Why do the British Love Horse Racing?

Many people around the world find it curious that the British have such a deep affinity for horse racing. The history of horse racing in Great Britain has a long and prestigious history – the Royal Ascot week-long event has run every year since 1711, and its association with the Monarch has ensured its popularity, particularly during the 20th century when Queen Elizabeth II became the countries sovereign – Queen Elizabeth II is much-loved by the British public, and this has led to British Society eventually becoming both proud and protective of both the history and traditions of horse racing throughout the British Isles. 

Horse Racing is even referred to as the “Sport of Kings” in Great Britain, but also the “Peoples Sports”. You may think that these two titles contradict each other, but this is not how the British see it. The “Sport of Kings” title is commonly associated with Royal Ascot, which is one of the biggest horse racing festivals in the UK. The Royal Ascot is a weeklong racing meet held in June each year, boasting 35 of the biggest horse races on the sporting calendar, and has been attended by the Queen for all but 2 years of her 70 year long reign.

A Deeper Analysis

Horse racing is more than just a sport in Great Britain – it is part of their culture, and even acts as a way of promoting national unity. Tens of thousands of Britons attend bookmaker’s shops on a daily basis to watch the races on a big screen whilst chatting with friends and soaking up the atmosphere.  But how did we get here? The answer lies in the major races which have taken place in Great Britain for centuries, even dating as far back as the 3rd century AD.

Events

• 3rd Century – Horse racing was already considered a professional sport in the UK at this time and was extremely popular with knights returning from the crusades, often bringing Arab horses back with them. Arab horses were then bred with English horses, and the results were astounding, giving birth to the Thoroughbred horses we see today. These horses were so good that they are now exported across the world for both racing and improvement of local breeds.

• 16th Century – The Kiplingcotes Derby was established in 1519, making it the first recorded race meet in British history.  Officially, this is the oldest race in British history, which is still run today, but of course there were many, many other events that took place between the 3rd and 16th centuries.

• 17th Century – King James the first visited Newmarket in the early 17th century and set up numerous facilities there for horse racing – stables, training circuits, breeding centers, racetracks, and much more. Furthermore, the first ever Gold Cup was held here in 1634, long before it moved to Royal Ascot. The event was a huge success and brought the general populace into the world of horse racing for the first time.

• 1654 – Oliver Cromwell, an English General and statesman had a great deal of power in the country at the time and decided to ban horse racing altogether. He requisitioned all horses, and it took a full ten years before horse racing was restored as the public caused such an outcry that parliament had no choice but to act.

• 18th Century – Queen Anne founded the Royal Ascot horse racing meet. She was an avid horse racer and lover of horse racing, and her legacy lives on at Royal Ascot, as the first race of the meet is always the Queen Anne Stakes.

• 1750 – The Jockey Club was formed in Newmarket, the town which King James had made the home of horse racing in England. The Jockey Club aimed to supervise and control English Horse racing, to make sure that it could never be banned again by powerful figures such as Oliver Cromwell. The first meeting of the Jockey Club resulted in a comprehensive set of rules, including weighing jockeys to ensure they are below a minimum prescribed weight.

The Modern Day

We could go on listing the history of horse racing in the UK, but I think it is clear that there is a long and established history of horse racing throughout Great Britain. The British Horseracing Board became the governing authority for horse racing in 1993, assuming many of the responsibilities of the Jockey Club, effectively modernizing horse racing within the UK.

There are several famous horse racing events within the UK – the Cheltenham Festival, The Grand National, Royal Ascot, and the Epsom Derby, just to name the most prolific of the bunch. Every one of these events is attended by thousands of people every year – even those who are not especially interested in horse racing enjoy the culture and atmosphere of these events, and the British are likely to continue these traditions long into the future.