Horse racing is one of the oldest sports competitions in the history of mankind. Its origins go back to the times of Ancient Greece (550 B.C) and it remains one of the founding disciplines of the modern Olympic Games.
It has become an elite class sport as racing horses can cost up to an average of 75,000 dollars, with many of them costing much more. And it’s a sport that has fully embraced betting as a part of its business as it supports racecourses and the many people working in this industry.
Historically, racetracks where races are held, put together a common pot where all the spectator bets were added. Nowadays, you can find online platforms completely specialized in this sport, for example, the best horse racing betting sites provided by SBO where players can find a vast array of types of bets, betting tips, and the best races in markets like the UK and other countries. Betting platforms have developed at a similar rate as the popularity of horse racing which has contributed to a large offering of betting companies to choose from, resulting in great advantages for the users that can find amazing welcome bonuses and offers.
And as much growth as horse racing has experienced since the days of the Roman Empire, it is far from being a mass sport followed all around the world.
It’s perhaps in this sense that footballers have found an oasis of serenity where they can get away from the chaos and high-profile lives of professional football. In the most famous UK horse tracks, many of the professionals working in it almost have the same living standards as footballers, meaning that they can feel completely integrated, apart of course, from having a hobby where they can spend the millions in their bank accounts.
These are some of the most notable football stars passionate about horses:
Wayne Rooney
One of the most talented footballers in England’s history. He made his senior debut at the age of 17 in Everton and later built a successful career in Manchester United with Cristiano Ronaldo, Ryan Giggs, and manager Sir Alex Ferguson.
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Rooney bought his first horses when he was 17, with rumors circulating that the names he planned on giving them were rejected by the Jockey Club. He then invested 200,000 pounds in racehorses Pippy and Switcharooney which only managed one win in two years. The pair bought by Rooney and his wife Coleen was later sold and currently, the couple is looking for new horses to invest in.
Michael Owen
Probably the most successful footballer investor in the horse industry. Owen played for some of the best clubs in the world, including Liverpool FC, Manchester United, and Real Madrid. He remains the sole English player to have won the Ballon d’Or in the twentieth century. Sadly, his career was altered by injuries, but he remains in the memory of fans as one of the greatest ever players in England’s history.
Owen is a co-owner of stables in Cheshire and has nurtured into a horse breeder in the UK. Alongside trainers Tom Dascombe and John Gosden, he has succeeded with a horse named Treble Heights, winning the Listed Aphrodite Stakes at Newmarket in 2003. Other wins include the Goodwood Cup and the Dubai Polo Gold Cup, with the most cherished win in Ormonde Stakes, where Owen’s dad took him for the first time to see a horse race.
Antoine Griezmann
The French player is most notably known for winning the 2018 FIFA World Cup with France and for his spells with Spanish giants Atletico de Madrid and FC Barcelona.
But ‘Grizou’ is also passionate about every sport, having been spotted in NBA games and Grand Slam courts.
But few people are aware of his fondness for horses. It’s a passion inherited by his father and he has already managed great wins to add to his trophy museum in very short time in horse tracks.
His horse, Enable, won the 2017 Arc de Triomphe in Chantilly. Another horse, Tornibush, has already won 4 races and continues to be trained in Lyon by French coach Phillippe Decouz.
Other horses include Hooking, who won races in Chantilly and Longchamp and Krishnadargent and Natsukashi.
Griezmann’s success in horse racing has made him PMU’s ambassador, the biggest betting company in France dedicated to horse racing.
