Prestigious Equestrian Race Track Cancels Events Due to Hurricane Alert

Weather plays an important role in the conduction of horse racing events. Since equestrian sports are played outdoors the climate condition has to be taken into consideration. The weather directly impacts the health and performance of both the equine and the jockey in particular and the spectators at large.

The race course authorities analyze the forecast of the weather and take decisions accordingly. The Del Mar Racecourse has done the same and decided to cancel the Sunday race in anticipation of the hurricane that is expected to hit the area. The decision is made as a precautionary measure for the safety of the people involved in the race.

The equestrian track closes due to Hurricane Hilary

According to Fox5 Sandiego the 84-year-old prestigious equestrian track has decided to cancel its planned nine-horse race program on Sunday due to bad weather. The rare and fairly large hurricane is set to engulf the Southern California area and the track has no option but to close. This is the second time in the track’s illustrious history that it is being closed for the whole day. The track said that by “bowing to mother nature and putting safety first” they had taken such an extreme step.

Josh Rubinstein, the Del Mar president, and COO said in a statement that they took this decision for the safety of horses, riders, and all the workers, staff, and fans. He further spoke about the weather, “Unfortunately, the forecast calls for substantial rain and winds that appear to be headed our way. We are hopeful this will only be a one-day thing for us, but it is a necessary step we feel we have to take“.

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Hurricane Hilary which shall transform into a storm has the potential to have winds that blow 25-35 mph and rainfall of three-quarters of an inch or one inch. The races will be rescheduled into different races day in the future. Meanwhile, the trainers are worried about their horses and started planning to transfer them to a safer place.

Equestrian trainers shift their horses to safer place

At Del Mar the outside pens are constructed with a chain-linked fence and the roof is made of plastic tarps. These constructions are vulnerable to powerful wind and heavy rain. Taking notice of that many trainers are working out on how and where to transfer their horse present in the pens.

Trainer John Sadler is planning to shift his dozen horses to empty stalls on the backside or to Los Alamitos. The equestrian race course should be applauded for keeping the safety of its livestock and humans prime and taking precautionary measures to avoid any mishappenings.

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