Horse racing

Historically, the horse-race goes back to a remote date, a chariot-race being described in the Iliad as having taken place at the funeral games in honor of Patroclus. This probably indicates a long antecedent existence of the race. Later it rose to national importance in Greece, the four-horse chariot race being introduced into the Olympic games as early as the 23d Olympiad, the race with mounted horses in the 33d, and such variations as two-horse chariot-races, mule-races, loose-horse races, ., at later dates. Similar contests held a prominent place at all the other national games of Greece and at many of the local festivals, the love for horse-racing becoming a pa ion at Athens, and subsequently throughout the Roman empire. There are indications that horse-racing was indulged in by some of the German tribes at a very early period-it being a part of their religious ceremonies and traces of race-courses belonging to the Roman period in Britain have been frequently discovered. The first historical statement of it as a British sport dates from about 1174, the description of the race indicating that it had long been in vogue and was a popular and exciting sport. In the reign of Richard I. three-mile races for "forty pounds of ready gold" were ridden, but at that period the tournament seems to have surpa ed the race-course in public estimation. Public races were established at Chester in 1512, and the poems of Bishop Hall speak of racing in the reign of Elizabeth, though it was seemingly not patronized by the queen. It grew popular and fashionable after the acce ion of the Stuarts, and in 1607 we read of races being run near York for the prize of a little golden bell. In 1613 subscription purses are first mentioned. Racing grew still more popular during the reign of Charles I., and its popularity has continued until the present day. The St. Leger races were established in 1776, the Oaks in IMG:content-0684.png:[graphic] Varick Street, New York, and conductor of the Church Music A ociation. Died Feb. 28, 1876.