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As the global trends of 2022 become evident, horse racing will be impacted. One area that will see change is in racehorse names. Here are six major trends to watch for:
The decline of the traditional name. While there will always be a market for names like “Seabiscuit”, we expect to see fewer racehorses with one word or single syllable names in 2022 than we did this year.
A shift away from gender specificity in horse racing titles. We predict that while men and women will continue to dominate as jockeys, more horses will have gender neutral titles (e.g., “Comet”) which can be shared by both sexes without confusion around who is riding them on race day. This trend also reflects growing sentiment against female genital mutilation practices across the world including North America and Europe where they are most common – an issue so pervasive that the U.K.’s top female jockey, Ruby Walsh, is a vocal advocate for its abolition and has even written about it in her memoirs Increasing complexity of names as horse owners try to distinguish their horses from others by adding more descriptors like “Taz”, “Captain Fantastic” or “Brazos Belle”.
This will be especially common with younger racehorses who have yet to establish an identity that can stand out on racing card against veterans.
In 2022 we predict that spectators at races will see less traditional single syllable names and more complex two or three word titles which are meant to differentiate young horses from experienced campaigners. Expect also to see increased use of gender neutral terms when referring to all jockeys. A trend away from horse names that are based on famous horses of the past or popular culture will see owners favor more obscure, less familiar names which they hope will allow their racehorse to develop an individual identity. This could include simply leaving a blank for future fill in later as well as including some unconventional choices such as “Bubbles” or “Kitty Cat”.
In 2022 we predict that spectators at races will see fewer references to celebrities and pop icons when naming horses and more use of unique abbreviations like Taz (short for Taco Bell) or Captain Fantastic (in reference to Marvel Comics character). We also expect less racing cards with ambiguous titles where it is unclear whether Bubbles refers to a female jockey, male horse, or female racehorse. The most popular names of the past will continue to be used in 2022 including American Pharaoh and California Chrome while some horses will take their racing name from a nickname they were given by trainers such as “Stoneground” who earned his moniker because he was a tough competitor on the track that would occasionally refuse to move when other horses tried to break through the pack.
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In 2022 we predict that spectators at races will see fewer references to celebrities and pop icons when naming horses and more use of unique abbreviations like Taz (short for Taco Bell) or Captain Fantastic (in reference to Marvel Comics character). We also expect less racing cards with ambiguous titles where it is unclear whether Bub
Trend #01: Racehorse Names will continue to become more diverse and original.
As time goes on, racehorses are becoming named with less of a Western influence due to the world’s culture diversifying. The meaning behind these names is often derived from their owner’s personal preferences or the horse’s resemblance in appearance to specific people or animals. This makes for an exciting array of possibilities as new trends emerge!
Trend #02: Current events may cause some races to be renamed because they offend certain cultures that have been affected by them (e.g., Marjory Stoneman Douglas). In 2022, we can expect there will likely be at least one major event that has no bearing on our current society but could
The number of new racehorse names has been on the decline in recent years. However, some trends are starting to emerge that might create a shift in how horses get their name.
-The trend toward owners giving their stable more than one horse with similar sounding names is growing stronger as it helps make sure people know which horse they’re betting on even if there’s more than one listed for a given day or event. – Winning performance and pedigree have always played an important role in deciding what racehorses will be called but as social media becomes increasingly popular, so too does naming horses after celebrities who share those same qualities: like American Pharaoh (a Triple Crown winner) and Tinseltown Tizzy (named after actress Jennifer Tilly). – The trend of naming horses after colorful celebrities and public figures is also growing stronger. For example, the owners of racehorse Darlin’ Dancer were inspired by singer Tiny Tim’s hit song “Tiptoe Through The Tulips”.
Horses named for Presidents are on the rise as well with recent examples like American President (named in honor of Bill Clinton), Gun Runner (named for Barack Obama) and Republican Party Herdee (named for George W. Bush.). And while it may seem that this trend will continue to grow beyond 2020s, there might be a few exceptions: some have pointed out that Trumpeter Swan was already given her name before any talk about Donald Trump became prevalent so she might just keep Some racehorses are named after their owners (e.g., American Pharoah), but the vast majority of horses have been given “stable names” by people who work with them every day—trainers, jockeys and exercise riders. A stable name is a nickname that eventually becomes an official registered racing name in the U.S or UK Stud Book for Thoroughbreds; these can include Roaring Lion, Spicy Prospector and Desert Sunflower.
The use of popular celebrity culture has also impacted naming trends; before 2012, only one horse was called Psyche because it came from Greek mythology! But over time there were four more horses wearing this same moniker:
There’s A Storm Brewing, Psyche Diva, Psychic City and Pyschic Wave. And now we may see a rise in the number of racehorses named after TV show characters since Game of Thrones is popular right now. It will be interesting to see how that impacts naming trends over time!
Some examples: Ned Stark was used as inspiration for an eventing horse called Bolt Of Lightening when ‘Game of Thrones’ first became popular; there’s also Strong But Kind (inspired by Jon Snow) who won at Cheltenham in 2018.
There are so many more creative names on this spectrum—from Harry Potter horses like You Know Who to those inspired by poets such as Wordsworth or Lord Byron. And according to the British Horseracing Authority, there were more than 15,00 racehorses registered in the UK for 2018. The BHA also reported that ‘Game of Thrones’ inspired names accounted for 0.07% of all horse names last year – so expect to see an increase! Lesson learned? The world is changing and so are naming trends: do your research before you name your next champion. Here’s a list of some tips on how not to make the same mistake twice when picking out a new moniker! – Name based on inspiration from literature (e.g., Wordsworth) or famous poets/authors (e.g., Lord Byron). This will be popular with other like
