HORSE - RACING. The earliest recorded organized trials of speed with horses were the chariot-races at the Greek national festivals, of which the most notable were the Olympic games lq.v.), held every fourth year. Greek sculpture frequently represents the horse as used for rid ing, apparently without a saddle in but not as so employed for sport, except as an incident to the eh:Irbil-racing. On the other hand, the horses in the Roman contests were to a very great extent ridden. All the formalities of entering, and of differentiation of classes, and of starting were minutely laid down and followed, even to the color of the riders' uniforms. In the earlier times these Roman races were held on the open plain. There has always been a tradi tion in England that on Salisbury Plain, just outside Stonehenge, the remains of a Boman race course exist ; and the oldest race which still takes place in England is run over a flat meadow just outside the walls of the Homan city of Chester. In fact, the eonelusion scents almost certain front the similarities in Akers and methods that horse-raeing was one of the legacies left. to Britain by its Roman conquerors. The natives. too, were great horsemen and charioteers, and contests were likely enough to be provoked at the feats which the Humans took with them the world over. Their successors, the Saxons. main tallied the use and training of the horse; when thigh Capet sought the hand of the sister of King Athelstan, in the ninth century, he brought as a propitiatory present several 'run tying horses.' in his description of the city of London. written at the end of the twelfth century, says that "raves are eommom of which the gentry and wealthy citizens are very find," In the metrical romance of "Bevis of Ilamtoun," we get our first glance of a regular recurring annual meet of racing horses. In 15 0) the Alayor of Chester presented a silver bell to be given to the winner of a race five times round The Roods.' The horse that won not only bore away the hell. but eight or ten pounds. "which moneys were collected of the citizens for that purpose." By the reign of .lames I. (11iO3-25) public race meetings were held at Carterly in Yorkshire, Croydon in Surrey, Linton in Caitl in idgeshire, and on Enfield Chase. in the days of his su•eessor. Charles I., Newmarket, now the metropolis of the racing world, first came into prominence, and Oliver Cromwell. whose farm at ('oveney N•aA only a few miles from New market, bred and kept race-horses. Charles 11. was a great patron of the turf. He built a home at Newmarket, and WAS a regular attendant there. From that time onward modern flat rac
ing has a uniform history of progress.
The horses that practice flat racing are known the world over as thoroughbreds, yet as a matter of fact they are the product of cross-breeding continued for many centuries. Vegetius, who wrote in the fourth century. gave to African horses of Spanish blood the first place as chariot racers, but commended the Persian as the best saddle-horse. James I. bought a very celebrated Arab for breeding purposes; hut the Darley Barb. imported in 1705. laid the foundation (through his great-grandson Eclipse, horn 1764) of the modern turf. Ile was the sire of Almanza and Aleppo, but his best-known son was Flying Childers. This importation was followed by many others of sires and dams, among which the Taf falet Barb and the white-legged Lowther Barb are the best known. The. Byerly Turk pro duced Highflyer, and the Godolphin Arab was the grandsire of Matchen. Among the horses whose names have become household words may be mentioned: Diomed (who won the Derby in 1780 and was imported to America) ; Bay Middle ton, The Flying Dutchman, \Vest Australian, Blink Bonny, Hermit, Galopin, Bend Or, Saint Simon, Saint Blais, Ormond, and Persimmon.
There is no radical difference between the methods of training horses for flat racing in England and America, except in the time of tak ing the foal in hand. In England the majority of foals are practically left to nature until well into the second year. In America, on the other hand, so considerate a trainer as W. E. Wishard would have them backed when weanlings at nine months, and tried out when fifteen months old. But then, in California, owing to cHmate and grass, the young ones mature very quickly. In England the training of the young racer com mences in his second year under a trainer. A thorough preparation for a great race is a long and troublesome operation, depending largely upon constitution. general capacity, and tempera ment. Ordinarily the colt is gradually brought from a naturally loose condition to the greatest perfection possible; first by steady and continu ous walking exercise, then proceeding by gradual stages to gentle galloping and sweating. and fin ishing by testing the capacity of the colt against a competitor at a distance equal to the forthcom ing race. It has been found that, practically. the speed of almost all horses can be equalized by addition or subtraction of weight to be carried when running; and so nicely is this adjusted that the handicaps arranged on this principle provide some of the best races in the year. See HANDL. CAPPING.