It's surprising just how much power the right driver can get from just two horsepower . . . zero to 40 in roughly, oh, 30 feet or two strides.
All this from two quarterhorses, with a blend of thoroughbred running through their veins, leaving from a standing start and running stride-for-stride, side-by-side down a dirt track.
In just two strides, these steeds, pulling together, are at top speed, which is between 35 and 40 miles per hour.
It's the reason chariot racers choose to run these horses. It's the reason chariot drivers don't mind standing in the back seat being splattered with dirt and mud. That instant burst of speed, they claim, is addicting.
It's also the reason horse-drawn chariots once turned the tide of wars, why chariot racing was a spectator favorite in the early Olympics and why chariot racing has been around for more than 3,000 years.
"It is addictive. It's a real adrenaline rush," said Tom Miller of South Jordan, as he worked to ready his team. "It's also the sport for the whole family."
In this case, Miller's father owns one horse and his brother-in-law a second. His sister grooms the horses and drives the chariot to the start, his wife helps groom, his mom videotapes each race and his two children pony the horses and chariot to the start. And Tom, he hangs on tightly, tries not to make any mistakes out of the gate and, as all drivers will admit, works hard to further his driving education.
"I learn something new every time out of the gate. I learn something new about the horses and what I did that was right or wrong," he said.
Chariot teams have gathered this week for the annual World Championships being held at the Golden Spike Events Center at the Weber County Fairgrounds in Ogden.
The event started last Saturday. The final races will go on this Friday, Saturday and Sunday. First post time each day is noon. The eventual champions will be recognized on Sunday.
There are 103 teams entered this year, said Vic Adams, secretary/manager of the World Championships, "which is not as good as it has been in the past. But we have 20 associations running from seven states."
The race format is very different from those first held in Egypt, Greece, China and India about 680 B.C. It is said that the early Olympic hippodrome would allow up to 60 chariots to race at one time on an oval track. Accidents were commonplace and death was considered an acceptable hazard.
In Ogden, there is room for four two-horse teams to run on a straight track. Most races involve two or three teams. The results are certain. The first nose to the wire at the end of the 440-yard track determines the winning team. Some races are close, photo finishes, while others are not.
To the winner goes some money, but more rewarding is the racing — for the whole family.
Most of the horses used by racers are quarterhorses with thoroughbred somewhere in their background. Quarterhorses are bred to run a quarter of a mile or 440 yards at high speed. The thoroughbred gives the horses a little more endurance.
The secret to winning, said Adams, "is getting two horses that can run together. You can have two really fast horses, but if they're not compatible, they won't run together. It's like a marriage. If they're not compatible there's nothing you can do to make them work together as a team. They may not like each other or don't like the company of other horses. You just never know."
Miller said he was lucky. "I got two horses that just clicked. They started running together the second time they left the gate. They're sort of a 'Mutt and Jeff' team, though. One is smaller than the other. Usually, you want a size match. But even with the size difference they complement each other rather than hurt each other."
Cortney Timm of West Jordan said it took him five years to blend the right team.
"I guess I went through four or five horses before I got the right team. They're still green, still young, but they're going to be good," he said.
Early racing chariots were nothing more than modified war chariots. Modern chariots are little more than half a barrel, cut lengthwise, sitting on bicycle wheels. Chariot, driver and tack must weigh a minimum of 275 pounds.
For the horses, the season typically begins sometime in September with exercise, food and learning team unity. The season ends after the last race on Sunday.
Adams said it takes about 90 days to get a horse fit.
"And, when you come to the world event, a horse had better be fit. It will be running five out of nine days. It's like a marathon. A horse may be able to run fast for a couple of races, but if the horse isn't fit, it won't do well the last few days," he added.
Despite appearances, drivers play a big part in a race. It's not simply a matter of holding on for dear life. It takes years to be a good driver, said Adams.
"Drivers have to learn to get out of the gate without pulling on the mouth. You've got to let them get out of the gate but still hold tight. A horse runs against the bit in its mouth. Horses balance themselves by running against the bit," he explained.
"If the driver allows the horse to throw its head, the horse will flounder. The horse is looking for that weight in its mouth. It takes years to learn just how much to hold back and how much to let 'em go."
The mistakes drivers make typically involve putting too much pressure on the reins or too little out of the start. After the start it then becomes a matter of making only the slightest adjustments in the way the team is running.
Adams said he drove chariots for 40 years and never stopped learning or loving the sport. Miller said he first drove his father-in-law's team in 1998 and was hooked his first time out of the gate. Timm said he's been driving for six years and was introduced to the driver's box by his older brother, is still learning and, like others, is hooked.
John Hintz of Wyoming said he started driving at age 12, which was 47 years ago. "I first drove down the main streets of Big Piney and Jackson Hole (Wyoming) and have been doing it ever since," he said.
It all comes down to a driver's time in the chariot, real compatibility and a horse's desire to run — side-by-side, stride-for-stride, at top speed to the finish line — nose first.
E-mail: grass@desnews.com