American And British History Of Horse Racing
The very first human that saw horses racing across the plain probably decided which one would get there first and made a mental bet on it. Horse racing is an ancient sport and can be traced to Central Asia in 4500 BC with those that first started to ride and domesticate the wild horses in the area. Kings and upper class were the first to race their own horses and make wagers on who would win. The first Olympics in Greece had several horse racing events from mounted horses to chariot races. This was the very beginning of the history of horse racing.
Modern horse racing began after the crusades when the 12th century knights brought Arabian horses back to England with them. Arabians were larger and swifter than the English horse. They returned with stallions that were bred with the English Horse. This made the offspring very strong and able to endure long and hard riding with speed and grace.
A very important race to the history of racing happened in 1752 in a little town of Doneraile in County Cork, Ireland. Here a race was organized from the steeple Buttevant Church to the steeple of St. Marys. This is where the term of steeple chasing began. The first formal steeplechase was in 1839 called the Grand National taking place in Liverpool. Another great steeplechase takes place annually during the weekend of Ester in County Meath, Ireland and is called the Irish Grand National.
Starting in the nineteenth century professional horse racing had started. Training of horses and of people to ride the horses was desired because you wanted to have the best horse. The best horse made the most money in the betting circles. Those that owned the trained horses made a great deal of money in 1750 they started up a governing authority for horse racing at Newmarket forming the Jockey Club. This authority has all control over British Horse Racing to this day.
All regulations and rules pertaining to horse racing were recorded by the Jockey club. When making rules they looked at the type of racing and tracks that needed to be used for that particular type. It set up five races for three year old horses, three for only male horses and three for only fillies which makes up the English Triple Crown. The Jockey club administered all breeding regulation too. They documented pedigree of each horse and regulated what horses could race.
Horses that have a documented family tree or pedigree are considered Thoroughbreds. These horses have been inbred and can have their linage tracked down to one of three Stallions brought over from Arabia and bred with other horses. Racing of thoroughbreds came over to America in 1665 and a track was built on Long Island. Racing horses became very popular and by 1890 there were over 300 race tracks in America.
Because there was no real governing authority in America most tracks were run by unscrupulous characters and something had to be done about that. The American Jockey Club was formed in 1894 in order to curb criminal activity in many horse tracks. The damage was already done and unlike horse racing and wagering in England where it was acceptable and done with grace and dignity, American racing and a connotation of being corrupt. Racing in the US was nearly banished by 1900 because of it.
During this era of corrupt activity in American tracks the 1908 Kentucky Derby introduced pari-mutuel wagering. This type of wagering was legalized and it began to turn the tide for American horse racing. Tracks soon began to open under the new rules and regulations and grew from the 35 tracks that were still in operation. By the nineteen seventies racing once again began to be a decent sporting activity.
Today there is a variety of horse racing types all over the world. Steeplechases are still run in both Britain and America. Harness racing, that originated in America, has several tracks dedicated to just that style or racing. Thoroughbred racing on a flat track that runs from three fourths of a mile to about two miles is what is most common in both countries. All horse racing is governed under an authority that makes everything legal from the horses that are racing to the betting and wagering on the horses.
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