Le Grand Steeple Chase de Dieppe de 1856. Franc Picard 1., Odiham 2., Hercules 3.

Title

Le Grand Steeple Chase de Dieppe de 1856. Franc Picard 1., Odiham 2., Hercules 3.

Description

Very decorative view of the horse race ‘La Grand Steeple Chase’. The French town of Dieppe adopted the trend from England of organising horse races. From 1852, the town had a racecourse. Since then, Dieppe has organised ‘steeple-chases’, an English term for steeplechases. Those who organised races were referred to as ‘sportsmen’. The term ‘sport’ was used in France to describe horse racing, as documented by the Littré dictionary in 1883. The race was first held on May 25, 1874 and was initially known as the Grand National de France. It was intended to be the French equivalent of the Grand National, a famous steeplechase in England. It was originally a handicap race open to horses aged four and over. The first race was run over 6,400 meters, and in the second year the distance was shortened to 6,000 meters. The race was given its current name, the Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris, in 1876 and the distance was extended to 6,500 meters in 1889. In 1890, the race was no longer run as a handicap, but a fixed “age weight” was introduced. After Louis Robert Heyrault.

c. 1857

Artist

John Harris after Louis Robert Heyrault

Historical Description

Horse racing is one of the oldest (organized) sports known to mankind. They are primarily used for breeding (horse breeding) and entertainment. Both the English thoroughbred and the trotter owe their breeding to the demands of the racecourse. The tough selection process there leads to performance characteristics that are also very welcome in the breeding of other horse breeds. Horse racing has a long history. They existed in various ancient cultures around the world. Archaeological research has found evidence of horse racing in ancient Greece, Babylonia, Syria and Egypt. Horse races, hippic agones, were held at various athletic games in ancient Greece. In the Roman Empire, horse racing was an important economic sector. The racing stables, the circus companies, also gained increasing political importance in the Roman Empire and in the later Eastern Roman Empire. After the partial collapse of the Eastern Roman Empire in the 7th century, chariot races were almost only held in the capital Constantinople (Byzantium, now Istanbul). n Norse mythology, horse races are described as the battle between Odin and the giant Hrungnir. They argue over which of them has the faster horse. The Arabs also raced their horses over long distances. Even today, Arabian horses are characterized by particularly good endurance and are very successful in endurance sports. In the Middle Ages, horse racing is mentioned under Henry II (1154-1170). The Palio di Siena has been held since 1633. In modern times, from the middle of the fifteenth century until 1882, the carnival in Rome ended with horse races. Fifteen to twenty riderless horses ran along the long, straight Via del Corso. In the 18th century, horse racing became increasingly popular among European aristocrats. The oldest horse race in England is the St. Leger Stakes, which has been held since 1776. With the development of horse racing, the breed of English thoroughbreds emerged.