Wikipedia talk:WikiProject Horse racing/Archive 1

message: Hi, I'm a member of the Wikipedia:Version_1.0_Editorial_Team, which is looking to identify quality articles in Wikipedia for future publication on CD or paper. We recently began assessing using these criteria, and we are looking for A-class, B-class, and Good articles, with no POV or copyright problems. Can you recommend any suitable articles? Please post your suggestions here. Thanks a lot! Gflores Talk 17:40, 2 February 2006 (UTC)
thread_title:  Articles for the Wikipedia 1.0 project 

message: As a couple of people have indicated, I think it may be time to develop a WikiProject on Thoroughbred racing. Dark horse has written to me as follows:
:I think that it would be a good idea to support a wikiproject on thoroughbred horse racing as suggested by Galopin. considering the size and limited contributors possibly separate projects for Europe, US and AUS. These could then be merged once more complete. There is Wikipedia:WikiProject Thoroughbred racing which has had next to nothing done to it and seems USA focused. You may have seen me working through the G1 winners in Australia (slowly) my idea is to complete the winners of all blacktype races and then complete profiles for all hall of fame horses (firstly) in the style of the Tulloch article. Added to this i want to develop a standard for summaries, race records etc. i quite like the idea of info boxes like they have for football (soccer) players. A summary including info on basic breeding, colour, year foaled, owner, trainer, race record, prizemoney, major wins, awards, sire stats and a photo would look good. Let me know what you think (dark horse 04:11, 4 July 2006 (UTC)
thread_title: WikiProject

message: I have added a proposed infobox to Wikipedia:List of infoboxes/Proposed.
Comments appreciated.
You can see it in use at Makybe Diva/Lonhro/Northerly article. (dark horse 03:54, 6 July 2006 (UTC)
replies: text: It is quite a detailed infobox. --Siva1979Talk to me 06:50, 6 July 2006 (UTC)

text: How about in "Major Wins" you reverse the columns so that the name of the race (more important) comes before the year of win (less important). What do you think? - Cuddy Wifter 04:02, 7 July 2006 (UTC)

text: Not a bad idea, will have a look when i have some time (dark horse 10:25, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

text: designed comlete new infobox template for thoroughbred racing (including revesing columns). much easier to use, see under infoboxes on mainpage.  currently implemented at Makybe Diva&Lonhro for an example (dark horse 05:44, 19 July 2006 (UTC)
thread_title:  Infoboxes 

message: I have made some changes to better reflect this project, also added an userbox to add to userpages. (dark horse 02:42, 14 July 2006 (UTC)
thread_title:  Frontpage 

message: Added this project to the New pages seeking contributors section in the Community bulletin board (dark horse 03:54, 14 July 2006 (UTC)
thread_title:  Bulletin Board 

message: added to main page. Have put some templates that can be used (to recruit).  Also room for templates etc to be placed. (dark horse 04:52, 14 July 2006 (UTC)
thread_title:  Templates & Images 

message: I have started placing the following on the talk pages of users i notice are regular contributors to horse racing articles.
I notice you are a contributor to racehorse articles, if you are interested there is a new project underway on the topic. Have a look at Wikipedia:WikiProject Thoroughbred racing and feel free to join up, im sure your contributions would be worthwhile! 
if others involved want to do similar we might be able to recruit some more participants in the project quicker.
(dark horse 04:55, 17 July 2006 (UTC)
replies: text: I have been doing similar work. Keep an eye out for posts with the heading "Throughbred racing project" - e.g. see User_talk:Sjc#Throughbred_racing_project - Cuddy Wifter 06:18, 17 July 2006 (UTC)
thread_title:  Recruitment 

message: The New Zealand racehorse Xcellent has been listed for deletion. Some informed comments from thoroughbred enthusiasts would seem to be needed. - Cuddy Wifter 04:33, 14 August 2006 (UTC)
thread_title: [[Xcellent]] up for deletion

message: I made a new :Category:European racehorses. This is for Thoroughbred race horses bred anywhere in the world that most generally compete in races at various tracks throughout the European Union. Handicapper 15:12, 27 August 2006 (UTC)
thread_title: New Category

message: As requested, I've revamped the infobox. Here is the new usage:

