HORSE RACING AT SMITHFIELD 113 



who in the reign of Henry II. was secretary to 

 the famous Archbishop a Becket, refers in- 

 cidentally to some rather primitive horse races 

 which took place at Smithfield towards the end 

 of the twelfth century, and in doing so he quaintly 

 tells us that "the jockeys, inspired with thoughts 

 of applause, and in the hope of victory, clap spurs 

 to the willing horses, brandish their whips, and 

 cheer them with their cries ! " 



Reference is made to these races in several 

 other of the early documents, and though they 

 are among the first horse races of which descrip- 

 tions have been handed down to us, it seems 

 clear that they attracted a great concourse of 

 spectators and gave rise to much reckless wager- 

 ing. That the animals entered were all practically 

 untrained is made apparent. 



King Richard I. is said to have been a good 

 judge of a horse and to have owned a number 

 of swift-running steeds. Upon one or two occa- 

 sions he endeavoured to establish horse racing 

 as a national pastime, but the country was not 

 yet ripe for it, and his attempts met with but scant 

 encouragement. 



It is said that his courtiers strove to serve their 

 royal master by having recourse to threats in 

 those districts where the introduction of horse 

 racing was opposed, but all to no purpose. 



King John, upon ascending the throne, devoted 

 much time to hunting and similar sports, and 



