Sweden and France

[Joe Bengston]

After watching the Prix America or American or someone can correct me as to what the actual/real name of that race is but after watching that today I noticed. we don't have a Harness track in France, or Sweden. I've been watching Swedish harness racing last couple of days. while I don't think we really need anymore tracks what's everyone's thoughts on adding two harness tracks in those countries? maybe if the Steward doesn't create these two new tracks someone who wants to try out owning their own racetrack on here would like to open them. I don't have the gp's or simcash or whatever it is I would need to run those. but I think what we have Australia as the only international track for our standarbred's? maybe I'm wrong but I don't remember there being any more tracks outside of the U.S. in the sim for harness. the second part to that which would likely never happen is different distance races for standardbreds at those tracks in Australia/Sweden/France. the U.S. tracks would still be all a mile as mostly ever North American harness race is run at a mile. but that isn't the case for the the countries I mentioned. of course they also have harness racing under saddle to lol. the post is mostly just about everyone's thoughts on tracks in those two countries though. would love to hear everyone's thoughts on this topic.

[T.D. Palm]

I like it

[The Steward]

Also like it, because I love Swedish harness racing... it's what got me into it in real life way back when!! Maybe you guys could crowdfund a racetrack over there with Game Points like other player owned tracks (the AW one comes to mind)

[Gigi Gofaster]

I would move more horses to europe if there was another track there. I'm not interested in adding distance preferences to trotters (I like that they are simple to race and breed in that regard) but I'm okay with being overruled on that. That said, I think one of the big issues with chasers is that the lack of runners for so long meant breeders haven't paid attention to distance preferences, and now it's tough to get back from that. If distance preferences were added to trotters now, I would be concerned that it could result in a dilution of quality at this stage of trotters in the same way, and I have no idea how tough that would be to code. Still, I'm open to being overruled and I would like another european track to make it worth basing more horses over there.

[Gigi Gofaster]

Also like it, because I love Swedish harness racing... it's what got me into it in real life way back when!! Maybe you guys could crowdfund a racetrack over there with Game Points like other player owned tracks (the AW one comes to mind)

I do NOT want to schedule races but I would donate GPS to this venture.

[Joe Bengston]

I don't really want different distances either in all honesty. that was just a well in real life its that way, but I also would agree to then I think about the quality of the trotters and pacers as well going down if that were the case. I like that it's one distance as well. well I'd consider trying to write races but I would need some help plus I'm not sure what all the requirements I need to meet exactly. I have to look over all of that stuff again and reading an article recently about someone who opened a track and had to think about a whole bunch of stuff yeah scary haha. and I didn't know that about the Steward and Swedish harness racing! there was a horse in Sweden racing recently named Skinny dipping or Skinny dip female track announcer goes I hope not not in Sweden anyway. also one named lunatic face. she's funny though.

[Joe Bengston]

I think I would need some help and more explaining on exactly how many races each week I could write and which ones etc. I'm too tired right now as I woke up really early and had been watching those harness races but maybe tomorrow I'll try to come up with a week or two of races and see if those work. it would just be to see if my list of races would actually work especially as I have no current plans to open a racetrack. I'm glad people like the ideas though. I'm of Swedish descent so Sweden has a special place in my heart I also like to think I got viking blood haha.

[Flizan Hambletonian]

I don´t race much trotters in Sim, but Harnessracing is a big deal in Sweden (and Norway, Finland and Denmark). And in France and Italy irl. I actually had a licens as a driver in Sweden (many years ago) and own a trotter irl.
A cool addition to harnessracing in Sweden, Norway and Finland is the "Cold-Blood"-trotter. Maybe a new division in the sim? Or monté (trotters with jockey-riders instead of drivers). Monté gives the races a little bit differences in tactics...
I would be interested in sponsoring some GP to a racetrack in Sweden! I just have to get some more and better trotters first...

Here is a photo of "Järvsöfaks", the best Cold-blooded trotter so far!





