Horse Racing Throughout the History

Man may be known to make use of horses for racing since this specie was first domesticated. Historical evidences uncover that as early as 4500 BC, the nomadic people of Central Asia has developed systems of horse racing. Actually, the Greeks are known to have incorporated horse racing in the Olympics since 638 BC.

Both the chariot horse racing and the mounted horse racing were popular during these ages. These types of later became an obsession among Romans when they have adopted the activity.

For thousand of years that followed, this type of sports was known to be performed only for the noble men and royalties.

Contemporary racing is believed to have started in the 12th hundred years when the first reproduction between Arabian and English horses were made. They were sparred by the return of the noble knights to the mother land after the Crusades. They are known to possess produced sturdy race horses with superb speed. Thus, breeders maximized the potentiality of a racehorse as well as put them into tracks. This particular breed is the Thoroughbred that we know of today which is still the most popular breed in the United Kingdom.

King Charles II was known to have held horse races in his private courses throughout 1660 to 1685.

By the 16th century, the English had been known to make a quantity of racecourses. Queen Anne that founded the Ascot in 1711 is known to have made horse racing an official sport.

Halfway in 1700�s, the Jockey Club was created through the initiation of the elite figures involved in horse racing. This business was the very first legion of jockeys that established the comprehensive rules and regulations including the requirements as covered by the actual sports activities. Thus, these people became the overseers of the sports as well as sanctioned horse racing events.

The Jockey Club was also the actual initiator for the legislation of breeding among horses. Thus, James Weatherby, an accountant of the Jockey Club during those times, traced back the family lines of all racing breeds in England. His researches brought forth the publication of the General Stud Book, that was basically, the basis of authority in terms of the breeds that may be put to competition. Based on the General Stud Book, only individuals pedigrees which have descended in the line of the “foundations sires” are considered as Thoroughbreds. The building blocks sires are the: Byerley Turk, Darley Arabian and Godolphin Arabian.

Only in 17th century did the sport arrive in America for which the very first racetrack was seen in the actual Long Island. Although it has turned into a favorite activity among Americans, no one initiated the actual formalization of horse racing until after the Civil War. Because of the already-established obsession plus the industrial development, as well as widespread gambling on horse races, the sport grew largely by the year 1890 when 314 operating tracks are considered to be on regular operation in the country.

Because of the lack of a governing body, this activity had become purely dominated by criminal elements. In 1894 though, the most prominent and high-ranking stable owners met as well as organized the American Jockey Club which was patterned on the system as used by the actual Jockey Club in England.

These days the sport has reached various countries around the world. Governing bodies were also formed to manage the horse racing occasions.