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podcast transcript
For thousands of years, humans have gathered to watch horses run.
What began as a test of speed and endurance on the ancient plains evolved into chariot races before cheering crowds, royal competitions in medieval courts, and eventually a multibillion-dollar global sport.
Along the way, it shaped horse breeding, promoted gambling, and reflected the rise and fall of empires.
Learn about the history of horse racing in this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily.
Horse racing is one of the oldest sports in history. Humans began racing shortly after domesticating horses and riding them.
The first forms of horse racing likely appeared soon after horses were domesticated on the Eurasian steppes, around 3,500 to 3,000 BC. Initially, speed and endurance competitions were informal and associated with breeding and military readiness.
The first records of organized horse racing date back to before 1000 BC. The first version we know of was developed by the ancient Greeks. This version of horse racing involved a horse pulling a two-wheeled carriage.
It was officially recognized as a sport at the Olympic Games in 648 BC. Early versions of the Olympiad horse racing featured both chariot races and men riding horses. This tradition continued until it was abolished by the Romans.
The Romans had various horse racing competitions. Chariot racing was especially popular. Roman chariot races were dangerous events that put both horses and riders at risk. But these risks helped increase its popularity.
If you remember my episode on this topic, Gaius Appuleius Diocles was a famous Roman chariot racer and one of the wealthiest athletes in history.
The Romans took this to another level. Chariot racing became the most popular sport in the Empire, taking place in large stadiums such as the Circus Maximus, which could accommodate over 150,000 spectators.
Teams, colors, and factions gave rise to intense rivalries that sometimes led to violence. Even after the fall of Rome, chariot racing continued in the Byzantine Empire, especially in Constantinople.
Various forms of horse racing also appeared independently in Persia, Arabia, China and North Africa, growing in popularity and forming modern traditions.
Britain is the source of many of the characteristics found in modern horse racing. The origins of this tradition date back to the 12th century, when British knights on the Crusades encountered Arab horses. Upon their return to England, these knights brought with them Arab horses, which were later bred with native English mares.
The descendants of Arab horses and English horses were new breeds. This breed was faster and had greater endurance than the previous two horses. This new breed, known as the Thoroughbred, quickly became the main horse breed for racing competitions.
Over time, certain characteristics of Thoroughbreds have changed. Racehorses were once bred for both speed and stamina. But over time, the need for speed became greater than the need for stamina. About obedience in a moment…
Racing in medieval England grew in popularity as owners sought to sell their horses. As a sales strategy, owners hired jockeys to demonstrate the horse’s speed, endurance, and agility because faster horses were more valuable.
This gave the sport considerable popularity among the upper classes of British society, including the royal family. Because of this, horse racing came to be called ‘the sport of kings.’
Known as the “Father of English Turf,” Charles II played a key role in transforming horse racing from a mere pastime into an organized national sport. His personal commitment to the track was evident when he entered and won a race at Newmarket in 1671.
In addition to competing himself, he established Newmarket Racecourse as a central hub for the sport and helped draft the first national horse racing regulations. Under his leadership, the Newmarket Town Plate introduced a formal framework for the sport, with official rules and prize money for the winners. These early standards provided the foundation needed for horse racing to flourish as an organized competition.
Meanwhile, France emerged as another important center for the sport, with its first horse racing held in 1651. This early event was the result of a bet between two noblemen, and set the precedent for the gambling-centric nature of many later French competitions.
The first French Jockey Club was organized during the reign of Louis XVI. Similar to Charles II, Louis established the rules of the race through royal decrees. Among his rules was that all racehorses required a certificate of origin. If the horse was foreign, additional weight was added during the race.
Horse racing was brought to the Americas after the British captured the Dutch settlement of New Amsterdam in 1664. British military commander Richard Nicholls founded organized horse racing in New York.
Nicolls laid out a two-mile course on Long Island called Newmarket, named after an English track. Races were held at Long Island New Market in the spring and fall, with silver cups awarded to the winners.
There are many different types of horse racing.
Flat racing is the most common type of horse racing and probably the one you are most familiar with. It is a place where horses run on dirt or grass without obstacles.
Flat racing is usually played on oval tracks, although the shape may vary slightly in the UK and Ireland. There are no obstacles in this type of racing. Distances for flat races range from 440 yards to 4 miles. However, most flat races are less than 2 miles.
Shorter races are usually called “sprints”, while longer races are called “route” or “stay races” depending on whether you are in the United States or Europe.
