The races at Sportsman’s Hill began at dawn and were followed by an elaborate breakfast which was prepared in the yard of the house and served out of doors to all the guests. A tradition that continues today at the Kentucky Derby with “The . . . — — Map (db m105501) HM
The threat of an attack by a large Native American raiding party was a very real possibility in 1788 when William Whitley established a horse race track at Sportsman’s Hill. This threat continued for the next six years. By 1794, most attacks were by . . . — — Map (db m105504) HM
Disagreements in early Kentucky were not always settled by duels, but often, by a horse race, run in a straight course of about a quarter mile distance on the public roads. Quarter horses were specifically bred to run these straight-coursed races. . . . — — Map (db m105499) HM
Most American celebrations of the 18th and 19th centuries were centered about the agrarian cycle of planting and harvesting. Autumn, the harvest season, was the time for gathering of people to assist with the harvesting of crops and the trading of . . . — — Map (db m105500) HM
Before his death in 1813 at the Battle of the Thames, Whitley suspended the highly competitive racing at Sportsman’s Hill when he discovered evidence that a nail had been put in the hoof of his prized horse. However, evidence in family history and . . . — — Map (db m105502) HM
“The Sport of Kings”, or horse racing, has a long tradition within the culture of the British Crown dating back to 1174, when Henry II held the first recorded royal race at Smithfield. James I had a palace and track at Newmarket where he . . . — — Map (db m105503) HM