History Horseracing in Great Britain

1 history

1.1 roman era middle ages
1.2 16th century
1.3 17th century
1.4 18th century
1.5 19th century modern day

history
roman era middle ages

horses used beasts of burden in pre-roman times, thought first horse races take place in britain organised carl in yorkshire around 200 ad. believed romans @ encampment @ wetherby matched horses against arabian horses brought england emperor severus septimus. venerable bede reports english began saddle horses year 631.

the earliest written mention of running-horses record of hugh, french house of capet, gifting present king athelstan of england in 9th/10th century. during athelstan s reign ban placed on export of english horses, such supposed superiority continental ones. continental ones still permitted import, , many brought england william conqueror. roger de montgomerie, 1st earl of shrewsbury introduced spanish stallions country.

the first recorded race meetings during reign of henry ii @ smithfield, london, during annual st bartholomew s horse fair. event attested william fitzstephen writing @ time after 1174 , poet drayton. middle english romance sir bevis of hampton has couplets refer races taking place in time of richard i.

for next 3 centuries there numerous records of kings of england keeping running horses . edward iii bought horses @ £13 6s 8d each, , gifted 2 king of navarre. royal stud continued grow throughout reign of henry vii.

kiplingcotes, yorkshire, home of world s oldest horse race


16th century

records become more substantial during time of henry viii. passed number of laws relating breeding of horses , imported large number of stallions , mares breeding. kept training establishment @ greenwich , stud @ eltham.

formal race meetings began instigated too. believed first occurrence of trophy being presented winner of race in 1512 organisers of fair in chester , small wooden ball decorated flowers. meanwhile, oldest horse race still in existence, kiplingcotes derby first run in 1519. carlisle bells, reputedly oldest sporting trophy in world, first competed in 16th century, in race still bears name. 1 of bells inscribed sweftes horse thes bel tak ( swiftest horse takes bell ).

racing established @ chester, oldest surviving racecourse in england, 1540. in 1580s queen elizabeth recorded attending races on salisbury plain.. leith races established 1591, , @ doncaster 1595.

17th century

during reign of elizabeth, interest in horse racing appears have waned, reasons unrecorded, although noted have attended races on salisbury plain in 1580s. changed when in 1605, james discovered little village of newmarket whilst out hawking or riding. began spend time there racing horses, , on has been known home of horse racing in england. in fact, james spent time there house of commons petitioned him concentrate more of time on running country. region has had long association horses going time of boudica , iceni. first recorded race there match £100 between horses owned lord salisbury , marquess of buckingham in 1622, , racecourse founded in 1636.

the first known rules of racing date kiplingcotes in 1619.

race meetings began spring elsewhere in country. races run silver bells @ gatherley, yorkshire, croydon , theobalds on enfield chase. jockey weights began measured , rigorously enforced.

around time charles of england came throne, spring , autumn race meetings introduced newmarket , in 1634 first gold cup event held. horse racing banned in 1654 oliver cromwell, , many horses requisitioned state. despite cromwell himself kept stud running of own. restoration of charles ii racing flourished , instituted newmarket town plate in 1664, writing rules himself:

king charles ii, rules of newmarket town plate

the 3 foundation sires of modern thoroughbred, byerley turk, darley arabian , godolphin barb imported england in late 17th , 18th centuries , founded lines can traced down every modern thoroughbred racehorse.

jockey, edwardian painting famous irish artist william orpen

the improvement of breed not purely sporting purposes though. warfare , conquest factors. whyte noted, excellence of british horse... may ascribed of our superiority on other nations, both in commerce , in war.

18th century

in 18th century, queen anne kept large string of horses , instrumental in founding of royal ascot opening race each year still called queen anne stakes. first published account of race results john cheney s historical list of horse matches run, , plates , prizes run in england , wales dates 1727. weatherby family succeeded cheney keepers of complete set of racing records, , in later work came possession, published in york in 1748, result recorded of race run in september 1709 on clifton , rawcliffe ings, near york, gold cup of £50.

in 1740, parliament introduced act restrain , prevent excessive increase in horse racing ; largely ignored , in 1750 jockey club formed create , apply rules of racing. however, until 1760s, individual horses seldom ran more 5 or 6 times, due scarcity of prizes on offer, began change major race meetings expanding prizes on offer. newmarket , york led way in this.

races still mature horses, , typically run in matches, or in best-of-three heats on long distances. 3 year old races first run in 1731 , 2 year olds raced first time @ newmarket in 1769. in 1791, cash became first yearling race, , beat 3 year old in match @ newmarket, in receipt of 3 stones.

interest in sport @ high throughout 18th , 19th centuries. whyte s history of english turf noted in 1840, century , half, turf has formed favourite amusement of kings, lords , commons . or rice s history reported in 1879, 2 hundred years pursuit of horse-racing has been attractive more of our countrymen other out-door pastime

at end of century 12th earl of derby , sir charles bunbury key influencers in sport. under auspices derby , oaks established @ epsom, inspired st leger , growing popularity of shorter races, younger horses. these races, along leger , guineas, became known classics. first handicap run @ ascot in 1791.

at around same time, jockeys began earn reputation in own right, pioneers including frank buckle, sam chifney sr , jem robinson.

19th century modern day

steeplechasing first became organised tom colman @ st albans in 1830s. end of decade, grand national had been established @ aintree william lynn.

in 1875, sandown park became first racecourse open separate members enclosure.

in 1947 hamilton hosted first evening race meeting in uk. wolverhampton racecourse holds evening meetings, 50 year.

the jockey club governed sport until governance role handed british horseracing board, (formed in june 1993) , while bhb became responsible strategic planning, finance, politics, race planning, training , marketing, jockey club continued regulate sport. in 2006 formed horseracing regulatory authority carry out regulatory process whilst focused on owning 13 racecourses , gallops in newmarket , lambourn. in july 2007 hra merged bhb form british horseracing authority.