Man may be known to make use of race 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. In fact, 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 became an obsession among Romans once they have adopted the sport.
For thousand of years that followed, this kind of sports was considered to be performed only for the noble men and royalties.
Contemporary racing is said to have started in the 12th hundred years when the first breeding between Arabian as well as English horses were made. They were sparred by the return of the noble knights in combat to the mother land after the Crusades. They are known to possess produced sturdy horses with superb pace. Thus, breeders maximized the potentiality of a racehorse as well as put them into tracks. This particular breed is the Thoroughbred that we know of today which is still the most popular breed in the United Kingdom.
King Charles II was known to have held horse races in his private courses during 1660 in order to 1685.
Through the 16th century, the English have been known to produce a quantity of racecourses. Queen Anne who started 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 with horse racing. This business was the first legion of jockeys that established the comprehensive rules and regulations including the requirements as covered by the sports. Thus, they grew to become the overseers of the sports as well as 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, which was essentially, the basis of authority when it comes to the breeds that may be put to race. Based on the General Stud Book, only those pedigrees that have descended in the line of the “foundations sires” are thought as Thoroughbreds. The foundation sires are the: Byerley Turk, Darley Arabian and Godolphin Arabian.
Only in 17th century did the activity arrive in America for which the very first racetrack was seen in the actual Long Island. While it has turned into a favorite past time 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, and widespread gambling on horse races, the sport grew largely by the year 1890 when 314 operating tracks are considered 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 and organized the American Jockey Club which was patterned on the system as used by the actual Jockey Club in England.
These days the sport has reached various countries across the globe. Governing bodies were also formed to manage the horse racing occasions.