The first traces of horse racing are noticed back to about 4500 BC among the nomadic tribesmen of Central Asia. Since then, horse racing has been flourished as the ultimate sport of kings.

Nowadays, horse racing has advanced in many countries and it has become a widely attended spectator sport. The biggest peak in the popularity of horse racing has been noticed at the beginning of the 90s when more than        50 million people attended 8,000 days of racing and wagered over $9 billion.

This resulted in transferring the entire culture that lies behind the sport to different countries such as the United Kingdom, Canada, United States, Japan, and many more. Some countries even have special allowances when it comes to horse race betting since a large part of the popularity of the sport relies on betting.

Let’s travel across the world and find out which countries have embedded horse racing in their roots.

United Kingdom

Just after football, horse racing is the second-biggest spectator sport in the country. The sport in this region dates back to the days of the Roman Empire but grew into becoming a modern competition in the 18th century when the Jockey Club was founded.

We can see the rich tradition of horse racing in Great Britain with the racehorses that are bred in the country that can be traced back to horses that were first registered in General Stud Book.

Betting on horse races is a crucial part of horse racing in the UK, especially at the biggest events on the horse racing calendar. The sport is so big in the UK that they have a national newspaper called the Racing Post that has been published each day since 1986.

United States

The United States also has a rich tradition of horse racing. First traces of any form of horse racing can be seen as early as 1655. Over the years, the sport grew so much in the United States that it is now the hose of more than 20 major race events on some incredible racetracks like the Churchill Downs, Belmont Park, and Arlington Park that are more than 100 years old.

Almost all horse races take place on flat terrain, where horses may race over 100 miles on “endurance racing” and “Quarter Horse racing” which are typically sprint races for horses.

The United States hosts a few of the biggest horse racing events in the world like the three races that make up what is known as the “Triple Crown” – Kentucky Derby, Belmont Stakes, and Preakness Stakes. You can bet on the best American races on TwinSpires horse racing betting site.

Australia

When it comes to horse racing in Australia, the scene looks very similar to the United Kingdom. In Australia, there are different types of horse racing such as flat and steeplechase racing. You can also find harness racing, which is similar to the roots of the sport similar to Roman chariot racing that doesn’t always involve thoroughbreds.

Horse racing is the third biggest sport in Australia behind football and rugby and there are more than 360 licensed racecourses across the country.

Australia also offers some incredible titles in the horse racing calendar, such as the Victoria Derby, Caulfield Cup, Melbourne Cup, and the Golden Slipper Stakes.

Japan

Japan is another big horse racing nation with more than 21,000 races taking place each year. Just like in the UK and Australia, Japan has flat and steeplechase racing, as well as “Ban’ei” racing where horses drag weighted sleds up and down ramps.

Horse racing is so big in this country that they decided to allow horse racing betting, even though most other types of gambling and betting are not permitted.

The horse racing season begins in February and runs to the end of the year and it features some incredible names in the horse racing calendar like the Nakayama Grand Jump or the Japan Cup which holds the second-largest prize purse of $5.9 million.