The History of Horse Racing

Horse Raicing was considered to be one of the most significant and important events,mainly because horse racing was an integral part of myth and legend...

Horse racing is one of the most ancient sports in the history of humankind. It dates back to the times of prehistoric nomadic tribesmen belonging to Central Asia. They were the first humans to have domesticated the horse in about 4500 BC. Horse racing for thousands of years flourished as the sport of the kings and was meant for nobility. Today modern horse racing is present primarily as it is a major arena for legal gambling.

Historical records prove equestrians honed their skills via races and games in ancient times. This genre of sports gave entertainment to crowds and honed excellent horsemanship skills required for battle. There were impromptu competitions between drivers and riders and horse racing taking place at all levels. There were several forms of competition that
required specialized skills demanded by both the rider and horse. This in turn led to systematic development of special breeds and equipment for every sport.

There were Riderless Racers by Théodore Géricault at Rome held from the middle of the 15th Century till 1882. This generally took place during the spring carnival in Rome after it was generally closed with a horse race. There were 15-20 riderless horses that were originally imported from Barbary Coast of North Africa. These riders ran the entire length of the Via del Corso that was a long straight street in the city in about two and a half minutes.

Chariot racing was a popular Greek, Byzantine and Roman sport in ancient times. This racing was dangerous to the driver as they frequently suffered severe injuries that often resulted in death. Though dangerous the crowd loved watching chariot racing as it generated great enthusiasm among spectators. Chariot racing went on to become one of the most popular sports in the Olympic Games as well as Panhellenic Games.

It was considered to be one of the most significant and important equestrian events. This was mainly because horse racing was an integral part of myth and legend like the widely believed contest between the horses of the God Odin and the giant Hrungnir in the Norse mythology. This popularity of equestrian sports over the centuries has resulted in the preservation of horsemanship skills that would have otherwise vanished if horses had stopped being used in combat.

The origins of modern day horse racing dates back to the 12th century. At this time the English knights returned from Crusades with swift Arab horses to create a trend over the next 400 years where an increasing number of Arab stallions were imported and bred to English mares for producing horses with great speed and endurance. The nobility in a popular diversion loved to match the fastest of these horses in private wagers.

Over the next few centuries there were many developments and changes to the sport. In the present times horse racing has been found to be the second most widely attended spectacular sport in the USA after baseball. In 1989 about 56,194,565 people had attended 8,004 days of racing. They wagered an amount of $9.14 billion. Horse racing is also a major professional sport in the nations of South America, Canada, South Africa, Great Britain, New Zealand, Ireland, Australia and Western Europe.