I've updated a few pages with the new syntax. Dread Lord CyberSkull ✎☠ 03:54, 30 August 2006 (UTC)
replies: text: I don't see any width problem with the width. Dread Lord CyberSkull ✎☠ 07:14, 1 September 2006 (UTC)
thread_title:  infobox revamp 

message: I am suggesting that we adopt this infobox set up, as well as the chart set up for race records which occurs in the article about Barbaro. I also believe that a standard should be set for articles on racecourses. That standard is the one used for the article on Saratoga Race Course and the Del Mar Racetrack. I also proposed a while ago, and this was deleted from the to-do list that we set a goal of making articles on all Grade/Group 1 races in the world and also for other important Group 2 and 3 races such as the UAE Derby and the CashCall Mile. As you may know, articles are established for all American racetracks with a graded race, :Category:Horse racing venues in the United States and for all Grade 1 and Grade 2 races. I also want to emphasize that the project needs to stand up for itself about the repeated labeling of articles as stubs. Furthermore, the Breeders' Cup is coming up on the 4th of November and I believe that a major push should be made so that the contenders for the Breeders' Cup all have articles as do major prep races. I intend to put this on the to-do list. Although the Cup has never been run outside of North America, it attracts the best standard of European and South American horses, last year including Ouija Board, Ad Valorem, Shirocco, Intercontinental, Hurricane Run, Oratorio, Starcraft, Ace, Bago, Azamour, Gorella, Host, Valixir, Angara, Megahertz, Sundrop, Luas Line and Mona Lisa. It is an international event and deserves some work. Also breeding operations centered in Central Kentucky deserve more work including articles on sales, farms and prominent breeders and owners. 
--Loucards 21:40, 1 September 2006 (UTC)
replies: text: I too think the NBA players infobox would be good if someone wants to do it.  Handicapper 19:09, 2 September 2006 (UTC)
thread_title: Manual of Style

message: I also think the page is difficult to read and should be moved to the set up used for College basketball and other projects.
--Loucards 21:40, 1 September 2006 (UTC)
thread_title: New Page

message: I have started a new page to focus specifically on American horse racing and I think that other countries ought to follow suit. Also, I encourage Americans who are members of this page to join the new project WikiProject_American_thoroughbred_racing.
--Loucards 12:54, 2 September 2006 (UTC)
thread_title: Split

message: Galopin has generously volunteered to help and has done a great job. Take a look at his talk page (User talk:Galopin#Template tests) for the two choices for the bottom box and those horses where I set up their box today using sample 1. Handicapper 17:23, 13 September 2006 (UTC)
thread_title: Infobox templates

message: Could everyione make a note to designate in the "Honors" box U.S. Racing Hall of Fame and the Top 100 U.S. Racehorses of the 20th Century. Thanx. Handicapper 23:19, 15 September 2006 (UTC)
thread_title: United States designations for Infoboxes

message: I am new to wiki. I know this wiki article is supposed to be global in nature. However I have noticed differences in TB racing (stakes $) and breeding (endurance v. speed) between different US states (ie, TX bred for speed, where KY more for endurance). These are just my amateur observations. I would suggest if there is interest breaking down per state the anamolies to the state such as the 2 I mentioned. Someone who has been doing this longer probably has more examples of anamolies. 
Another thought is to comment on the life of a racehorse after racing. I own a retired TB broodmare (just 1). She is one of the ones injured - retired after her 2nd race. She placed 2nd in her first 2 races. Fast mare. But.... Mr. Prospector babies are pretty much speed only (stick legs, I have heard some say). What happens to the horses after racing? Stallions live a long and happy life if they come from a desired bloodline. Mares become broodmares, the market (auctions) is flooded with TB foals (fast but not necessarily endurance runners). Poor geldings! Might go for $250 at an auction. Can't produce babies - if they are trained properly, maybe polo? maybe hunter/jumper? Unfortunately they tend to be unwanted. There are 2 horse meat packing plants in TX and I hate to say it but they are meeting a demand (albeit foreign) and retired TB's can and do end up there.
So for those considering breeding TBs - think hard because it is not that profitable (in TX anyway) and you may actually be breeding for the horse processing plant not the racetrack.
unscientific general review of TB racehorse's life:
year 0-2.5 - they grow up
2.5 - enter training
3.0 - first race, if trainer/owner serious, maybe 1 race x month, max 10 races year (horse gets a couple of breaks)
from 3 -5 - might race the entire time if not injured
5+ - probably retired from track --then what? depends on the horse and demand of what that horse can provide, what need it can meet....
a horse's life span is 25-30 yr so that is a long time to be a pasture ornament if not breeding, polo or being used in other healthy & fun (for the horse) ways.
last suggestion & thought: drugs - it happens. trainers mix cocktails and shoot a horse up prior to a race. If this has not already been mentioned -- I think it should be touched on. I have never raced a horse personally but I know many who have and some shoot the horse up... others are dead set against it....
These are a few thoughts that came to mind -- thanks for writing a wiki article on TB horseracing...good day.
tejas_ruthie (edited to add my wiki login ID if anyone wants to email me)
Note: - Ruthie, see Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation, there are others listed at the bottom of that article, and quite a few more that don't have pages yet.  I'll see what I can pull together for CANTER and ReRun.  You might want to look into a Texas group called LOPE, which started as CANTER but expanded to all breeds. Jrstark 02:10, 5 April 2007 (UTC)
thread_title:  Thoughts (state by state, injections and life after racing?) 

