Horse racing isn’t the first sport to be paired with soccer, but somehow, this duo works. After all, we’ve seen so many soccer stars over the years who shared their passion for horse racing, and some of them even invested in the sport and became racehorse owners.
When you think about it, horse racing and soccer are similar. Speed plays an important role in both sports, and the terrain in some races is the same as a soccer field.
But the question is, how do most racehorse owners come from the world of soccer? Well, first of all, soccer is mostly popular in Europe, particularly in the United Kingdom, where horse racing is also very big.
Additionally, horse racing is like a virus, if one athlete or a fellow teammate is invested in the sport, in a couple of months, we can see many of his close friends do the same.
This got us thinking - who are the biggest soccer stars who have an obsession with horses? Let’s find out.
Michael Owen
First, we have Michael Owen - England’s golden boy, who managed to snag the 2001 Ballon d’Or. After he retired from soccer, he chose to pursue his other passion - horse racing. In 2006, he founded Manor House Stables in Cheshire, which is a 174-acre spread that has become one of the best stables for the top-tier training of thoroughbreds.
Yes, he isn’t a casual fan, but one who went deep enough in the sport, maybe even deeper than his soccer career.
Owen is also very successful at his post-retirement passion, and he has bred and owned winners like Brown Panther, which took the Dubai Gold Cup in 2015, and Royal Ascot’s King George V Stakes in 2011. His stable is co-owned with Andrew Black, the founder of Betfair, and it is home to more than 100 horses.
So, if you see his name behind a horse the next time you are looking for a bet on TwinSpires, know that he is the real deal.
He even rode his own horses in a charity race and finished in second place at Ascot in 2017. Not many soccer fans can say that they’ve raced in an actual horse race.
Joey Barton
Joey Barton’s soccer career was a rollercoaster—think tackles, tantrums, and a single England cap—but his horse obsession is pure rock ‘n’ roll. The ex-midfielder names his steeds after his favourite tunes, mostly from the Arctic Monkeys. Crying Lightning, co-owned with striker Claudio Pizarro, won three races, while My Propeller and Hand In Glove (a Smiths nod) round out his musical stable. Barton’s not breeding champs; he’s in it for the thrill, a sideline to his fiery persona.
His horse love popped up during his playing days—think Burnley or QPR—and insiders say it’s grown since he hung up his boots. Barton’s no stranger to betting controversies, but his equine picks seem more about passion than profit. It’s classic Joey: unconventional, loud, and a little bit wild—just like his tracksuit-clad Jimmy Savile costume at a 2004 Man City party gone wrong.
Sergio Ramos
It seems like there is a big equestrianism going on in Real Madrid, which has Sergio Ramos invested in the sport. The ex-captain of Real Madrid also opened the SR4 Stud Farm near Seville.
Okay, he might not be as big as Michael Owen, but his horses have entered some local races in Spain.
Ramos even sold one of his best racehorses to the royal family of Saudi Arabia for a whopping £1.5 million.
Thomas Müller
Thomas Müller, Bayern Munich’s Raumdeuter extraordinaire, doesn’t own racehorses—he bonds with them. Alongside his wife Lisa, a semi-pro dressage rider, Müller keeps a stable at their Bavarian home, more for love than competition.
Lisa’s the star here, competing in dressage, while Müller plays the doting horse dad. Videos of him grooming or chatting with his horses—like a viral clip from DW Sports—show a goofy, gentle side to the World Cup winner.
They’ve got a stake in showjumping, too—Leonidas, one of their horses, has been ridden by Ludger Beerbaum, a global top dog in the sport. His horse even won an Olympic gold medal, which is something that not many soccer fans can say.
Müller’s not chasing trophies here; it’s about downtime. After scoring hat-tricks or lifting Champions League titles, he’s brushing manes or mucking stalls: a far cry from the pitch’s intensity. It’s a curious obsession that fits his quirky charm.
Sir Alex Ferguson
This is the grandad of horse racing, and the person responsible for getting many people interested in the sport. We are talking about the one and only - Sir Alex Ferguson, the Manchester United mastermind with 38 trophies, didn’t stop winning when he left soccer—he just switched fields.
His horse racing saga kicked off in 1999, and he’s been a trackside titan ever since. Rock of Gibraltar, co-owned with John Magnier, was his crown jewel—2002 European Horse of the Year, with eight straight Group 1 wins. It sparked a legal feud over stud fees (settled for £2.5 million), but Ferguson’s love never wavered.
He’s had runners in the Grand National (Harry The Viking) and Cheltenham (What A Friend), and his passion rivals his Old Trafford days—think injury-time goals swapped for photo finishes. Now 83, he’s still at it, often spotted at Aintree or Ascot, red wine in hand, proving the competitive fire never dims.
Who would have known that soccer fans are so into horse racing? We shouldn’t be surprised if they dominate the sport in a few years.
