Horse racing is an ancient sport practiced in civilizations around the world since ancient times. The sport is based on competition between two horses whose speed and stamina determine the winner of each race. In many races a jockey also competes. It is an extremely popular form of entertainment and betting on the outcome of a race is common. It is a sport that has evolved over the centuries from a primitive contest of speed or endurance to a complex spectacle of large fields and sophisticated electronic monitoring equipment, but its basic concept remains the same. It is a sport that has a rich history and has been an important part of culture and legend, such as the contest between the steeds of Odin and the giant Hrungnir in Norse mythology.
During the reign of Louis XIV, horse racing in France became an important element of society and was heavily influenced by gambling. During this time, the renowned racehorse Eclipse was born, a spectacular stallion whose name means total eclipse of the sun and who is considered one of the fastest horses ever to have run on earth. Eclipse is the great-great grandfather of today’s Thoroughbreds, and approximately 90% of today’s horses trace their male lines back to him.
In the early days of America, colonial race enthusiasts often competed in rival colonies to display their equestrian prowess. Samuel Gist of Hanover County, Virginia, and Benjamin Tasker, a militia colonel in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, were among the first to import Thoroughbreds from England. By 1730, Tasker’s gray mare Selima was the fastest horse in the American colonies.
When he accepted Byrd’s challenge, Tasker knew that the match would provoke passions. He was not a man to make such flamboyant wagers without serious consideration, and he had faith that his equine judgment was sound. Selima was ready to take on the best of Virginia’s horses, and she won.
The victory of Selima in the four-mile race at Anderson’s Race Ground on December 5, 1752, marked the beginning of a long rivalry between Maryland and Virginia for supremacy in horse racing. Selima covered the distance in less than eight minutes, a remarkable feat for the era. It was the first time that a Thoroughbred had ever won such a long race on American soil.
Over the course of the next century, races grew in length and size as demand for public racing increased. Purses were set for the winning horses, and eligibility rules were established based on age, sex, birthplace, previous performances, and rider qualifications. As time passed, races grew to include second and third prizes as well. Eventually, sponsorships of horse races were introduced, providing even more financial incentives for owners and jockeys to push their horses beyond the limits of what is natural. The resulting competition demonstrates an incongruity between what is natural for horses and what has become an integral part of the human culture that created this most fascinating of all sports.