message: Hi horse geeks. I've just translated the article Elitloppet, a Swedish horse race, from :fr:Elitloppet and :sv:Elitloppet. I couldn't see any sort of style guideline for horse races, so just did a vulgar copy of the outline from the other language Wikipedias. BTW, I'm no expert, but it seems that European Grand Circuit, or maybe Grand Circuit Européen as it seems to be known internationally, should be written. --Dangherous 11:42, 13 November 2006 (UTC)
replies: text: Well, if you want to translate, you can find it on fr wiki: here. Historicair 17:50, 19 November 2006 (UTC)

text: I have also just started the article BHB Champion Jockey Award, there is lots more that could be done to improve this article - like adding more of the champions in, the number of winners that they rode. I'm also not sure if the BHB Champion Jockey Award is the name for both flat and jumping awards. If it is we should add the names of jump jockeys who have won this in the past. Please help with this one too. --Wikipediatastic 16:28, 8 December 2006 (UTC)
thread_title:  New articles 

message: Beginning cross-post.
:See Wikipedia talk:Version 1.0 Editorial Team#Stablepedia. If you wish to comment, please comment there. ★MESSEDROCKER★ 02:55, 26 November 2006 (UTC)
thread_title:  Stablepedia 

message: I just came across this: :Category:Influential sport horse sires. Should there be a separate one for Thoroughbreds? Handicapper 18:45, 28 November 2006 (UTC)
thread_title: Category - Sires

message: There is now a proposed project at Wikipedia:WikiProject Council/Proposals#Veterinary Medicine to deal with matters of veterinary medicine, a subject which currently has disproportionately low content in wikipedia. Any wikipedia editors who have an interest in working on content related to the subject are encouraged to indicate as much there. Thank you for your attention. Badbilltucker 22:16, 6 December 2006 (UTC)
thread_title:  Proposed Veterinary medicine project 

message: I proposed the horse bio for Pine circle be deleted if others want to comment. Handicapper 17:38, 7 December 2006 (UTC)
thread_title: Article for deletion

message: I did the article on Arazi based on written accounts, having not seen the race live or on TV. While doing the article for Bertrando I found a video of this race. This is truly an astonishing performance if anyone wants to look at it. Handicapper 16:59, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
thread_title: 1991 Breeders' Cup Juvenile

message: The page for the jockey currently entitled A. P. McCoy was recently moved from "Tony McCoy". I'm not so sure this was a good move. If you're interested, please could you register a vote at Talk:A. P. McCoy as to which title you prefer - "Tony McCoy" or "A. P. McCoy". The vote closes at 12pm GMT on January 1st 2007. Thanks -- Zafonic 20:41, 20 December 2006 (UTC)
thread_title:  Tony McCoy / A. P. McCoy 

message: Hello, all. It was initially my hope to try to have this done as part of Esperanza's proposal for an appreciation week to end on Wikipedia Day, January 15. However, several people have once again proposed the entirety of Esperanza for deletion, so that might not work. It was the intention of the Appreciation Week proposal to set aside a given time when the various individuals who have made significant, valuable contributions to the encyclopedia would be recognized and honored. I believe that, with some effort, this could still be done. My proposal is to, with luck, try to organize the various WikiProjects and other entities of wikipedia to take part in a larger celebrartion of its contributors to take place in January, probably beginning January 15, 2007. I have created yet another new subpage for myself (a weakness of mine, I'm afraid) at User talk:Badbilltucker/Appreciation Week where I would greatly appreciate any indications from the members of this project as to whether and how they might be willing and/or able to assist in recognizing the contributions of our editors. Thank you for your attention. Badbilltucker 19:32, 29 December 2006 (UTC)
thread_title:  Wikipedia Day Awards