Synopses & Reviews
The Sport of Kings is an ethnography of the British racing industry based upon two years of participant observation in Newmarket, the international headquarters of flat racing. Racing in Britain provides a lens through which ideas of class, status, tradition and hierarchy can be examined in an environment which is both superficially familiar and richly exotic. This book explores concepts about 'nature' specific to thoroughbred racehorse breeding, and pursues the idea that in making statements about animals, we reveal something of ourselves. It explains the action that takes place on racecourses, in training yards, on studs and at bloodstock auctions. It analyses the consumption of racing through betting on the racecourse and in betting shops, and it proffers an insightful description of a unique class system: that of the humans and animals involved in the production of British flat racing.
Review
"Th[is] book displays a welcome interdisciplinary vision, being informed by sociological, economic, and historical perspectives...[a] precisely written and imaginative study." Business History Review
Synopsis
'Behind the scenes' description of British flat racing based on Cassidy's experiences working in Newmarket.
Synopsis
Includes bibliographical references (p. 174-182).
Synopsis
This unique "behind the scenes" description of British flat racing is based on first hand experiences in Newmarket, the Suffolk town regarded as the international headquarters of the sport. Cassidy offers an insider's look at the rituals of horseracing--including those on the racecourse and at the bloodstock auction--and shows how racing, betting and the bloodstock industry are connected. Her insightful descriptions of the class structure of Newmarket explain how racing professionals preserve both the sport and their status quo.
Synopsis
A unique 'behind the scenes' d escription of British flat racing based on the experiences of an academic living and working in Newmarket, the Suffolk town regarded as the international headquarters of flat racing. Rebecca Cassidy offers explanations of the rituals involved in horseracing, including those that take place on the racecourse and at the bloodstock auction, and shows how racing, betting and the bloodstock industry fit together. She gives insightful descriptions of the class structure of Newmarket and explains how the racing professionals preserve their authority within the industry.
Synopsis
A unique âbehind the scenesâdescription of British flat racing based on the experiences of an academic living and working in Newmarket, the Suffolk town regarded as the international headquarters of flat racing. Rebecca Cassidy offers explanations of the rituals involved in horseracing, including those that take place on the racecourse and at the bloodstock auction, and shows how racing, betting and the bloodstock industry fit together. She gives insightful descriptions of the class structure of Newmarket and explains how the racing professionals preserve their authority within the industry.
About the Author
REBECCA CASSIDY is Lecturer in Anthropology at Goldsmiths College, University of London.
Table of Contents
Preface; Acknowledgements; 1. Introduction; 2. Headquarters; 3. Keeping it in the family; 4. At the races; 5. Having a flutter; 6. Going once, going twice ...; 7. One of the lads; 8. Doing it for Daddy; 9. Blood will tell; 10. Conclusions; List of references; Index.