Definition of the Sulky

• Sulkies were in use several years before they were involved in races. A sulky is a light, single-passenger carriage pulled behind a horse. Originally, sulkies had heavy wooden wheels and durable tires, which were attached to an iron axle fastened to springs. Drivers had to push their feet against a bar to remain in the seat, but stirrups were added with the onset of sulky racing to make it easier to stay in place.
  
  

Historical Uses

• Sulkies received their name due to the assumption that sulky drivers preferred to be alone. Sulkies are pulled by different kinds of animals worldwide but are typically pulled by horses or dogs. Originally, Ohio sulkies were used for transportation in rural areas. Doctors often used them to get to their patients quickly.
  
  

Integration into Racing

• In the mid-1800s, harness horse racing began, and the sulkies' design changed drastically. Sulky makers removed the springs to make the seats lower and the ride smoother. Oliver Toomey, from Canal Dover, Ohio, created the truss-axle sulky and competed with Charles Caffrey to provide the country's racing sulkies.
  
  

Modern Design

• Bicycle tires were added to the sulky in 1892. By the 1920s, many sulkies were produced in Marion, Ohio. These bike sulkies weighed 33 to 40 pounds and had 28-inch wheels with wire spokes. In 2003, Craig Stein, a horseman from Ohio, created The Outlaw, which was a very narrow sulky with a seat positioned a little to the left. This innovation positions the horse 6.3 inches closer to the inside of the track and shortens the distance that the horse must run.
  
  

The Little Brown Jug

• The Little Brown Jug is possibly Ohio's best known sulky horse race, which first took place at the county fairgrounds in Delaware, Ohio, in 1946. It was created by Henry Hank Thomson and Joseph Neville, and Thomson promoted it in his newspaper. The actual course has very steep banks and was built by Rollie McNamara. Roger Huston has been the announcer for the race since 1967 and has gained world fame. The female version of The Little Brown Jug is called the Jugette, which began in 1971.
  
  

Notable Ohio Horsemen

• Charles D. Hill was a businessman who wore colorful sport coats and loved harness racing. He supported and promoted racing in Ohio and opened Scioto Downs, Ohio's Showplace of Racing, in 1959. Stephen G. Phillips popularized harness racing after World War II by creating a better starting gate in 1946. Robert G. Farrington won more than 2,000 races in 1961 and popularized year-round racing. David Miller is a racer from Columbus, Ohio, who earned more than $100 million dollars from 2000 to 2009 and has more than 9,000 career wins.