Daniel Ricciardo And His Crazy Obsession With Texan Horses

Daniel Ricciardo is probably one of the jokers and funny guys on the F1 grid that everybody loves. Formula 1 wasn’t the same without him, which is why many people were so excited when he came back.

However, Ricciardo doesn’t only love racing in 1000-hp cars. He also shares some passion for horses.

He is known for his crazy appearances in F1 and some funny stunts that turned into traditions, like drinking from his sweaty boot after appearing at the podium (sadly we don’t see him win much lately). On top of that, he even appeared with a horse in an F1 race.

Can you imagine that?

All the high-tech around, carbon fiber everywhere, and you have Daniel Ricciardo with an American flag jacket riding a beautiful horse. It was truly iconic.

So, what is this obsession of his with horses? Is he a horse fan, which can be possibly coming from Australia, or just a crazy fun stunt just to spread some laughs?

Since he has racing in his bloodline, maybe he is also interested in horse racing. Well, we haven’t seen Ricciardo attending a horse racing event.

Probably he doesn’t know much about horse races, he only loves the culture of the sport. But if you don’t know much about horse racing and how to bet, check out this beginner’s guide for betting on horse racing.

But let’s get back to Daniel Ricciardo and learn more about his Texas obsession.

Let’s find out.

Why did Daniel Ricciardo Appear on a Horse Last Year?

The Australian driver, who appears to be infatuated with Texas culture, wore the Cowboy outfit and arrived at the paddock in style, accompanied by a horse that has perhaps ascended to the Horsey McHorseface phenomenon.

Daniel Ricciardo has acknowledged being a ‘bit embarrassed’ by his newest prank, which featured him trotting into the paddock on horseback in full cowboy regalia on Thursday.

The Australian is well-known for his adoration for American culture, and he took it to a whole new level ahead of this weekend’s US Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas.

Ricciardo, dressed in a Stars-and-Stripes jacket and a Stetson hat, rode into the pitlane while country artist Rob Baird performed his suitably named ‘Dreams and Gasoline.’

‘As we know, Thursdays are kind of quiet.

‘So it was cool. Nice to do it. I mean, I was a little embarrassed at first but I was like: “You know what, just have some fun”.’ Ricciardo said.

Ultimately, this was just a stunt. The horse wasn’t in his and he only wanted to share some smiles at the paddock.

His Relationship with Texas

Daniel Ricciardo has become Texas’ adopted son since the Formula One circuit began racing in Austin. Everything about Texas, from the music to the food to the dialect, has been totally embraced by the McLaren Formula One driver. And I had the opportunity to ask him about his favorite things.

Most people are unaware that Daniel Ricciardo lived in Texas for four years during college, adopting the lifestyle and everything associated with Texas, even horses.

However, his interest in horses, ranching, and cowboying began a long time ago. Things started in 2016 while Ricciardo was still with Red Bull. He moved to the country and assumed responsibility for the Nelson Ranch near La Grange, Texas, about 100 miles south of Austin.

Ricciardo lassoed a cow after learning how to rake and bale hay. Furthermore, the Australian driver has driven a 4500hp tractor-puller. After a long day in the fields, Ricciardo sat down with the ranch hands for a Texan BBQ as the sun fell in Texas.

So he’s not so much enamored with horses as he is with Texas culture as a whole. It’s an unusual sight to watch an Australian man from down under speaking with an American accent, wearing American clothes, and eating Texas food.

To be honest, Texas and Australia are very similar. Perhaps this is why Daniel Ricciardo feels at ease.

Desert plains and desolate regions cover hundreds of acres in both Texas and Australia. As a result, each location has become a haven for thousands of different insect and bug species. Because of these deserts, Texas and Australia have wonderful, year-round weather. Winters are brief, with snow and rain appearing only on rare occasions. Even in the summer, the nights are chilly.

‘Barbie’ is Australian slang for a BBQ. There has been an excess of cattle worldwide due to the presence of such vast ranches in Texas and Australia. As a result, the majority of their traditional meals use wood-smoked pork.

Even the statistics support this point. According to research, more than one-third of Australian households possess a barbecue, with the number only rising to 75% over the years. Since then, Southern Australia has been named the continent’s BBQ capital.

So, apparently, Daniel Ricciardo is a not-so-secret Texan. He really loves it there, and he appreciates the horse culture too. We definitely miss Ricciardo in F1 in the top 10 places and hope that next season he will be in a different, more competitive team.

There are rumors that he might be back to Red Bull replacing Checo, but we will just have to wait and see.