HISTORY OF HORSE-RACING. 



HORSES OF ANCIENT BRITAIN. 



Before the time of Julius Caesar, the inhabitants of these 

 islands certainly had horses which served as beasts of burden 

 and also drew them in their chariots ; but history does not 

 furnish us with any account of them in these early years. We 

 are informed by the Venerable Bede that the English began to 

 saddle their horses about the year 631, and he has remarked 

 that at this period the people of rank first distinguished them- 

 selves by appearing frequently on horseback. "Whyte says on 

 this subject, * However this may be, we find on Caesar's in- 

 vasion of Great Britain that the landing of the Roman troops 

 (B.C. 55) was opposed by bodies of horsemen, besides chariots 

 and infantry ; and as the fact is well established by the testi- 

 mony of many Roman historians, we are inclined to take it in 

 preference to what is advanced by Bede, who assigns the year 

 631, in the reign of Edwin the Great, as the earliest period at 

 which the English used saddle-horses. 



In the reign of Athelstane horses were held in high esti- 

 mation, and those bred in England were supposed to be so 

 much superior to those of other countries, that a law was made 

 to prohibit their exportation. It is remarkable also that in 

 this reign horses were imported into England from the Conti- 

 nent. 



Whyte says, 'The earliest mention of racehorses or, as 

 they were called in those days, running-horses, in our national 

 annals, are those of the ninth century (' Malms, de Gest. Reg. 

 Angl.' lib. ii. cap. vi.), sent by Hugh, founder of the Royal 

 House of Capet, in France, as a present to King Athelstane, 

 whose sister, Ethelswitha, he was soliciting in marriage. 



When William the Norman conquered this country the 

 breed of horses was considerably improved. Many were 

 brought from Normandy and other countries. Roger de 

 Belesme, Earl of Shrewsbury, in particular, rendered this nation 

 essential services by introducing the stallions of Spain into his 



