Horse Racing Throughout the History
Man may be known to make use of race horses for racing since this specie was first domesticated. Historical evidences reveal that as early as 4500 BC, the actual nomadic people of Central Asia has developed systems of horse racing. Actually, the Greeks tend to be 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 later on became an obsession among Romans when they have adopted the activity.
For thousand of years that followed, this type of sports was considered to be performed only for the noble men and royalties.
Modern racing is said to have started in the 12th hundred years when the first breeding between Arabian and English horses were made. These were sparred by the return of the noble knights in combat to the mother land after the Crusades. They are known to possess produced sturdy race horses with excellent pace. Thus, breeders maximized the potentiality of a racehorse and put them into tracks. This particular breed is the Thoroughbred that we know of these days which is still typically 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.
By the 16th century, the English have been known to produce 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 created through the initiation of the elite figures involved with horse racing. This particular organization was the very first legion of jockeys that established the comprehensive rules and regulations including the standards as covered by the sports. Thus, these people became the overseers of the sports as well as sanctioned horse racing events.
The Jockey Club was also the initiator for the legislation 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 book of the General Stud Book, which was basically, the basis of authority when it comes to the breeds that may be put to race. Based on the General Stud Book, only those pedigrees which have descended from the line of the “foundations sires” are considered as Thoroughbreds. The building blocks 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. While 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 betting on horse races, the sport grew largely by the year 1890 when 314 operating tracks are known to be on regular operation in the country.
Due to the lack of a governing body, this sport had become purely dominated by criminal elements. In 1894 though, the most notable 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 regulate the horse racing occasions.
