Dragonback Racing

Origins

Dragonback racing is thought to have originated between the years 5500 and 6080, with records depicting those on dragonback becoming much more common after. The sport originated in the practice of capturing small dragons, generally juveniles, and breaking them much like a horse to accept a rider and allow for the listening of commands. Oftentimes, these dragons were used for combative purposes or hunting from the air. Feral or non-sentient dragons were always preferred, and acts of using sentient dragons highly frowned upon by both other mortals and dragons alike.
It is unknown when exactly the practice became a sport, though it is thought its origins lie in selecting the fastest dragons for hunting and warfare. Over time, feral dragons were less often used for war, the act being seen in the same light as the horse, a cruel and needless act that overwhelmingly put suffering on the beast. Dragonback racing continued, however, solely as a sport and for entertainment.

Modern Sport

The sport continues to this day, however primarily is conducted with sentient dragons and their partner riders, combining elements of dragonback racing of old and the modern sport racing competitions between dragons. The sport is highly focused on the cooperation between the dragon and their partner, utilizing blinders on the dragon partner to limit or completely obscure their vision while the rider acts as their eyes, guiding them through the field, to targets, and around other riders. Races are generally done with two halves, each containing 10 laps with an hour break between the two halves. Pairs who maintain the best numbers over all, consistently coming in at the front of the pack, are considered the winners.
Winning pairs are generally awarded large sums of money, equipment sponsorships, and travel expenses being covered by the racing circuit. Many competitions allow for spectators to place bets on their favored pairs, although in some areas such as the Republic of California, Japan, and New York have banned formal gambling.

Rules

• Riders may not attack other riders directly during a race, only using small bursts of flame from their partner dragon.

• Only flame bursts may be used- No jets and no flames that last longer than two seconds.

• Riders must aim for target curtains on opponent dragons- shots fired directly at other riders, a dragon's face, or spectators result in immediate fouls and the pair pulled from the race.

• Blinders must be provided by race officials. Personal blinders may not be used due to risk of tampering and sabotage. Personal helms for dragons are allowed, due to the high variation in head and horn shape.

• Equipment must be well maintained and under 5 years of age in order to be used due to numerous past safety violations.

• All riders, regardless of experience, must properly be strapped and locked onto their partner dragon's body at the legs, waist, and wear safety harnesses in case of fall, helmets, and flame resistant uniforms when uniforms are used.

• Dragons may not bite, claw, or purposely body slam opponents.

Violations

Breaking rules regarding allowed combat in racing most often result in the immediate removal of the offending parties and disbarment from their local league, competition, and withholding of all salary for the current circuit. Safety protocol violations, such as tampering with blinders, uniforms, or failure to wear correct safety equipment may result in a penalty to the dragon and rider pair, but focus is held on their managers and the race officials for failures to properly inspect equipment or provide it. Arenas and fields are subject to extreme scrutiny to uphold safety standards for their size, construction, and proper angles on turns within the arena.
in 20018, rider Hammal Iksanov was killed in a local competition due to improper construction of the field. The angle of the south turn was too sharp, causing numerous collisions over the years, which often were attributed to rider error. The reality was that despite the steering of the best riders, dragons were not able to make the turns at the high speeds demanded of the course and would collide either with one another or the target poles and walls of the arena itself, resulting in injury. Rider Hammal Iskanov, who at the time was set to begin competing nationally the following season, died in one such collision when his partner, Girika, was unable to turn sharply and struck another dragon head on in a T bone formation. The forces broke Hammal's harness and sent him flying off of Girika's back and into a wall that was not padded properly, although medical examination has suggested that padding may not have saved Hammal's life- the rider snapped his neck on impact and was dead before he hit the ground, and even if the initial impact did not kill him, falling from the 20 meter height of the wall to the ground would have. His death resulted in the Hammal Rule being created for all tournaments, local and international, where all arenas and fields must be constructed with proper angles to allow turns and minimize collisions. Hammal's partner, Girika, no longer races but heads the Iksanov Commission Board, a dedicated group for the inspection and safety of all arenas.

Risks

The sport can be quite dangerous, just as any other. Exhaustion, dehydration, and minor burns are the most common, affecting most riders and dragons alike at one point or another with the average competitor reporting at least one injury per racing year related. Much less common are injuries as a result of collisions, falls, and equipment failures, which although extremely rarely, can be deadly. Dragons colliding with one another can cause broken bones and have enough force if at high speed to snap harnesses, cause whiplash, and even completely throw a rider if they are not crushed under their dragon or another competitor. Concussions from collisions are rather common in dragons who participate in the sport, leading to similar controversy as other high impact sports such as football and hockey, as there is evidence to suggest that many dragons have acquired permanent brain damage over decades of racing.