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Counter clockwise7/3/2023 ![]() ![]() Whitley established a tradition of counter-clockwise racing on oval tracks that influenced other sports such as car racing and track and field events. Horse racing continued on the Whitely property until the Civil War. ![]() Life was trying on the frontier, and having an outlet such as horse racing was excellent for the local population’s morale. Whitley provided a much-needed distraction for the locals. You can click this link for more information or schedule a visit to the William Whitley House State Historic Site. The house still stands and is open to the public in Stanford, Kentucky. Horses ran counterclockwise: This is the first horse track to run counterclockwise. ![]() Up until this time, all English horse racing tracks were grass. Clay track surface: Whitley’s track surface was clay.Whitelys’ disdain for the British was so strong that he wanted to incorporate some features to distinguish United States horse racing from the English tracks. Whitely’s track was the first one built in the United States after the revolution.ĭuring the period Whitely created the track, Thoroughbred horse racing was very popular in England. In 1787 he built a large brick home and added a horse racing track on the property the following year. Sometime during the 1780s, Whitley had returned to his home in Kentucky. Whitely and his family had to move around the countryside and seek shelter and protection at area forts. The land Whitley lived on in Kentucky was included in the English and Native American agreement.īy Theodore Webb – Library of Congress, Built-in 1787, it may have been the first brick house to be built in Kentucky, National Register of Historic Places. In 1773 the English entered a pact with the local Indians, promising the land west of the mountains would be reserved solely for their use. He married and eventually moved to Kentucky with his wife. Whitley was born in 1749 to Irish immigrants living in Virginia. But there are other theories why horses race counterclockwise in the United States.Ĭounter-clockwise horse racing in the United States can be traced to one person, William Whitley. So changing the running direction in the “sport of kings” made sense. During the American Revolution, patriot emotion was high, and colonists sought to separate themselves from all English traditions. Counter-clockwise horse racing began as a protest against English tradition.Ĭounter-clockwise horseracing in the U.S. American patriots didn’t want to continue following English traditions, horses run more naturally, traveling counter-clockwise, and ancient horse racing traditions. There are three primary theories why horses run counter-clockwise during a race. Did the United States turn back the clock to follow the forebearers of racing? Or were there other reasons that determined counter-clockwise racing? The reasons horse races run counter-clockwise.Īncient Greeks and Romans raced counter-clockwise, but in most of Europe, horses raced clockwise. But for those of us who enjoy horse racing history, counter-clockwise racing has an interesting backstory. The directions horses run in a race isn’t something that’s frequently thought about. Counter-clockwise running is also more natural for racehorses and is how the Greeks and Romans ran their horses at the advent of formal horse racing. Horses race counter-clockwise because American racehorse owners didn’t want to conform to Engish standards and its horse racing establishment. But, recently, I was stumped by an old man who asked me, “why do the horses run counter-clockwise?” I had no idea, so I decided to research this question. ![]() I have been going to horse racing tracks for a long time. Thanks in advance – I really appreciate it! Any links on this page that lead to products on Amazon are affiliate links and I earn a commission if you make a purchase. ![]()
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