ENGLISH TEXTS
the stands . Rugby , football , major aviation exhibitions , and foot races all took place there . In fact , in 1894 , the first French women ’ s cycling champion was crowned at Longchamp after a 100 km race . Later , velodromes emerged . While racecourses were often located outside cities , velodromes were built within urban centers , making them more accessible . “ But they followed the same model : they were multifunctional venues ,” says Tétart . They also retained the circular track design , often with the same starting and finishing points . The most striking example is the first athletics track of the Racing Club de France . “ It was a grass track , modeled after English designs , with small steeplechase-style barriers . Essentially , it was a miniature racecourse adapted for humans .” In general , track and field events adapted various distances and formats - including flat races , obstacle courses , cross-country , and endurance races -directly inspired by horse racing . The notable exception , according to Tétart , is the 100-meter sprint . “ The sprint is rooted more in a culture of explosiveness , which does not originate from horse racing but rather from industrial-era efficiency and productivity ideals .”
The Cultural Influence of Horse Racing During the interwar period , horse racing ’ s cultur- al and linguistic influence on sports became evident . The terminology from racecourses seeped into general sports vocabulary . In stadiums , people referred to pelousards ( spectators in the cheap standing area ) and tribunards ( those in the stands ). Ticket pricing in stadiums -pelouse ( grass area ), pesage ( weighing area ) and tribune ( grandstand ) -mirrored the social divisions found at racecourses . Even athletes ’ clothing bore resemblances to jockey attire . Early track athletes wore outfits reminiscent of jockeys ’ silks and caps . Numbered bibs soon followed . Similar attire appeared in croquet and cricket . The “ cap ,” awarded to athletes selected for national teams in some team sports , could be linked to the jockey ’ s toque . Furthermore , many sporting terms -such as colors , meetings , paddock , box , stable , starter , crack , favorite , length -originated from horse racing . Even the scoreboard , which first appeared in horse racing , became a standard feature in all sports . Motor racing , in particular , adopted much of the turf vocabulary . Historically , these interactions between horse racing and sport occurred continuously . “ There was no clear transition from an era dominated by horse racing to an era of human competition . Physical challenges predated turf , and from the late 19 th century , they took on ‘ sporting ’ characteristics ( with in- stitutions , rules , etc .), sometimes borrowing elements from racecourse culture . And the two have coexisted ever since ,” explains Tétart .
A Sport and a Social Stage What ultimately sets horse racing apart from other sports ? The breeding of horses for performance , undoubtedly . But according to Tétart , the racecourse was also the first sports venue where individuals could assert their social status — more so than in equestrian sports , which were less distinctive . “ The racecourse was a place of display , as seen during the Belle Époque , where famous couturiers and extravagant outfits could be spotted among the crowd . This was unique to racecourses .” Nonetheless , the racecourse was still a sports arena , subject to the same passionate excesses as any other . In 1906 , a miscommunication between officials at Longchamp led to a contested race result , sparking a fullscale riot . Enraged spectators destroyed betting booths , stormed the weighing area , and overwhelmed security forces . The central pavilion was set on fire , cashiers were chased down and robbed , and officials were threatened from the stands . Sometimes , the turf could resemble a football match turned violent between hooligans …
BACK TO THE ARTICLE �
161