The world’s most prestigious horse races, including the Kentucky Derby, Arc de Triomphe, Japan Cup and Melbourne Cup, are run on flat tracks.
These high-level competitions are strictly regulated. The same weight is assigned to the horse. Riders weigh themselves, and lighter riders have to carry extra weight to compensate.
The next type of horse racing is jump racing, also known as the ‘National Hunt’. This type of competition is most popular in the UK, Ireland and France.
Jump racing is divided into two types of competition: steeplechase and steeplechase. Steeplechase is a long distance race in which riders jump over various ditches obstacles and fences. Hurdling also involves horses jumping over obstacles, but is more regulated.
The horse jumps a 3.5-foot long flexible obstacle. A steeplechase has at least eight obstacles and covers two miles.
Another type of competition is “Harness Racing.” This has a standard breed horse pulling a person on a light cart behind.
Harness racing involves horses known as trotters, who move their legs diagonally, or pacers, who move both legs in the same direction at the same time.
The final type of horse racing is endurance. In these events, horses travel very long distances. This can be a distance between 25 and 100 miles.
These races can last several days and take place on long trails through natural terrain. The longest endurance race is the Mongolian Derby. The derby recreates the horse delivery system used by Genghis Khan and takes place over 1,000 kilometers (620 miles).
In these horse races, competition is usually limited to specific breeds. Competition horses require a sire and dam that have their pedigree registered and approved in the Studbook, the official thoroughbred registry.
Horse breeding methods may include artificial insemination and embryo transfer to produce the ideal horse, but purebred registration requires live breeding.
All Thoroughbred horses can be traced back to three distinct Arab breeds brought to England. These breeds are Dali Arabian, Byerly Turk, and Godolphin Arabian.
The Arabian horse was developed in Western Asia by the nomadic Bedouin people. They bred horses specifically for physical strength. This was used by the tribe to outmaneuver their enemies at long distances.
Because of their stamina, Arabian horses are now primarily bred for endurance racing, but they can still be seen competing on traditional tracks.
Another type of horse used for racing is the standard breed. The Standardbred is a descendant of the Thoroughbred and several other breeds. These horses are used in a variety of ways, but are generally bred for harness racing.
Another common type of horse bred for competition is the Quarter Horse. These horses resulted from breeding between colonial Spanish horses from the Americas and horses imported from England.
When Spanish and English horses were crossed during the colonial era, their offspring were muscular and small. At first it was mainly used for field work, such as plowing and herding cattle, but later it became the official breed.
Quarter Horses are very fast sprinters, but they are terrible at maintaining this speed over long distances. This meant the races were kept short, just a quarter mile or 400 meters. They were named “Quarter Horses” because the race distance was only 1/4 mile.
Another important part of horse racing is the jockeys. A racehorse jockey is a professional athlete who rides a horse in that sport. Jockeys specialize in moving and working horses at high speeds.
Jockeys should maintain a low body weight, around 100 to 120 pounds. Despite their small stature, jockeys need strength and balance as well as the ability to make quick, strategic decisions. This is especially true because of the dangers of the sport, as small riders must control horses weighing more than a thousand pounds at high speeds.
Jockeys receive a mount fee for every race they compete in, and a portion of the prize money if they win. However, to do so you will need to obtain professional qualifications through an apprenticeship.
Jockeys typically assume a certain posture during a race. A popular riding position involves using short stirrups that allow the rider to crouch around the horse’s shoulders and neck. This technique causes a shift in the rider’s center of gravity in contact with the horse. By streamlining the rider’s body profile, the horse can achieve greater speeds.
It is customary to place bets at horse racing events. A gambling house is set up where individuals can place bets on which horse they think will win.
Most tracks that allow gambling use a method called pari-mutuel betting. This involves collecting all the gamblers’ money. Once a winner is selected, those who bet correctly can share the loot proportionally.
Globally, annual horse racing betting is typically estimated at $100 billion to $130 billion. A significant portion of that occurs in Asia, particularly Japan and Hong Kong, where racing is highly regulated and popular.
Betting remains a cornerstone of the sport’s appeal and is a major factor in its popularity over the centuries.
Horse racing has reflected the character of every era, from the casual contests of ancient times to the high-stakes derbies of modern times. Throughout history, these competitions have served as a demonstration of royal authority and a rigorous test of equestrian breeding and expertise.
Despite these changes, the core of the sport remains the competition between horse and rider.
