Such terms as racetrack, handicap and betting terminal sound for us Belarusians as something exotic. Still, horse racing is a bit closer than one might think. It’s hard to believe, but a handsome chestnut gelding named Minsk has won many a race in the faraway British Isles.
The horse was born in April 2008 at Airlie Stud farms near Ireland’s Kildare. It has won a couple of flat races and now experts say it could make quite a career in steeplechase racing.
“Why did you name the horse Minsk?” was our first question to Anthony Rogers, co-owner of Airlie Stud, when we phoned him.
“Its mother’s name was Penza, and Penza’s mother was Soviet Star. Minsk is a good name for Penza’s son, isn’t it? Minsk’s sister’s name, by the way, is Smolensk. Also, the name of your capital city sounds good in English”.
“How does our Minsk behave?”
“It is very big like its mother. It has a wonderful docile temperament and, fancily, likes lying on its back”.
Minsk is for four years old. In its lifetime the horse participated in ten flat races winning three of them and entering the top three racers in another five.
