On November 24, 1877, Anna Sewell’s classic Black Beauty was published in the UK. It remains one of the most popular novels ever, with over 50 million copies being sold. This quiz is all about horses.

On the horse

1 In Australia, every horse’s birthday is August 1. On what date is the birthday of race horses in Britain and the US?

2 Which popular expression in horse racing from the practice of jockeys loosening the reins when they think they are sure of winning?

3 One more term for horse racing. Which term, most often used in American politics, comes from the practice of a horse setting the pace for another horse to improve its chances of winning?

4 The Lipizzan horses are among the most famous in the world, their displays in the Spanish Riding School being a huge tourist attraction. In which city would you be if you were watching them perform live?

5 Which non-SI unit of measurement, standardised to four inches, is used to measure the height of horses?

6 In the Mahabharata, which of the Pandava brothers was an expert in horse breeding and their treatment, and worked as a horse trainer in their last year of exile?

7 Which country’s name shares its origin with the legendary Russian horsemen who were the chosen warriors of the tsar?

8 In which Sherlock Holmes short story would you come across a race horse that mysteriously disappears in the moors of Dartmoor?

9 Currently, there are three competitive equestrian events in the Summer Olympic Games. Two of them are eventing and jumping. Which is the third?

10 Which famous horse race, and now a generic term in the world of sport, could just as easily have been named the Bunbury?

Answers

1 January 1; this was done to avoid confusion about the age of horses

2 To win hands down

3 Running mate

4 Vienna

5 Hands; it was originally the breadth of an adult male hand

6 Nakula, who was also an expert charioteer

7 Kazakhstan. Both Cossack and Kazakh originate from the Turkish word qaz (to wander)

8The Adventure of Silver Blaze; it’s also known for the phrase about the ‘curious incident of the dog in the night-time’

9 Dressage. Originally, polo and the high jump were also Olympic events

10 The Derby Stake, started in 1780 and named after Edward Smith-Stanley, the 12th Earl of Derby. It was decided at a celebration that a new horse race would be named after either Stanley or one of his guests, Charles Bunbury, and the decision was probably made by the tossing of a coin

BLINKJOY
 

 

Joy Bhattacharjya is a quizmaster.

Twitter: @joybhattacharj