United Kingdom Horse Racing

Horse racing is an equestrian sporting activity which has been practiced over the centuries; the chariot races of Roman times were an early example, as was the contest of the steeds of the god Odin and the giant Hrungnir in Norse mythology. It is often inextricably associated with the activity of wagering on the outcome of a race, gambling.

The style of racing, the distances and the type of events varies very much by the country in which the race is occurring, and many countries offer different types of horse races.

In the United Kingdom for example, there are races which involve obstacles (either hurdles or fences) called National Hunt Racing and those which are unobstructed races over a given distance. The UK has provided many of the sport's greatest ever jockeys, most notably Gordon Richards.

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 UK, 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 A.D., although the first recorded race meeting was during the reign of Henry II at Smithfield, London in 1174 during a horse fair.