kristen Coleman and Tim Janus at the 2005 Midway Slots Crabcake Eating Competition Competitive eating involves the consumption of large quantities of food in a short time period – typically 15 minutes or less. ... Takeru Kobayashi , b. ... Binomial name Ursus arctos Linnaeus, 1758 Ursus arctos range map. ...

See also

• Animals on television
• League Against Cruel Sports

There are many appearances and depictions of animals on television, ranging from the use of working animals as actors to anthropomorphism. ... The League Against Cruel Sports is an animal welfare organisation registered as a limited company (prohibited by law from acting as a charity because its aims are political) campaigning against blood sports, in particular fox hunting and hare coursing. ...

External links

• Animal Sports records at Guinness World Records