The World Championship Chariot racing started Saturday in Ogden Utah and will continue through sunday March 30th when the winner will be crowned. Teams from around the mountain west are here to compete.

3-4 teams at a time race down the quarter mile track pulling a chariot with a driver behind them. Each team must pull at least 275 pounds in total weight. Most chariots weigh around 60-70 pounds, add the driver and some dead weight to meet the minimum weight.  Not much to them. So you basically have a driver standing on a small platform leaning out over the butts of two powerful quarter horses running at 40 mph. The team with the most wins during the competition is crowned the world champion.

The trick to winning is getting a two fast horses that will run stride for stride with each other for a 1/4 mile.

Chariot racing is typically a winter sport, with snow or muddy race tracks. Horses thundering down the track throwing mud high in the air.

 Here is a video from an Idaho TV station a couple of weeks ago showing the Idaho state finals that decided who represented Idaho at the World Championships.

http://www.kidk.com/sports/local/16136427.html

What a blast!  I had two quarter horses growing up and we chariot raced several times at a 1 mile track that is now a shopping center :(   Anyway, the horses were wild when they ran because the dirt they threw back which hit the chariot caused the most god-awful racket!  I only drove them once, and they basically ran away with me, doing 2 laps before they calmed down enough for me to pull them up.  I could hardly hang on long enough to pull them up I was so scared (I was 14).  My dad drove them and had the time of his life!  The horses loved it too and became racing machines when they were harnessed up.  When we rode them they were quiet and gentle and about as bomb-proof as horses get, but slap that harness on and look out! 

The World Championships being held this week are on a 1/4 mile track and the horse will complete it in about 22 -23 seconds. Basically 0-40 mph in 5-6 strides. Pretty explosive As a teenager in the 60's I remember them racing with ski's instead of wheels during the snowy months. Changing back to wheels/tires when the snow melted. Nowdays I never see the ski's.  They stick with just the tires.

A room mate from college days won the World Championship 6 years ago.  He brought 3 teams to compete and made sure everybody that helped out got a turn in the chariot. It's a lot different than riding my Foxtrotters and endurance horses.  His method of training was to never hook the horses up to the chariot unless they were actually racing. So yes they seemed wild and almost uncontrollable when they had a chariot chasing them down the track.

Do you happen to know any of the results from the Idaho or world chamionships?  My husband and I just heard that we had a colt we bred and raised that ran in them, and were wondering how he did.  His name is show em how to streak.