While you would love to place your bets on the next horse race, did you ever wonder who played the first horse races in the United States? Or how horse racing developed in the country?
Horse racing has been a favorite sport of the Americans for a long time. It has roots in the colonial era when the British settlers introduced the sports to the region.
How the simple game of horse racing branched into so many forms and evolved with time is quite interesting.
Let’s explore!
Thoroughbred Horse Racing
It was the first form of racing brought to the USA by the British and was introduced in the mainstream with the development of racing track in New York in 1655. The name drew inspiration from the seat of British horse racing, Newmarket.
Though horse racing was popular in different parts, it took another 200 years to grip the nation. It was not until the 19th century that the game came under some kind of regulation with the formation of the American Jockey Club and the official Thoroughbred registry called the American Stud Book.
This brought an end to the widespread corruption at the racetracks and made the sport even popular- more than 300 racing tracks existed in the USA during the end of the 19th century.
As of today, it is not a sport of the elites anymore and Americans just love to bet on horse racing.
Quarter Horse Racing
The name suggests the nature of the race which is conducted over a distance of a quarter mile. The race became popular in Virginia where people used to race on village streets and paths through forests.
In 1940 the sport received formal recognition and gained attention. Today you can find such races in many parts of the country being held regularly.
Steeplechasing
When ordinary racing was not exciting enough, Americans discovered the Steeplechasing which involved horses jumping over obstacles and fences. It made entry into the US from Ireland during the 19th century and took some time to get recognized.
Alfred Hitchcock made quite a contribution by importing horses from England and training them in his own facility in South Carolina. Now you can witness the form of the race in 11 states including New Jersey, New York, and Kentucky.
Endurance Horse Racing
The activity of horse and rider training during the 1800s transformed a sport of its own right in the USA. It came under the national governing body The American Endurance Ride Conference (AERC) in 1972 and it still holds many races around the country.
The first organized race was 100 miles held around the Sierra Nevada Range in 1955.
Do More with Your Love for Horse Racing
Love horse racing and want to place your bets? You could do it easily – on all the major horse racing games. Just hop onto an online horse betting site and you are golden. Wondering what are your top options? You can have a look at Topbettingsites.com
You can check out the different sites you can bet in, as well as how trustworthy they are or the features on offer. You can even check out the deposit options on offer and how much your winning payout could be – betting on horse races was never as much fun!
