Cynisca (foaled 1886 in New Zealand) was a
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are c ...
mare
A mare is an adult female horse or other equine. In most cases, a mare is a female horse over the age of three, and a filly is a female horse three and younger. In Thoroughbred horse racing, a mare is defined as a female horse more than four ...
racehorse
Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic pr ...
named for the
Sparta
Sparta ( Doric Greek: Σπάρτα, ''Spártā''; Attic Greek: Σπάρτη, ''Spártē'') was a prominent city-state in Laconia, in ancient Greece. In antiquity, the city-state was known as Lacedaemon (, ), while the name Sparta referre ...
n princess
Cynisca
Cynisca or Kyniska ( el, Κυνίσκα; born c. 442 BC) was a wealthy Spartan princess. She is famous for being the first woman to win at the Olympic Games, competing in the sport of chariot racing. Cynisca first entered the Olympics in 396 BC, ...
who became the first woman in history to win at the
ancient Olympic Games
The ancient Olympic Games (Ὀλυμπιακοὶ ἀγῶνες; la, Olympia, neuter plural: "the Olympics") were a series of athletic competitions among representatives of city-states and were one of the Panhellenic Games of Ancient Greece. ...
when she won the four-horse
chariot race
Chariot racing ( grc-gre, ἁρματοδρομία, harmatodromia, la, ludi circenses) was one of the most popular ancient Greek, Roman, and Byzantine sports. In Greece, chariot racing played an essential role in aristocratic funeral games from ...
in 396 BC.
The New Zealand mare is best remembered for winning three consecutive
Wellington Cup
The Wellington Cup is a Group 3 Thoroughbred horse race in New Zealand held annually in late January at Trentham Racecourse in Trentham by the Wellington Racing Club.
History
Inaugurated in 1874, the Wellington Cup has been raced over various ...
s. She was owned by
Sir George Clifford and
George Hunter.
See also
*
Repeat winners of horse races A list of racehorses which have won the same race on three or more occasions.
Footnotes
See also
* List of leading Thoroughbred racehorses
* List of historical horses
* Thoroughbred racing in New Zealand
* Harness racing in New Zealand
Harne ...
References
Cynisca's pedigree and partial racing stats
1886 racehorse births
Racehorses bred in New Zealand
Racehorses trained in New Zealand
Wellington Cup winners
Thoroughbred family 14-e
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