Horse racing is one of the world’s oldest sports.
It dates to 4000 B.C. when nomadic horsemen of Central Asia domesticated the horse. The nomads became expert riders and used racing to showcase their talents. Racing continues to be popular in Central Asian countries such as Mongolia, “the land of the horse.”
The wheeled chariot was invented around 2000 B.C. and someone came up with the idea of racing horse-drawn chariots. By 700 B.C. chariot racing was a popular sport in Greece. Teams of two or four horses pulled chariots and their drivers in a race for the finish line. The races first took place at the funerals held for Greek heroes but became so popular that arenas called hippodromes were built to host them. The oval track of the hippodrome included hairpin turns that were extremely dangerous. Many drivers were killed in violent crashes after being trampled by horses or crushed by overturned carts.
Horse racing was introduced to the Greek Olympics in 680 B.C. There were two-horse and four-horse chariot races as well as races for horses with bareback riders (saddles and stirrups had yet to be invented). Although Olympians competed naked at the time, riders and chariot drivers were allowed to wear clothes for protection.
The chariots raced in ancient Rome were driven by slaves who were able to buy their freedom if they won enough races. Chariot racing was dangerous, and the life expectancy for drivers and horses was short. Up to 12 chariots raced at the same time, and drivers attempted to make the others crash. Many drivers were thrown, trampled, or dragged to their deaths.
This story is from the October 2017 edition of Faces - The Magazine of People, Places and Cultures for Kids.
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This story is from the October 2017 edition of Faces - The Magazine of People, Places and Cultures for Kids.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
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