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SILKS AND SPEED

Horse racing is the most colorful and exciting two to three minutes of sport. The flying hooves, the announcer's staccato speech, and all those fancy-dressed folks make it quite a spectacle. Most of all, I love the colorful jockeys in their rainbow of silks.

In the 18th century, English aristocrats enjoyed watching horse racing. They had no TV close-ups and announcers, no slow-motion replays, and no subtitles to identify the horses mid-race.

For the spectators' sake and to build team spirit, horse racers adopted brightly colored garments for racers, with matching accessories for the horses. At the time, the colors indicated the social ranking of the riders.

In time, the tradition grew. Breeders and stables adopted their own colors for the uniforms, which became known as silks.

Learn more about this author, Linda Ann Nickerson.
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