Monté

[T.D. Palm]

I'll donate game points.Let me know how much & when

[Joe Bengston]

I don´t race much trotters in Sim, but Harnessracing is a big deal in Sweden (and Norway, Finland and Denmark). And in France and Italy irl. I actually had a licens as a driver in Sweden (many years ago) and own a trotter irl.
A cool addition to harnessracing in Sweden, Norway and Finland is the "Cold-Blood"-trotter. Maybe a new division in the sim? Or monté (trotters with jockey-riders instead of drivers). Monté gives the races a little bit differences in tactics...
I would be interested in sponsoring some GP to a racetrack in Sweden! I just have to get some more and better trotters first...

Here is a photo of "Järvsöfaks", the best Cold-blooded trotter so far!





Monté

awesome pictures! and sweet! yes I know it's big in those countries I think just Sweden and France would be okay for additions to the sim right now lol but yes. those other ones as well it is very big. we just call it trotting under saddle in the states. or harness racing under saddle. don't worry I have terrible harness horses in the sim lol I'm okay with the current sulky type trotters/pacers. but yeah I've watched a few of those recently last couple of days. what is a Cold-blooded trotter? what's the difference between a regular trotter? and they are interesting to watch though.

[Flizan Hambletonian]

Actually, harnessracing (trotters) are the biggest horseracing sport in Sweden. We have 33 racetracks for harnessracing in the country- compared with 5 (?) racetracks for gallop-horses. Of 5 racetracks for gallop-horses one is for arabs, one is combined for trotters and galopphorses, two are only open in the summer ("Strömsholm"- with a few racindays, including the swedish version of Grand National and Gothenburg- the racetrack where I was the veterinarian a couple of years ago). All these racetracks for a population of 10 million people (about the same amount as the city of London).

[Flizan Hambletonian]

awesome pictures! and sweet! yes I know it's big in those countries I think just Sweden and France would be okay for additions to the sim right now lol but yes. those other ones as well it is very big. we just call it trotting under saddle in the states. or harness racing under saddle. don't worry I have terrible harness horses in the sim lol I'm okay with the current sulky type trotters/pacers. but yeah I've watched a few of those recently last couple of days. what is a Cold-blooded trotter? what's the difference between a regular trotter? and they are interesting to watch though.

The coldblooded trotter origins from the North Swedish horses (sweden) and "Dölehorses" (Norway). They are drafthorses, and in the beginning of harnessracing in Sweden- farmers raced for fun with their drafthorses. Nowadays there are two different kinds of "North Swedish Horses"- the drafthorse and the harnessracing-type. The horses used for harnessracing are heavier than the standardbreds, and therefor not as quick. In the beginning probably some standardbreds were used in the breeding, but now it´s VERY strict and all horses are DNA-typed.

North-Swedish horse, harnessracing:


North Swedish horse, draft-type


Standardbred

[Tom Lin]

I remember seeing Järvsöfaks race on television on Elitelopp day more than a few years ago. I think at the time he had some amazing race record. He was very impressive that day.

[Tom Lin]

Also like it, because I love Swedish harness racing... it's what got me into it in real life way back when!! Maybe you guys could crowdfund a racetrack over there with Game Points like other player owned tracks (the AW one comes to mind)

I am all for another trotting track and Sweden would be a fine location. My understanding is there are only trotting races (no pacing). I was planning a track for next year which I am going to go ahead with. Sweden won't work for me though as a location but you count me in for GP support if someone wants to take it on.

[Ash Tarasin]

I remember seeing Järvsöfaks race on television on Elitelopp day more than a few years ago. I think at the time he had some amazing race record. He was very impressive that day.

I think Järvsöfaks still holds the the coldblood trotters' record in consecutive wins (42) and earned more than the equivalent of 2310917 USD
(21 million SEK) during his career. He kept a world record for 11 years. In 2009 when he was fifteen years old he beat five of his own sons in the Swedish Championships. It was the 10th time he won the championships. He was retired the same year since the ruleset wouldn't allow him to continue racing due to age restrictions. He won his last race too.

Järvsöfaks breaking the world record in 2005: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fCSH-x9KCY