Horse racing sport gaining importance
Even as horse racing continues to remain the pastime of the rich and famous, stud farm owners say equestrian issues in India are increasingly being viewed not just as an arena of gambling. The perception is changing and horse racing as a sporting event is becoming more popular. With that rearing better varieties of horses is also catching up in India.
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Aligarh, May 23: Even as horse racing continues to remain the pastime
of the rich and famous, stud farm owners say equestrian
issues in India are increasingly being viewed not just as
an arena of gambling.
The perception is changing and horse racing as a sporting
event is becoming more popular. With that rearing better
varieties of horses is also catching up in India.
"The future of stud farming is that so far in India this
business is not as recognized as in many foreign countries.
We hope it will improve in the future because over the
years, many perceptions have changed and now many don't
view it just as a source of gambling but a sport, which is
a very good development," said Yaadvendra Singh, owner of
the Doaba Stud Farm situated in the outskirts of northern
Aligarh city.
From its humble beginning with two stallions in 1963,
Singh's farm is today counted among the handful of serious
breeding centers in northern India.
Heir of an erstwhile princely family of the region, Singh's
stallions have proven their mettle in many an events in
racing centers across India.
Today, with a crop of seventy, raising horses is more of a
passion than a business for him.
"Our horses have got many successes in the past and we have
also exported them to many countries like Singapore,
Malaysia and Mauritius," Singh said.
Like in the rest of the world, breeding and more
importantly, racing remain the main reasons of investing in
horses.
From importing of the first thoroughbred stallion in 1886,
racing horses has come a long way in India.
While dozens of stud farms exist across India, breeding of
horses in private farms is not an entirely promising
scenario.
Some farm owners say the reality on the ground is different.
Low profit and high investments and recurring expenses make
it the preserve of only the super rich and famous.
Lack of institutional support too is a dampener to this
hobby-turned-business. Estimates put the number of thoroughbred stud farms in India at 60, offering nearly 1300 horses every year.
India exports racehorses to Singapore, Malaysia, Mauritius
and some other nations though their value remains small.
Bureau Report
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