Horse racing

The “Sport of Kings” as horse racing is also known, has quite some history to look back upon. Early examples date as far back as the Roman Empire, where Chariot racing was a popular pastime, the masses enjoyed watching. Over time, horse racing became inseparably involved with betting and gambling.

Nowadays, there are several types of races taking place in different parts of the world, distinguished by the type of surface horses are raced on, and the breed of horse that can participate.

In the US, Thoroughbred races are by far the most popular, however, Harness racing and quarter horse racing are also present. Arabian horse racing can also be found, but these event are much less frequent than any of the ones mentioned above.

In the U.S, races take place on flat surfaces, which can – in turn – be grass, dirt or poly-surface. The distance which is covered by the race, is another factor that differentiates between different types of races. Distances can be anything from a mile and a half, to 5 furlongs.

This is and extremely important detail, because thoroughbreds are often trained to be especially good over a certain distance. A Horse that is a likely winner in a 2 furlong race, will probably not perform as well over 5 furlongs.

Horse racing has a great tradition and a huge following in the UK and Ireland too. Point to pointing originated from Ireland, and as such it is no wonder, the greatest horse racing event in the world, the Cheltenham Festival has been dominated by Irish-bred horses in recent years.