Our visit to the home of Harness Racing

Circus Maximus located in Rome, Italy was the greatest and largest stadium in mankind history. The arena had a capacity for more than 250,000 people with a 1600m track ( 2 x 700m straights and 2 x 100m bends). The average race was about 11 kms or seven laps.

The early records of of harness racing date back to the Assyrian (modern-day Iraq) kings of 1500 BC, who maintained elaborate stables, and professional trainers for horses. However, Chariot racing came into great prominence as a sport after its transfer to Rome in the 6th centrury BC.

Horses became part of the Olympic Games in 684 BC, when four-horse chariot races were held in the hippodrome at Olympia. The winner of a four-horse chariot race was awarded 140 ceramic pots full of olive oil, a particularly extravagant prize..

In the reign of Augustus (27 BC–AD 14), there were 12 races a day; by Flavius’ reign (AD 69–96), the number rose to 100, from daybreak until sundown, The sport had professional racing officials, starting chutes, disputes at law, accusations of doping horses, widespread gambling (spectators wore their favourite company’s colour), and riots.

Chariot racing ended with the fall of Rome in the 4th century; modern harness racing did not begin to evolve until early in the 19th century. Chariots were very light, probably made of leather, so they could go as fast as possible. It would have been like driving a basket on wheels.

Chariot racing was the most popular spectator sport in ancient Rome, even more popular than the gladiators combats. Scorpus was the most famous winner of all, with more than 2,000 race victories.