When we talk about sports and the impact that they’ve, the social and cultural significance is massive. Sports are defined in many ways and horse racing is arguably the most defining for the era we are in now.
As betting grows and becomes more popular, remembering that sports betting started with horse racing centuries ago is something that every bettor should do. The staining power of horse racing is unfathomable and even today it is one of the most popular sports to bet on.
The Start Of Horse Race Betting
Horse racing was invented in Greece thousands of years ago and made its way to the UK in 1174 making a splash upon its arrival. When horse racing was first introduced to the UK it was under the reign of King James The First. His Successor King Charles The First brought in the first Race to the UK, The Gold Cup, which is still an influential horse race to this very day.
One of the biggest horse races in the world, The Royal Ascot, was founded by Queen Anne in 1722 and has been a huge event ever since.
The Attendees
Earlier we mentioned the races that past monarchs from the UK have invented and this is one of the reasons why the first attendees were upper class and used the horse races as a way of showing their class with their outfits and being able to place large bets on the horses.
Betting on horses has been around since the very early days of horse racing and this has carried on to today with racing betting odds from Boylesports still being one of the biggest markets in the world.
Traditions
When we mention the upper-class attendees of the sport, it is easy to see how this has translated to the sport today. Horse racing fans are known for still attending the races and respecting the traditions that were set by the earliest set of racing fans.
Attending horse races has always been popular but there is a new generation of horse racing in universities with the company, Invade, making university-only horse racing events. These are loved by the students who attend as it gives them a chance to get drunk with friends, dress up and win some money with betting.
The Gambling Significance
We have mentioned this throughout the article today but the gambling impact of the sport is something that cannot be overlooked.
Betting on races has been a major part of the experience since the sport’s inception and this hasn’t changed. Horse racing is one of the best and easiest sports to bet on in the world and because of this, the market for the sport is one of the world’s biggest.
Pop Culture Significance
With horse racing’s popularity, it is no shock that the sport has bled into the mainstream and become significant in pop culture. Not only have racing horses been popular in literature and art but in films too. Films like ‘Seabiscuit’ and ‘Secretariat’ have captured the hearts of the mainstream and made a lot of money in the process.
Economic Significance
As horse racing grew over time, we saw more countries in the world become staples for horse racing events. The UK has a wide range of some of the biggest races in the world, like the Royal Ascot and The Grand National, but other countries like the USA (with the Kentucky Derby) and Australia (with the Melbourne Cu0) have seen massive financial benefits to having these races in their areas.
The Overall Importance
With the listed points we have made today, it will be easy to see why horse racing has been an important part of the culture in countries all around the world since it rose to popularity.
Overall, we think that the sport itself will continue to be a strong powerhouse in the sports industry and with the fans and attendance that are keeping it afloat, we may even see it grow.
