Horse Racing Throughout the History
Man may be known to use horses for racing since this specie was first domesticated. Historical evidences reveal that as early as 4500 BC, the nomadic people of Central Asia has already developed techniques 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 later grew to become an obsession among Romans when they have adopted the activity.
For thousand of years that followed, this kind of sports was known to be performed only for the noble men as well as royalties.
Modern racing is said to have started in the 12th century 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 have produced sturdy race horses with superb 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 the most popular breed in the United Kingdom.
King Charles II had been known to have held horse races in his private courses during 1660 to 1685.
Through the 16th century, the English have been known to make a number 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 made through the initiation of the elite figures involved in horse racing. This business was the very first legion of jockeys which established the comprehensive rules and regulations including the standards as covered by the actual sports activities. Thus, they grew to become the overseers of the sports and sanctioned horse racing events.
The Jockey Club was also the actual initiator for the regulation of breeding among race 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, 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 from the line of the “foundations sires” are believed 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 initial racetrack was seen in the actual Long Island. Although it has become 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 known to be on regular operation in the united kingdom.
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 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.