Horse Play: Celebrity, Nationalism, and the Fall of a Racing Icon in Imperial Russia

This article explores the rise and fall of Krepysh, a celebrated Orlov trotter in late imperial Russia, revealing how his symbolic decline after defeats by American horses reflected deeper ideological anxieties. Far from a mere sporting disappointment, Krepysh’s story illustrates how nationalism, modernization fears, and the myth of equine purity shaped public perception. Drawing on period sources, the article examines how one horse’s body became a battleground for contested visions of Russian identity.