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The History Of Horse Racing In Britain And America
Racing horses has probably been around since man first started to watch horses as they ran from one place to another. The first civilization to domesticate horses where in Central Asia about 4500 BC and racing horses was a favorite sport in which upper class and kings were able to participate. During the first Olympics in Greece horses were raced. This began the history of horse racing all over the world.
In England the knights that went on the crusades returned with Arabian horses during the twelfth century. These horses were graceful and fast unlike the English horses that worked the fields. Several Stallions were bred with some of the mares of English descent creating a strong and durable horse with a great deal of speed. The nobles of the kingdom would bet on which horse would cross the finish line first and that started horse racing as we know it today.
Up until 1752 there was no documentation of any horse races until the race from Buttevant Church to St Marys in Ireland County Cork in the town on Doneraile. The horses raced from the steeple of one church to the steeple of the other and the first steeplechase was born. Steeple chasing was very popular in Britain and the most well known races are Liverpools Grand National that ran its first race in 1839 and the Irish Grand National taking place on Easter weekend every year in County Meath.
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 with this pedigree are called Thoroughbreds and they all can be linked back to three stallions called the foundation sires. Racing thoroughbreds was brought to America in 1665 and Long Island was the site of the first track. Organization of American racing began right after the Civil War and the sport and betting on horses grew by leaps and bounds. Over 300 tracks were running in America by 1890.
Control of the tracks was non existent in America and the tracks were managed by some unsavory criminals. In England racing was totally acceptable and an event attended by the wealthy. In America it was directly the opposite. Only the seedy undesirable people gathered at the tracks to waste their money on horses.
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.
In America and Britain there are several different forms of horse racing. The Steeplechase is very popular in both countries. An American variety of racing called harness racing has many tracks that were specifically built to specifications for that type of racing. Thoroughbred racing is probably the most popular and consists of a flat, oval track from about three fourths of a mile to two miles in length. Both countries have many thoroughbred racing venues from which to choose. Both countries have regulations and rules that make racing and betting acceptable. They also regulate horses that can race and continue to keep a running record of all pedigrees of race horses.
In England the knights that went on the crusades returned with Arabian horses during the twelfth century. These horses were graceful and fast unlike the English horses that worked the fields. Several Stallions were bred with some of the mares of English descent creating a strong and durable horse with a great deal of speed. The nobles of the kingdom would bet on which horse would cross the finish line first and that started horse racing as we know it today.
Up until 1752 there was no documentation of any horse races until the race from Buttevant Church to St Marys in Ireland County Cork in the town on Doneraile. The horses raced from the steeple of one church to the steeple of the other and the first steeplechase was born. Steeple chasing was very popular in Britain and the most well known races are Liverpools Grand National that ran its first race in 1839 and the Irish Grand National taking place on Easter weekend every year in County Meath.
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 with this pedigree are called Thoroughbreds and they all can be linked back to three stallions called the foundation sires. Racing thoroughbreds was brought to America in 1665 and Long Island was the site of the first track. Organization of American racing began right after the Civil War and the sport and betting on horses grew by leaps and bounds. Over 300 tracks were running in America by 1890.
Control of the tracks was non existent in America and the tracks were managed by some unsavory criminals. In England racing was totally acceptable and an event attended by the wealthy. In America it was directly the opposite. Only the seedy undesirable people gathered at the tracks to waste their money on horses.
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.
In America and Britain there are several different forms of horse racing. The Steeplechase is very popular in both countries. An American variety of racing called harness racing has many tracks that were specifically built to specifications for that type of racing. Thoroughbred racing is probably the most popular and consists of a flat, oval track from about three fourths of a mile to two miles in length. Both countries have many thoroughbred racing venues from which to choose. Both countries have regulations and rules that make racing and betting acceptable. They also regulate horses that can race and continue to keep a running record of all pedigrees of race horses.
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