Ireland is the third largest island of Europe. Apart from many other famous attractions it has, it is very well known for the best quality high breed horses it produces and also for training of race horses. Horse racing is popular in Ireland and many stadiums are well attended that host frequent horse race shows.
There are almost 5 race courses in or around Dublin, which provide entertainment as well as exercise, to many of their visitors. Many Dubliners love to spend their afternoons in the beautiful race courses. These race courses also have restaurants and bars for the spectators to enjoy food while watching horse riders, racing through the awesome race-courses.
Racing horses are a very specialized breed of horses which were imported to England from Arabian stallion, to have a strong and fast breed with the interaction of native horses, so the procedure carried to get the faster and stronger one.
With the passage of time, Ireland has got a unique and unprecedented fame in training of high breed race horses. Every year, the celebrations go on for the racing horses and million of people from all over the world come to Ireland to be a part of that unique festival.
History of Horse RacingHorse 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 principal form of horseracing, which is popular in many parts of the world, is thoroughbred racing. Harness racing is somewhat popular in the United States, Canada and Scandinavia, and to a lesser extent elsewhere. Quarter horse racing is also popular in the United States.
The breeding, training and racing of horses in many countries is now a significant economic activity as, to a greater extent, is the gambling industry which is largely supported by it. Exceptional horses can win millions of dollars and make millions more by providing stud services, such as horse breeding.
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 (flat racing). The UK has provided many of the sport's greatest ever jockeys, most notably Gordon Richards. See also United Kingdom horse-racing. |
