"H" is for Horse Racing

"H" is for Horse racing. “The Sport of Kings” emerged in South Carolina within a few decades of settlement. Before 1754, most horses were descended from stock brought to Florida by the Spanish and known as the Chicasaw breed. Horsemen later imported fine stallions and mares from England and Virginia. In Charleston races at the Washington Course coincided with a gala social season. Inland, the elegant setting and refined audience attending the racing scene at Pinewood claimed to rival that of British courses. The Civil War ended horse racing in South Carolina. However, at the turn of the twentieth century the sport was revived in Camden and Aiken. The Carolina Cup, the Colonial Cup, the Aiken Triple Crown, and the Elloree Trials are evidence that horse racing is alive and well in South Carolina.