Australian horse racing is a major pastime throughout the continent and has been for years.  The first Australian horses actually arrived in 1788 in a place that would become Sydney, and it didn’t take long before purebred horses were making their way through the lines.  In fact, some of the breeding lines of many of these Arabian stallions which were brought to Australian are still in existence throughout the continent.  Many of their descendants race today, and some have been exported to the United States.

Horse racing in Australia is definitely a big part of the culture.  Jockeys are well respected and in fact two jockeys, Tot Flood and James Barden, were the first to create the riding style in Australia.  This style of horse riding is different form American riders.  Jockeys such as Edgar Britt and Roy Higgins are among the notable jockeys of Australia.

Women were actually not allowed to professionally race for a long time, and were barred from races until the mid 1900s. However this changed when Wilhemena Smith rode as Bill Smith in a Queensland course.  Finally in 1979, the first women were allowed to compete in races against men.
A lot of interesting language has come out of Australian horse racing.  It is not uncommon to hear terms like “big bickies”, meaning a large sum of money, or “foot on the till,” indicating that a horse has a high chance of success.  There are so many terms for races in Australia that a whole glossary has been made that is dedicated to this language.

A specific set of rules must be followed by jockeys who race in Australia, under the Australian Rules of Racing.  In addition to being a hugely popular sport upon which people place large bets, racing is also an industry in Australia.  In fact it has been calculated that more than 250,000 people are employed within the industry of Australian horse racing.  Indeed, this is no mere pastime any longer, but rather a full time endeavor into which a lot of money and talent and effort has been poured.

Throughout the entire continent, different rulesets are followed, but they generally all follow the same pattern. Western Australia, Queensland, and New South Wales all have independent race courses and individual rule styles but they remain generally the same.  Horse breeders are well respected in Australia and many of them are quite famous, having brought serious champions to the horse racing track through their lines of thoroughbreds.

Ultimately, horse racing in Australia is a rich and colorful pursuit which also provides a great deal of money for the entire land.  It is a fun and exciting sport, both for the bet placers and the riders and trainers of these beautiful and majestic horses.  Should you ever find yourself visiting Australia, be sure to take a look at some of the races going on, as you will be certain to see some of the world’s greatest horses doing what they do best: racing on the tracks of Australia.