Horse Racing Throughout the History
Man has been known to use race horses for racing since this specie was first domesticated. Historical evidences reveal that as early as 4500 BC, the actual nomadic individuals of Central Asia has developed techniques of horse racing. In fact, 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 once they have adopted the sport.
For thousand of years that followed, this kind of sports was considered to be performed only for the noble men as well as royalties.
Modern racing is believed to have started in the 12th century when the first breeding between Arabian and English horses were made. These were sparred by the return of the noble knights to the mother land after the Crusades. They are known to have produced sturdy race horses with excellent pace. Thus, breeders maximized the potentiality of a racehorse as well as put them into tracks. This breed is the Thoroughbred that we know of these days which is still the most popular breed in the United Kingdom.
King Charles II had been known to have held horse races in his private courses throughout 1660 in order to 1685.
Through the 16th century, the English had been known to make a quantity of racecourses. Queen Anne who started the Ascot in 1711 is known to have made horse racing an official sport.
Halfway in 1700�s, the Jockey Club was made through the initiation of the elite figures involved with 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 sports activities. Thus, these people became the overseers of the sports and sanctioned horse racing events.
The Jockey Club was also the initiator for the regulation of breeding among horses. Thus, James Weatherby, an accountant of the Jockey Club during those occasions, traced back the family lines of all racing breeds in England. His researches brought forth the publication of the General Stud Book, that was essentially, the basis of authority in terms of the breeds that could 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 foundation sires are the: Byerley Turk, Darley Arabian as well as Godolphin Arabian.
Only in 17th century did the activity arrive in America for which the very first racetrack was seen in the Long Island. Although it has become a favorite past time among Americans, no one initiated the actual formalization of horse racing until after the Civil War. Due to the already-established obsession plus the industrial development, as well as widespread betting on horse races, the sport grew largely by the year 1890 when 314 operating tracks are considered to be on regular operation in the united kingdom.
Because of the lack of a governing body, this sport 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 across the globe. Governing bodies were also formed to manage the horse racing occasions.