Horse racing is among the most practiced sports in the world…
Horse racing has been a traditional sport for several thousand years. This involves challenges between horses and riders who compete against each other to get to the finish line first, winning the race.
No one is certain when humans began riding horses, but the oldest evidence inherent in horse domestication was found in Ukraine between 4,000 and 3,500 years before Christ.
Horse racing is supposed to have its roots in ancient sculptures, such as Persia, Greece, Egypt, and Babylon.
Many of these ancient horse races featured a buggy pulled behind the horse, an aspect that has carried over to modern racing. Ancient races often featured violent deaths and injuries, which helped in attracting a wide audience.
Types of Horse Racing
There are different types of races, which can be classified according to 5 different parameters:
– By air: gallop, trot or walk.
– By difficulty of the track: smooth track, track with fences, cross country.
– By the equipment: Saddle, harness, hitch
– By distance: From 400 m (1/4 mile) to 7240 m (4 1/2 miles).
– By the number of participants: Pairs (2 horses), multiple (several horses).
The most prestigious and far-reaching competitions in horse racing are those held at racetracks, with saddle horses, at a gallop, and on a flat track. Races in Great Britain, the Middle East, Ireland, France, the United States, Australia, and Hong Kong are particularly famous.
Horse races are either closed: between horses of the same age, sex, or breed or open: to different ages, sexes, or species.
What are the most important races in the world?
Derby is the name given to many great races with the highest prize money worldwide. As far as flat races are concerned, among others, the most important ones are:
- Royal Ascot (prize fund: $10.4 million)
This is the most formal horse racing event worldwide. It dated back to 1711 and was founded by the then Queen Anne. The British royal family hosts the event, and all prominent members arrive in horse-drawn carriages. For this event, there is a strictly formal dress code that needs to be followed: women wear a day dress accompanied by a hat, while men must wear black or gray with a top hat.
- Kentucky Derby (prize fund: $3 million)
It is one of the most famous and critical sporting events globally. It is held on the first Saturday of May each year and is the most prestigious leg of the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing in the United States.
- Dubai World Cup
This definitely is the richest horse race globally.
The Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates inaugurated this event in 1996 and, since then, also thanks to its significant gala event, this race attracts the biggest names in the world of sport, cinema, and politics.
- Prix de L’Arc de Triomphe
Known as The Arc, it is one of the most prestigious events in the world of horse racing. Organized at the Longchamp racecourse in Paris, this historic event dates back to 1920, held the first weekend of October each year.
- Breeders’ Cup Classic
This event was inaugurated in 1984, and it takes place every year at famous racetracks in the United States. There are 13 races under the event, and the combined prize money is $28 million. The two most important races in this world championship are the Breeder’s Cup Turf and the Breeder’s Cup Classic.
- Japan Cup
The most prestigious horse race in Southeast Asia is the Japan Cup, held every year on the last Sunday of November in Tokyo and is inaugurated by the Japanese Prime Minister.
What are racetracks?
Racetracks are giant equestrian facilities with a central oval track or similar shapes. There are also triangular shapes with ample curves on their edges.
Racetracks have a grandstand for spectators and include a betting area and restaurant areas. They also have stables for horses that train daily and offer stables for horses that come to compete and housing for their caregivers.
The procedure of a race
First, the horses go to the “saddling area” to prepare for the race (saddle, number, and color identification). Next, interested spectators may enter this area.
Then they go to another exhibition area called Paddock to be looked at in more detail by bettors who need to see their physical condition. Afterward, the horses and jockeys go to the track while the spectators come to place their bets. After the race, the winner enters the winner’s enclosure to be decorated.
Horse racing rules
The body that unifies criteria and maintains international agreements is the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA), whose mission is to regulate and promote best practices in this activity.
It also seeks to generate global initiatives to support the industry and the development of national markets. Each country has its own regulatory body. In Dubai, for example, there is the Emirates Racing Authority, a proactive member of the Asian Racing Federation and the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities. ERA reviews the rules and regulations of racing, participant licensing, and horse dressing protocols.
Horse betting
For this sport to survive and prosper, it is necessary to have a lot of interest in horses and great interest and capacity to place bets on each competition. For example, in the United Arabian Emirates (especially in Dubai), betting on horse races moves millions of dollars, making more investment in the breeding and development of the thoroughbred and all the activities that revolve around this sport.
For those who don’t know, betting on horse racing in the United Arab Emirates is extremely popular. The Dubai World Cup attracts many of the world’s best horses, jockeys, and trainers to the state-of-the-art Meydan Racecourse each year.
When you bet on the best betting sites in the UAE, you can wager on much more than just the Dubai World Cup and other local races. For example, you can place your bets on Triple Crown races in the United States, the Breeders’ Cup, the Grand National in the United Kingdom, or the Melbourne Cup in Australia.
The event’s location doesn’t matter – there are secure, easy-to-use sites you can bet on whenever there’s an important race.
Moreover, on these same betting sites, you can also find all the information you need to bet online safely and discreetly on horse racing and any other sport and a comprehensive guide to gambling laws in the region.
How do non-fans view horse racing?
Despite the number of jobs produced by this sport (5-7 for every horse in training), this industry is constantly criticized by animal welfare associations.
Horses can be over-exploited, creating situations of animal abuse. Indeed, we have a brief period that a horse is competitive (approx. two years). It is very susceptible to locomotor system diseases such as tendonitis, joint problems, and fractures.
We hope that the future trend will favor the horse and that they can coexist: the passion for this equestrian sport and the respect and protection of the animal that originates it.
