horse racing

Horse racing in the United Kingdom is generally of three types, and is a major contributor to the UK economy. Horse racing can be over fences or over hurdles, known as National Hunt racing, or unobstructed distances races, known as flat racing.

Additionally there is another form of racing which is run on an altogether more informal and ad hoc basis, known as point to point racing. Point to point is a form of steeplechasing for amateur riders. It, like professional racing, is nevertheless run under the auspices of the regulator for horse-racing in the United Kingdom, the Jockey Club, an arm of the British Horseracing Board.

It is thought that the first races to take place in Britain were organised by soldiers of the Roman Empire in Yorkshire around 200 AD, although the first recorded race meeting was during the reign of Henry II at Smithfield, London in 1174 during a horse fair.

It is believed that the first occurrence of a trophy being presented to the winner of a race was in 1512 by organisers of a fair in Chester and was a small wooden ball decorated with flowers.

Early in the 16th century Henry VIII imported a large number of stallions and mares for breeding although it was not until the 17th and 18th centuries that the breeding of thoroughbreds began as we know it now.

Newmarket is known as the home of horse racing in England and James I was prominent in introducing racing there after discovering the little village in 1605 whilst out hawking or riding. He spent so much time there that the House of Commons petitioned him to concentrate more of his time on running the country. This region had a long association with horses going back to the time of Boudicca and the Iceni. Around the time that Charles I of England came to the throne, Spring and Autumn race meetings were introduced to Newmarket and in 1634 the first Gold Cup event was held.

All horse racing was then banned in 1654 by Oliver Cromwell, and many horses were requisitioned by the state. Despite this Cromwell himself kept a stud running of his own.

With the restoration of Charles II racing flourished and he instituted the Newmarket Town Plate in 1664, writing the rules himself:

Articles ordered by His Majestie to be observed by all persons that put in horses to ride for the Plate, the new round heat at Newmarket set out on the first day of October, 1664, in the 16th year of our Sovreign Lord King Charles II, which Plate is to be rid for yearly, the second Thursday in October for ever.
In the early 18th century, Queen Anne kept a large string of horses and was instrumental in the founding of Royal Ascot where the opening race each year is still called the Queen Anne Stakes.

In 1740, parliament introduced an act "to restrain and to prevent the excessive increase in horse racing", though this was largely ignored, but in the 1752 the Jockey Club was formed to create and apply the Rules of Racing.

Racing has stayed pretty much the same since with the Jockey Club combining with the National Hunt Committee in 1968 and remain to this day the regulators of racing in the United Kingdom, with the British Horseracing Board, (formed in June 1993) responsible for strategic planning, finance, politics, race planning, training and marketing.

The main meetings held are:

March
Cheltenham - The Festival

Lingfield Park - Bet Direct Winter Derby
April
Aintree - Aintree Grand National Meeting
Ayr - Scottish Grand National
Newmarket - Craven Meeting
Sandown Park - Betfred Gold Cup Celebration
May
Newmarket - Guineas Meeting
Chester - May Meeting
June
Epsom Downs - Epsom Derby Meeting
Ascot - Royal Ascot
Newcastle - John Smith's Northumberland Plate
July
Sandown Park - Coral-Eclipse Meeting
Newmarket - July Meeting
Ascot - Diamond Day
Goodwood - Glorious Goodwood
August
York - Ebor Festival
September
Haydock Park - Stanley Leisure Sprint Cup
Doncaster - St. Leger Meeting
Ayr - Western Meeting
Ascot - Ascot Festival
October
Newmarket - Tote Cambridgeshire Meeting
Newmarket - October Meeting
Doncaster - Racing Post Trophy
Wincanton - Desert Orchid Chase
November
Cheltenham - The Paddy Power Open
Newbury - Hennessy Meeting
December
Sandown Park - Tingle Creek Meeting
Kempton Park - Pertemps Christmas Festival
Chepstow - Coral Welsh National

The fifty nine British venues for horse-racing are known as racecourses with some dedicated to National Hunt, some to Flat Racing and some holding events for both.

A
Aintree Racecourse - (national hunt)
Ascot Racecourse -(mixed)
Ayr Racecourse - (mixed)

B
Bangor on Dee Racecourse - (national hunt)
Bath Racecourse - (flat)
Beverly Racecourse - (flat)
Brighton Racecourse - (flat)

C
Carlisle Racecourse - (mixed)
Cartmel Racecourse - (national hunt)
Catterick Bridge - (mixed)
Cheltenham Racecourse - (national hunt)
Chepstow Racecourse - (mixed)
Chester Racecourse - (flat)

D
Doncaster Racecourse - (mixed)

E
Epsom Downs - (flat)
Exeter Racecourse - (national hunt)

F
Fakenham Racecourse - (national hunt)
Folkestone Racecourse - (mixed)
Fontwell Park - (national hunt)

G
Goodwood Racecourse - (flat)
Great Yarmouth Racecourse - (flat)

H
Hamilton Park - (flat)
Haydock Park - (mixed)
Hereford Racecourse - (national hunt)
Hexham Racecourse - (national hunt)
Huntingdon Racecourse - (national hunt)

K
Kelso Racecourse - (national hunt)
Kempton Park - (mixed)

L
Leicester Racecourse - (mixed)
Lingfield Racecourse - (mixed)
Ludlow Racecourse - (national hunt)

M
Market Rasen Racecourse - (national hunt)
Musselburgh Racecourse - (mixed)

N
Newbury Racecourse - (mixed)
Newcastle Racecourse - (mixed)
Newmarket Racecourse - (flat)
Newton Abbot Racecourse - (national hunt)
Nottingham Racecourse - (flat)

P
Perth Racecourse - (national hunt)
Plumpton Racecourse - (national hunt)
Pontefract Racecourse - (flat)

R
Redcar Racecourse - (flat)
Ripon Racecourse - (flat)

S
Salisbury Racecourse - (flat)
Sandown Park - (mixed)
Sedgefield Racecourse - (national hunt)
Southwell Racecourse - (mixed)
Stratford on Avon Racecourse - (national hunt)

T
Taunton Racecourse - (national hunt)
Thirsk Racecourse - (flat)
Towcester Racecourse - (national hunt)

U
Uttoxeter Racecourse - (national hunt)

W
Warwick Racecourse - (mixed)
Wetherby Racecourse - (national hunt)
Wincanton Racecourse - (national hunt)
Windsor Racecourse - (flat)
Wolverhampton Racecourse - (flat)
Worcester Racecourse - (national hunt)

Y
York Racecourse - (flat)