Between Purity and Pragmatism: The Politics of Purebred Breeding and Racing of the Orlov Trotter in Imperial Russia, 1880–1915

Abstract

Towards the end of the nineteenth century, trotting racing had become a popular urban pastime in imperial Russia, largely due to the Imperial St. Petersburg Society of Trotting Horse Breeding. Founded in 1860, this semi-state organization ran tri-annual racing events, managed the totalizator – a pari-mutuel betting system – and invested in nationwide breeding programmes. It notably championed the Orlov Trotter, a famous Russian horse breed originating from crossbreeding between Dutch, English, and Mecklenburg mares and Arabian stallions. Building on recent scholarly ideas that the evolution of horse breeds is a nuanced and complex journey rather than a straightforward process, this study explores the intricate politics of equestrian breeding and racing, focusing on the Society’s failed efforts to recast the Orlov Trotter as a purebred. International competition, especially from American trotters, and local urban politics intensified after the totalizator’s 1880s introduction. This led to financial dilemmas and ethical concerns around gambling. In response, the Society pivoted to support purebred breeding, adopting nationalist rhetoric to preserve the ‘pure Russian horse’, and gaining broader support. By 1915, once the Society stabilized financially, it reverted to advocating crossbreeding, rejecting the idea of breed purity.