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posted on 30 May, 2014

The most travelled racehorse in the world?

While show jumpers may be king, the sport of kings, horse racing, has produced its own well-travelled nags. Arguably the most worldly wise was Jakkalberry, an Australian owned horse trained by Marco Botti and based in Newmarket in England.

Stick a pin in a map and the chances are that Jakkalberry, whose last five races were in the UAE, Japan, Australia, the United States and England, has raced there.

“He is absolutely one of the most travelled horses out there,” explains Botti. “He’s travelled around the world and he’s done so well in so many different countries. You don’t find many horses that travel that well. He’s so consistent at so many different tracks.

“He just loves to travel, I can’t explain it. Some horses enjoy it more than others. He relaxes when he travels, he likes to be in different places. He’s a horse that just loved it, that was very versatile and adaptable.”

Jakkalberry retired last month with an injury although nothing to do with a tough traveling schedule, Botti, but due to a freak incident of being kicked in the stalls by another horse at a race in Dubai.

His next step is to go to stud but, for now, Botti admits he is struggling to keep him entertained. “He gets very fresh, I think he misses the travel but he deserves his retirement,” he says. “We’ve had some very good times with him, and he’s done very well for us.”

Full article can be found on the CNN website

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