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Horse race
Horse Racing Master > Horse racing > Horse race The horse race is one of the oldest human sport passions, and it’s really no wonder that it has its origins in the prehistoric nomadic tribesmen of Central Asia. They are the ones who successfully domesticated the horse for the first time sometime around 4500 BC. The horse racing was considered, for many centuries, the trademark of kings and nobility. This is because horses are noble creatures, which people have learnt to appreciate. However, the trademark of the horse race today seems to be betting, as it is a form of legalized gambling. A horse race is an event which still attracts many people. In the U.S., it is the second most attended sport after baseball. For example, the year 1989 had over 56 million people attend 8 thousand days of racing, which had a turnover of $9.14 billion! Horse racing is also highly rated all over the world, especially in Canada, Great Britain, Europe, Australia, New Zeeland, South Africa, etc.
The most popular form of horse racing is the thoroughbred racing, where horses run over flat courses. The distance usually varies between three quarters of a mile and can go up to two miles. Besides thoroughbred racing, there are also other forms like harness racing, steeplechase racing, or quarter horse racing. Since it’s by far the most popular way of racing, we’ll talk a little bit about thoroughbred racing. The human didn’t even begin to keep written records when horse racing was already an important sport in all the major civilizations, ranging from Central Asia to the Mediterranean. In the ancient Greek Olympics of 638 BC, chariot and mounted horse racing were events. The Roman Empire adopted the sport also, where it became an obsession. However, the modern horse race has its origins in the 12th. This is the time when English knights returned with swift Arab horses from the Crusades. The next 400 years were a period in which many Arab stallions were brought to English grounds, and bred with mares to produce horses which had an optimum combination of speed and endurance.
The first professional horse race was held during the reign of Queen Anne (1702-1714). This is also when organized gambling activity began. A central governing authority came into existence together with the rapid expansion of the sport. In 1750, the Jockey Club was formed by the racing's elite, who met in Newmarket, and which to this day exercises complete control over the English horse race.
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