Kauto Star, a Steeplechasing Legend1 Dr Katherine Dashper and Dr
‘Like a hawk among house sparrows’: Kauto Star, a steeplechasing legend1 Dr Katherine Dashper and Dr Thomas Fletcher, Leeds Metropolitan University, UK The concept of ‘icon’ has been applied to numerous athletes as a result of their sporting achievements, likeable public personas, and stories of triumph, resilience and courage. The cultural role of the horse as icon, hero, celebrity and national luminary, however, is lacking within the literature. In this article we extend this human concept to apply to the racehorse Kauto Star, who was heralded by many as the saviour of British racing in the early twenty‐first century. We argue that the narrative surrounding Kauto Star had all the essential ingredients for the construction of a heroic storyline around this equine superstar: his sporting talent; his flaws and ability to overcome adversity; his ‘rivalry’ with his stable mate; his ‘connections’ to high profile humans in the racing world; and, the adoration he received from the racing public. Media representations are key elements in the construction of sporting narratives, and the production of heroes and villains within sport. In this paper we construct a narrative of Kauto Star, as produced through media reports and published biographies, to explore how this equine star has been elevated beyond the status of ‘animal’, ‘racehorse’ or even ‘athlete’ to the exalted position of sporting icon. Key words: Animals, celebrity, equine sport, hero, icon, media representation, racing Introduction Sports lend themselves to the production and presentation of cultural icons. The status of a sporting icon is usually conferred on men and women for their performances on a field of play.2 However, is iconicity defined by performances alone? Over the last three/four decades there has been a proliferation of writings about the achievements of certain sports men and women.
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