The Origin of Horseracing
Horse racing, like so many other forms of gambling, came to us by way of Asia. This was no idle sport used for the purpose of entertainment though, horse racing was serious business. Back in the days of Ghingis Khan, Mongol warfare was done primarily on the back of a horse. Using such equestrian related sports as horse racing was akin to getting his young men ready for battle.
Horse racing really came into its own during the medieval days of England. During the twelfth and thirteenth centuries knights returning from the Crusades brought with them the speedy Arabian horses which had already been bred for centuries. The English were astounded by the Arabians' speed, beauty and agility. The horses the British had become accustomed to, such as the Clydesdale, were bread for size and power. The Arabians were something new. Many began breeding the Arabians with existing English horses to produce what they called their "thoroughbreds." During the eighteenth century, the sport of horse racing, horse wagering and the practice of breeding had become so widespread that the country established the Jockey Club of England.
The Jockey Club was put in place to act as the experts and the final word on matters relating to thoroughbred racing in England. The Club was responsible for documenting horse pedigrees and crafting the rules for racing, along with fleshing out what would be considered as ethical breeding practices. Eventually they were able to document the pedigrees of nearly all the thoroughbred racing horses in England. With this done, they produced a book of Studs that would be the standard for all true thoroughbreds. From that point on a horse could only be considered a thoroughbred if they were descended from one of three specific lineage. These lineages were all documented in their Stud Book. The Arabian horse was the base of all three lineages.
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