The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-01-13
AMG0EMTS ENJOYED RAGING
SPORT OF KINGS HAS ALWAYS BEEN HELD IN HIGH FAVOR
MD THE GAME HAS INTERESTING HISTORY.

! Some indication of the extent to
which tho passion for horse racing
Was indnlgcd in ut Athens, for ex-
ample. about the time of Aristophancs
may be obtained from the scene with
which The Clouds opens; while it is
a significant fact hat the Boetoians
termed one of the months OF the year
corresponding to the Athenian Heca-
tombaeon. "Hippodromins' (horse-
race monthly
There can be no doubt that the
Romans encouraged the pursuit in
Britain, if they did not introduce it,;
traces of race courses belonging to the
period Of their occupation have been
frequently discovered. The influence
Of the Christian church was every
where" at first strongly against the
practice. The opinion of Augustine
and other fathers of the church with
regard to attendance at the spec
tacleS, whether of thcater or of cir
Gus. is well known; those who per-
! formed in them were rigidly excluded
from church fellowship, and some
times ever those who merely fire.
quented them.
Thus the first Council of Aries, in its
fourth canon. declared that those
members of the church who drove
chariots at the public games should.
so long as they continued in that IN
ployment. be denied communion.
In many cases. however, the weight
OF ecclesiastical authority proved in
sufficient to cope with the force of oil
custom, or with the fascination of "A
sport the unChristian character of
which was not very easily demons
traDle; n ultimately in Germany
n elsewhere the old local races APP
pear to have zen admitted to a recog-
niZed place among the ceremonies pc
cullar to certain Christian festivals.
The first distinct Indication which
contemporary history affords of horse
racing us a sport occurs in the DE
scription of the City of London" of
William Fitzstephcn C1174). He says
that in a certain plane field without
M OF the gates every Friday, unless
it be one of the more solemn festivals,
is a noted show of well-brcd horses
exposed for sale. The Earls, Baron.
and knights who are resident in the
city, as well as Il multitude of citizens
flock thither either to look on or buy
After describing the different yarie.
tie OF horses brought into the market
especially the more valuable charg.
ers, he says: When a racec is to be
run by such horses as there, and b,
others, perhaps, in like manner, &C.
cording to their breed are strong OF
carriage and vigorous for the course
eN ~ oao IL 6IlOIt, hUu OTOeI
the common horses to be withdraw
to another part of the field. The jock.
eys. who arc boys expert in the man.
agement of horses, which they regu.
late by means Of ~curb-bridles, some.
times by threes and sometimes b,
twos. as the match is made. prepare
themselves for the contest. Thcil
chief aim is to prevent a competitor
from getting before them.
THE horses. too. after their man.
ner. arc eager for the race; theil
limbs tremble. and impatient of della,
they cannot stand still: upon the sig.
nal being given they stretch out theil
limbs. hurry on the course and are
borne along with unremitting speed
The riders. inspired with the love o.
praise n the hope OF victory, claI
spurs to their flying horses. lashinf
them with whips and inclting them. hi
their shOuts.'
An evidence Of the growing .favo,
!, J in which horse racing was held as 4
. popular amusement. is furnished b,