Horse racing is a sport of ancient origin, having been practised among the Greeks and Romans. The institution of horse-races in England belongs to a very remote period. The first regular horse-races, however, did not take place until the reign of James I. The prize then consisted of a gold or silver bell, whence we have the expression 'to bear away the bell.'
The successors of James I down to Queen Anne were all more or less attached to the sport. Under George I horse racing became more and more flourishing, and the sport continued to grow in importance during the remainder of the century. The two most celebrated horses of that period were Flying Childers (foaled in 1715) and Eclipse (foaled in 1764), which long had the reputation of being the fleetest horses that ever ran. The former ran four miles in 6 minutes, 48 seconds, carrying 9 stone. 2 lbs. The latter was never beaten.
None of the English sovcreigns was more devoted to horse racing than George IV. Between 1784 and 1792, while Prince of Wales, he gained 185 prizes, including the Derby of 1788,.
Horse racing was introduced into France from England, and during the reign of Louis XIV, and still more during that of Louis XV, was pursued with the utmost enthusiasm. The French Revolution put an end to it for a time, but the sport was revived by Napoleon. Horse-races, mostly upon the English model, have also been introduced into various other countries.
The principal varieties of horse racing are flat-racing, or racing on level ground; steeple-chasing, or racing over ground not specially prepared for the purpose; hurdle-racing, in which the horses have to leap over obstacles purposely placed in the way; and match trotting. This last kind of race is a favourite one in America, where the best trotting horses are to be found, but in England it is not much practised. Steeple-chases and hurdle-races take place in the winter months, the chief English event of the season being the Grand National Steeple-chase, run over a course of 4 miles 1000 yards at Aintree, near Liverpool.
Formerly all races were what is called weight-for-age races, that is, a specified difference in weight was conceded by the older horses. But it was found that when races were conducted on this plan the best horses came to be known, and the inferior ones withdrew, not venturing to compete with them, so that the race resulted in a walk-over. Hence arose the practice of handicapping, that is, of adjusting as nearly as possible the weight to be carried to the previously ascertained powers of the horse, so as to reduce the chances of all the horses entered to an exact equality. Since the introduction of this practice handicap races became a favourite sport. The principal weight-for-age for two-year-olds was the Middle Park Plate, called the Middle Park Stakes after 1940, first run in 1866 and run over six furlongs; and for the three-year-olds the principal for both colts and fillies are the Two Thousand Guineas, the Derby, and St Leger, and, for fillies only, the One Thousand Guineas and Oaks.
The rules guiding flat-racing in Britain are framed by the Jockey Club, founded in 1750, and whose list of membership formerly included the names of the leading noblemen and gentlemen of the sporting world. A similar body, the Grand National Hunt Committee, govern all steeple-chasing and hurdle-racing events; while the rules of betting are nominally under the control of the Committee of Tattersall's Subscription Rooms. The breeding of thoroughbred horses is often a very profitable business. The pedigrees of all thoroughbred horses are registered in the stud-book, so that if any particular animal is omitted in that register the inference is that its pedigree is not without some blemish more or less remote. Research Horse Racing
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Abbreviations
Recreation
Research Horse Racing
