Who would have thought that soccer and horse races can be so intertwined? Apparently, a trend of owning a racehorse has been steadily growing among the soccer players and the managers alike. In addition, people are getting so interested in different horse racing events that they look at the best Cheltenham betting offers more and more, eager to test their luck in this popular sport. However, this practice is not just a mere display of social and economic status, as many people from the soccer industry really love this noble animal.
Horses are a sign of nobility, virtue, strength, endurance, and persistence, which are some of the values that are highly appreciated in soccer as well. Our best guess is that owning a horse inspires many players and managers to keep up with achieving great results. On the other hand, they might be in horse racing business only for the sake of the money they can gain, and the financial aspect is another powerful force that motivates soccer players.
Let’s take a look at some of the people from the industry who own a racehorse and take a good care of it.
Alex Ferguson
Ferguson was so impressed with these noble animals that he decided to become a part-owner of a horse called Rock of Gibraltar. This animal superstar was proclaimed the 2002 European Horse of the Year, and its relationship with the ex-Red Devil’s manager is the most famous one in the soccer history. Ferguson fell in love with Rocky and even charged his breeding services. In the end, he had to sell it to the Glazer family, since other Man Utd officials did not like Fergie being so focused on his animal friend.
Sergio Ramos
By analyzing Ramos’ performance on the field, one could conclude that this player has a powerful source of inspiration. It turns out he made one near Seville, and it is an SR4 Stud Farm where Ramos personally has bred a couple of top-notch horses that have already been competing in races all over Spain.
There seems to be a trend of owning a horse among the players of the Royal Club, and Keylor Navas is the second most prominent horse lover that even has a lot of experience when it comes to riding horses.
Diego Maradona
The legendary player from Argentina has several things that keep him in the focus of tabloid newspapers. His reckless cocaine-sprinkled behavior is often the primary point of discussion, obstructing the fact that he co-owned a couple of superb racehorses during his career in Boca Juniors. He considered them true friends and even named them after his human companions, like the two that were bearing the names of Cani and Guille.
Michael Owen
The second most famous soccer player that turned to horse racing is definitely Michael Owen who founded a personal stable back in 2006. Having hired Tom Dascombe as one of the horse trainers, the former Liverpool player had a lot of success with a couple of horses, including Brown Panther that turned out to be his personal favorite. The racehorse trend has also been flourishing among the Liverpool players, as several others turned to this expensive hobby, some of them being Robbie Fowler and Steve McManaman.
Thomas Muller
Muller is married to a semi-professional rider, and they own a couple of horses. However, they don’t use them for racing but only as pet animals which they showcase from time to time. Nevertheless, Muller’s love for horses is a true and unconditional one since he doesn’t earn a penny from this hobby.