Harness racing

Harness racing, form of horse racing in which each horse draws a lightweight, two-wheeled cart (called a sulky) driven by a driver. Most harness races are run by pacers, horses who move two legs on the same side at the same time, producing a fast, rocking gait. Other races are for trotters, who move opposing pairs of legs together. Harness racing is generally run by standardbred horses on an oval dirt and clay track 1/2–1 mi (0.8–1.6 km) long. The major annual event in U.S. harness racing is the Hambletonian. Harness racing originated in Asia Minor in ancient times and became popular in the United States and Europe in the 19th century.