|
EQUESTRIAN SPORTS
az audiót itt hallgathatod meg:
http://www.5percangol.hu/images/source_files/Equestrian.mp3
One of the things I miss most about London, are the bookmaker shops. On a Saturday afternoon I would go into one of these bookie shops and bet on the football and the horse racing, then to the pub for a pint of Guinness and to watch the races on television. So here are some sports involving horses.
Horse Racing – Turf and Harness Racing
Horse racing is a multi-million pound industry where horses can be bought and sold for very high prices. It is also at the heart of a very profitable gambling industry. People can gamble on course, in bookmaker shops or online. It is sometimes called the sport of kings.
The turf(lóverseny) is a speed race on a track where jockeys ride horses, usually at a gallop, while harness racing (fogathajtás) is a speed race on a track for trotters or standard bred pacers harnessed to sulkies.
National Hunt Racing
This type of racing takes place over fences and hurdles. Hurdles are small fences which are easier for horses to jump. They are run over many distances and courses. A course is another name for a race track.
The biggest race in England takes place at the Aintree course in Liverpool. The race was first run in 1836. Nowadays it is one of the most important events on the British sporting calendar. The race will take place this year on the 10th of April. The race is run over 7km and involves the horses jumping 30 fences; some are about 2 metres high. About forty horses usually take part in this race.
Last year the winner was Mon Mome who won at a 100/1, which means if you bet 100 forints on him to win you would win 100,000 forints! This is one of the biggest betting events of the year and nearly everyone likes to have a gamble, but just for fun!
When the horses go down to the start and the tape is lifted, you hear the roar of the crowd, the thundering of hooves as the horses charge towards the first fence. During the race many horses fall and on some occasions horses have also died. Nowadays the fences are a lot safer and have been made smaller to protect the horses.
Cheltenham festival
The Cheltenham festival takes place in the English countryside in March. This is also for horses over fences. It is basically a competition between the best horses in England and Ireland. It is famous because about a 100,000 Irish fans, gamblers and punters invade rural England to bet, drink, play poker and watch their favourite horses. The great thing about national hunt racing is the horses are often not that expensive and are owned by ordinary folks!
Flat Racing
Flat racing takes place on a course with no fences. One of the most famous races is the Epsom English Derby. This usually takes place in June and is one of the most valuable races in the world. The prize money this year will be 1.25 million pounds sterling!
Many people believe him to be the greatest horse of all time. He is the only horse to have won the 2000 guineas, the English Derby and the Arc de Triomphe in the same year. He is bred and trained in Ireland. He earned 4.5 million pounds most of it in 2009. He will now go to stud in Ireland which means he could earn 100 million in breeding rights. This is why horse racing is such an important industry in Ireland! Going to stud means making love to a nice mare and having little horse babies! Great job if you can get it!
Showjumping
Showjumping takes place indoors in an arena. The horse and rider have to jump a number of different fences without knocking them over. The fences can be of different heights and lengths, some can be water jumps. For every fence a rider knocks down he incurs 4 faults. Some competitions are against the clock and the winner with the fewest faults and fastest time wins. This sport is an Olympic event. At one Olympics Ireland won their only gold medal in Show jumping only for the horse to fail a drug test!
by Raymond McManus
equestrian [ɪˈkwestrɪən] - ló-, lóval kapcsolatos
bookie [ˈbʊki] - bukméker
bookie shop [ˈbʊki ʃɒp] - fogadóiroda
to bet on [tu bet ɒn] - fogadni vmire
profitable [ˈprɒfɪtəbl̩] - hasznot hozó
gambling [ˈɡæmbl̩ɪŋ] - szerencsejáték
speed race [spiːd reɪs] - gyorsasági verseny
track [træk] - pálya
jockey [ˈdʒɒki] - zsoké
to take place [tu teɪk pleɪs] - megrendezésre kerül
hurdle [ˈhɜːdl̩] - akadály, gát
roar [rɔː] - ordít, üvölt
hooves [huːvz] - pata
ordinary [ˈɔːdɪnri] - hagyományos, rendes
folk [fəʊk] - népség, emberek
valuable [ˈvæljʊəbl̩] - értékes
to breed (bred, bred) [tu briːd bred] - tenyészt
mare [meə] - kanca
show jumping [ʃəʊ ˈdʒʌmpɪŋ] - díjugratás
to knock over [tu nɒk ˈəʊvə] - lever
And now, answer the questions!
1) When was the first Aintree Grand National run?
A:1888 B:1822 C:1836 D:1850
2) What is the prize money for the English Derby?
A:1.25 million dollars B: 1.25 million euros C: 1.25 million pounds D: 1.25 million Guineas
3) Give another word for horse track
A: Road B: Lap C: Course D: Hunt
4) Which horse won the 2009 Arc de Triomphe?
5) What is another name for a rider of a horse?
A: Player B: Hunter C: Joker D: Jockey
6) In which city is Aintree race course?
A: Leeds B: Cheltenham C: London D: Liverpool
7) In showjumping how many faults do you get for knocking down a fence?
A:1 B:2 C:4 D5
8) Which of these are a definition of stud?
A: Breeding horse B: Something you can wear C: A part of a football shoe D: Something found on a belt
9) Which of these is a famous Hungarian race horse?
A: Overdone B: Overdose C: Over and out D: Death by chocolate
10) About how long is the Grand National?
A: 8 km B: 6KM C: 7km D: 4km
Answers: 1-c, 2-c, 3-c, 4 - Sea the Stars, 5-d, 6-d, 7-c, 8-a, 9-b, 10-c
|
