Friday, June 18, 2010

Horse Racing Venues - III


If not an entire postcard, the above is at least a half a postcard of Churchill Downs, home of the Kentucky Derby, and among the most famous horse racing tracks in the US, if not the entire horse racing world.  It is also known for being the first race course to host a Rolling Stones concert in 2006.

This short series on race tracks led me to wonder about horse racing elsewhere in the world.  Turns out thoroughbred breeding started in England, and expanded to France, the US, Argentina, and much later, Japan.   There are race tracks (frequently called "hippodromos" in non-English speaking countries) in at least 44 countries.  (For a complete list, see here.)  Given the specialist postcard collections I've stumbled across, I don't doubt that somewhere there is a deltiologist specializing in race courses worldwide.

P.S.  It's Postcard Friendship Friday.  The big question is, how did we get to another Friday so fast?







7 comments:

  1. Again a fascinating bit of history. I've never been on a horse race track, but loved to read this. Happy PFF.

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  2. Love the contrast of the horses peacefully grazing and the full noisy racetrack.
    When I have been taken to the races a stripe across a jockey's silks (possibly yellow:-)) is one of the sophisticated factors I use in my betting. Yes, I know nothing about horse racing.

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  3. I have never been to a race track, but I have some postcards of race tracks.

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  4. Very Nice card! I love the split view.

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  5. Fun card and I often wonder how we get to Friday so fast! :D :D Happy PFF!

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  6. The yellow band is like a winner's ribbon across the card! Lovely postcard and interesting information!

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  7. i hear you when you say that week went fast! funnily enough, my partner just returned from a trip to kentucky where she visited the horse park!

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