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Racing News
Monday 19th March 2018
   
Fun Things to Know about Horse Racing

Horse Racing

Horse racing is a popular sport in the UK and with good reason. It is exciting while being quite noble, a combination which manages to catch the attention of thousands of people all across the country.

There are many different types of horse races, and the fans usually enjoy watching all of them: flat racing, jump racing, stakes racing, and more. Every race has something unique about it that manages to draw the attention of the masses, and if you are a big fan of the sport, you will enjoy watching all of them for various reasons.

But even though fans have no problem with getting excited about the races and cheering for their favorite racehorses, not many fans know much about the history of the sport or the industry itself.

To rectify the problem and to show you that this sport is quite fascinating even when the horses are resting in their stables, we’ve gathered some fun facts about horse racing in the UK and around the world in general. Hopefully, these facts will be able to spark your curiosity enough to make you want to learn a bit more about this sport.

What You Need to Know about Racing

  • The first official horse race took place in the UK in 1174. However, trophies weren't awarded to the winners up until 1512. This bit of information only serves to show that horse racing is a major part of the British culture as it dates so far back, and it seems as if it will always remain so.
  • Although racehorses live for about 25-30 years, they retire around the age of 15. Some horses quit the industry altogether, while many horses move on to a different kind of competitions, such as dressage.
  • The Grand National is one of the most prestigious jump races in Europe. About 600 million people in more than 140 countries tune in to watch the competition every year. 9 million of those viewers are from the UK.
  • The first Grand National race took place in 1839, and the winning horse was named ‘Lottery’, who later on moved on to pulling carts in North London.
  • Charlotte Brew was the first female jockey to compete in the Grand National, riding ‘Barony Fort’ in 1977. Brew finished at the 26th fence at the time.
  • People of all ages competed in the Grand National over the years. Bruce Hobbs was the youngest competitor to win the race at the age of 17 back in 1938, while Dick Saunders was the oldest winner at the age of 47. Even though he didn’t win, Tim Durant was the oldest competitor in history to complete the course at the age of 68.
  • Frankel, a British Thoroughbred racehorse was unbeaten in his career. He participated in 14 races and won every single time.
  • For dozens of years, the winners of the Grand National race were all from England or Ireland, up until 1904 when ‘Moiffa’ from NZ took the trophy home.
  • If you manage to get a ticket to a racing event, you should leave your jeans at home and opt for something more sophisticated to wear. So before you buy your tickets, make sure that you have something appropriate to wear to the event!
  • Back in 1929, 66 horses participated in the Grand National race, the highest amount of competitors to participate in a single event. Nowadays, the number of horses in every event never exceeds 40.

All in All…

Horse races are exhilarating, and they are fun to watch – especially when you are familiar with the history of the sport and all it represents. Apart from watching the races, people also enjoy betting and trying to guess which horse is going to win at each event.

Gambling is a thrilling activity that many people have fun participating in, so if you like the adrenaline rush that comes with placing bets on your favorite racehorse, you should check out additional gambling options online.

There are various casino Vegas games online for free you can check out before you place your own money on the line, which can provide you with a chance to do something exciting without the need to wait for the next racing event to take place.

At the end of the day, the goal is to have some fun in your free time, and watching races or placing bets online can provide you with the opportunity to do just that!

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