Many animals are adopted and trained for the purpose of
participating in sports. The animal can be completely or
partially involved in the sport they are trained for. The most
popular sports animals are dogs and horses. Some sports called
the blood sports also exist which are very harsh and they put
the life of the animal at risk. Many organizations are against
such kind of cruelty and also it is against the law in many
countries.
Animals were first domesticated for the purpose of hunting in
the beginning. This necessity later turned into a sport, but the
animals were still involved. This sport was meant for the rich
people and the royal family, in the medieval period. Hunters
rode horses and dogs accompanied them. The sport was sometimes
dangerous when lions and other exotic animals were hunted. While
the horses chased the animal, the dogs and hounds were trained
to actually attack the animal. But now hunting is banned in
almost all the countries.
The most common sports involving pets is horse riding. In some
events a human rider mounts the horse and in others the horse
competes without the human being. This modern sport is a
derivative of the chariot race which was held in the Roman and
ancient Greek times. Dogsled racing is another racing event
involving dogs. It is a timed winter sport, where dogs are tied
to sledges, which pull it, while the driver stands on the
sledge. They need to run on a marked course and whichever team
finishes first is declared as the winner.
Greyhound racing is also another animal sport. Actually, in the
1800s, greyhounds were brought from Europe to the United States
to control the increasing hare population. Breeders then thought
of involving this animal in racing and hence, this was how
greyhound racing started. Also, there are camel races involving
camels. But this race is sometimes objected because the riders
in such races are small kids. Pigeon racing is a not so popular
sport, involving trained racing pigeons. The pigeons are taken
away from their loft and then they are made to race. Whoever
reaches the home first wins the race. Beatle races are also
popular in Asia.
Jousting sport was developed in the fourteen century, where
knights ride on the back of the horse and compete with each
other. Horses are also trained for the sport polo. There are two
teams, which compete with each other. The competitor rides the
horse and at the same time hits the ball with the help of
mallets. The team, which makes the highest score, is the winning
team. As the start of the twentieth century, polo involved
elephants and it was considered as a royal sport back then. Pole
bending involves a horse and a horse rider. The horse has to run
on a serpentine path, which has six poles in one line. If the
horse knocks down any of the pole, the rider and the horse are
immediately disqualified.
Show jumping also involves horses. The horse has to jump over
fences with the jockey on their back. Horse ballet is another
sport involving horses. Dogs are given training to participate
in sports such as dog agility, and sheepdog trails. Dogs also
participate in dog shows. It is a competition where dogs of
certain breed compete with each other. Things such as looks,
intelligence, grace, etc, of the individual dog are considered.
Sports involving animals, which are cruel are bullfighting,
camel wrestling, cockfighting, and cow fighting.