Kuninkuusravit
Encyclopedia
The Kuninkuusravit championship is an annual championship harness racing
contest in Finland
. It is the official Finnish national championship contest for Finnhorse
stallions and mares. It has been held annually since 1924, except during the war times of 1934-1937, 1940–1942, and 1944. Originally stallions and mares competed together for the title of Ravikuningas ("racing king"), but in 1948 the separate title, Ravikuningatar ("racing queen") was established for mares. Geldings may not participate.
The Kuninkuusravit championship races take two days, during which three starts are run. The first start, 2.1 kilometres (1.3 mi), is run during the first day, and the 1.609 kilometre (0.999788733269539 mi) and 3.1 kilometres (1.93 mi) starts during the second day. The stallion and mare with the best combined times win. Thus, to win the title, a horse does not need to win a single run, and for instance, in 2006 the stallion Saran Salama won the championship, placing 2nd, 2nd and 3rd in the respective starts. Both divisions include 12 animals. Horses taking part in the contest are required to be registered in the Finnhorse studbook.
Suomen Hippos holds the Kuninkuusravit contest annually, in co-operation with one of its affiliated organisations. The contest is held in July or August. The first eight Kuninkuusravi contests were held in Lahti
, but since 1931, it has been a priority to hold the contest in a different place every year, all around Finland.
September 28, 1913, but the race was probably at provincial rather than national level. Similar contests were held also in Southern Ostrobothnia
.
The Kuninkuusravit contest replaced the state races as the official national harness racing championship contest for Finnhorses. The state races, however, were still held until 1939. The first Kuninkuusravit contest was held in Lahti
in 1924, and it consisted of three starts: 1.609 kilometre (0.999788733269539 mi), 2 kilometres (1.24 mi) and 3 kilometres (1.86 mi). At first the starts were run one horse at a time, but it was later changed so that the starts are run normally, all horses at the same time.
During the war years of 1940-1946, the Finnish harness racing sport was in depression: only few horses were trained, and races were held rarely as most of the horses and men were serving in the military forces. The Kuninkuusravit contest was held only three times, in 1943, 1945 and 1946.
Until 1948, the title of Ravikuningas was open for both stallions and mares, which competed in the same division. The title was won by mares for five times: in 1925, by Reippaan-Liisu, and in 1930-1933 by Tomu.
In 1948, the contest was split in two divisions, for stallions and for mares, but the rules allowed a mare to take the Ravikuningas title in case her combined time was better than that of the best stallion. By the 1948 rules, a mare only won the Ravikuningas title once, being Suhina in 1956. The rule that allowed a mare to "overtake" the Ravikuningas title was later abolished.
Harness racing
Harness racing is a form of horse racing in which the horses race at a specific gait . They usually pull a two-wheeled cart called a sulky, although racing under saddle is also conducted in Europe.-Breeds:...
contest in Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
. It is the official Finnish national championship contest for Finnhorse
Finnhorse
The Finnhorse or Finnish Horse is a horse breed with both riding horse and draught horse influences and characteristics, and is the only breed developed fully in Finland...
stallions and mares. It has been held annually since 1924, except during the war times of 1934-1937, 1940–1942, and 1944. Originally stallions and mares competed together for the title of Ravikuningas ("racing king"), but in 1948 the separate title, Ravikuningatar ("racing queen") was established for mares. Geldings may not participate.
The Kuninkuusravit championship races take two days, during which three starts are run. The first start, 2.1 kilometres (1.3 mi), is run during the first day, and the 1.609 kilometre (0.999788733269539 mi) and 3.1 kilometres (1.93 mi) starts during the second day. The stallion and mare with the best combined times win. Thus, to win the title, a horse does not need to win a single run, and for instance, in 2006 the stallion Saran Salama won the championship, placing 2nd, 2nd and 3rd in the respective starts. Both divisions include 12 animals. Horses taking part in the contest are required to be registered in the Finnhorse studbook.
Suomen Hippos holds the Kuninkuusravit contest annually, in co-operation with one of its affiliated organisations. The contest is held in July or August. The first eight Kuninkuusravi contests were held in Lahti
Lahti
Lahti is a city and municipality in Finland.Lahti is the capital of the Päijänne Tavastia region. It is situated on a bay at the southern end of lake Vesijärvi about north-east of the capital Helsinki...
, but since 1931, it has been a priority to hold the contest in a different place every year, all around Finland.
History
Before the foundation of Kuninkuusravit in 1924, the annual Finnish Finnhorse harness racing championships had been raced as state-held races, valtionajot ("state races"). Some single races had been called "kuninkuusajot" before 1924, for instance in TampereTampere
Tampere is a city in southern Finland. It is the most populous inland city in any of the Nordic countries. The city has a population of , growing to approximately 300,000 people in the conurbation and over 340,000 in the metropolitan area. Tampere is the third most-populous municipality in...
September 28, 1913, but the race was probably at provincial rather than national level. Similar contests were held also in Southern Ostrobothnia
Ostrobothnia
Ostrobothnia refers to various areas in Finland:* Ostrobothnia , province of the kingdom of Sweden before 1809* Ostrobothnia , in modern Finland* Other regions in modern Finland:** Southern Ostrobothnia** Central Ostrobothnia...
.
The Kuninkuusravit contest replaced the state races as the official national harness racing championship contest for Finnhorses. The state races, however, were still held until 1939. The first Kuninkuusravit contest was held in Lahti
Lahti
Lahti is a city and municipality in Finland.Lahti is the capital of the Päijänne Tavastia region. It is situated on a bay at the southern end of lake Vesijärvi about north-east of the capital Helsinki...
in 1924, and it consisted of three starts: 1.609 kilometre (0.999788733269539 mi), 2 kilometres (1.24 mi) and 3 kilometres (1.86 mi). At first the starts were run one horse at a time, but it was later changed so that the starts are run normally, all horses at the same time.
During the war years of 1940-1946, the Finnish harness racing sport was in depression: only few horses were trained, and races were held rarely as most of the horses and men were serving in the military forces. The Kuninkuusravit contest was held only three times, in 1943, 1945 and 1946.
Until 1948, the title of Ravikuningas was open for both stallions and mares, which competed in the same division. The title was won by mares for five times: in 1925, by Reippaan-Liisu, and in 1930-1933 by Tomu.
In 1948, the contest was split in two divisions, for stallions and for mares, but the rules allowed a mare to take the Ravikuningas title in case her combined time was better than that of the best stallion. By the 1948 rules, a mare only won the Ravikuningas title once, being Suhina in 1956. The rule that allowed a mare to "overtake" the Ravikuningas title was later abolished.