Often tested
Horse racing, golf and tennis
Horse racing: the sport of kings and queens
Horse racing in Britain goes back a very long way: there is evidence of races as far back as Roman times, and the sport has always had close links with the Royal Family. There are racecourses all over the country, and four places are especially worth knowing:
- Royal Ascot, in Berkshire: racing over five days, with members of the Royal Family in the crowd. The racecourse was founded in 1711 by Queen Anne, about 10 km from Windsor Castle, and every June the spectators' hats and outfits get almost as much attention as the horses.
- The Grand National: run at Aintree, near Liverpool.
- The Scottish Grand National: run at Ayr, in Scotland.
- The National Horseracing Museum: in Newmarket, Suffolk.
Golf: Scotland's old game
The modern game of golf goes back to 15th-century Scotland. Today lots of people play it, for fun or as professionals, and you'll find golf courses, both public and private, everywhere in the UK. St Andrews, in Scotland, is called the home of golf.
In fact the word "golf" first appears in historical records in a ban. In 1457 King James II of Scotland banned golf and football, because people were playing them instead of practising archery.
The Open Championship is the only one of golf's four "Majors" held outside the United States, and a different course hosts it each year.
Tennis: the grass of Wimbledon
Tennis as we know it today took shape in England towards the end of the 19th century. The first tennis club was set up in Leamington Spa in 1872.
Britain's best-known tournament is The Wimbledon Championships, played every summer at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. No tennis tournament in the world is older, and of the four Grand Slam events, it is the only one played on grass.
The club's full name includes "croquet" because it started out as a croquet club. Tennis was added later, and the first Wimbledon Championships took place in 1877. Today a bowl of strawberries and cream is part of any trip to Wimbledon, and the players must follow a rule to dress almost entirely in white.
Quiz
Where is the Grand National horse race held?
All four options are well-known horse-racing places: Ascot is Royal Ascot, Ayr hosts the Scottish Grand National, and Newmarket has the National Horseracing Museum. The Grand National is run at Aintree, near Liverpool.
Quiz
Is the statement below TRUE or FALSE? Wimbledon, which is played on grass, is the world's oldest tennis tournament.
True. Wimbledon is the oldest tennis tournament, and the only Grand Slam played on grass. Don't confuse it with the first tennis club, which was set up in Leamington Spa in 1872.
Quiz
Royal Ascot is a five-day race meeting attended by members of the Royal Family. In which county does it take place?
Royal Ascot is in Berkshire, not far from Windsor Castle. Suffolk has Newmarket, home of the National Horseracing Museum; Merseyside has Aintree, near Liverpool, where the Grand National is run; and Ayrshire has Ayr, which hosts the Scottish Grand National.
Quiz
In 1872, the first tennis club was founded in which English town?
Leamington Spa. Wimbledon is the oldest tennis tournament, not the first club; St Andrews is the home of golf; and Newmarket is linked with horse racing.
Quiz
Which TWO of the following statements about golf are correct?
The modern game goes back to 15th-century Scotland, and St Andrews is known as the home of golf. The Open Championship moves to a different course each year rather than always being played at St Andrews, and it is the only one of the Majors held outside the United States, not one of several.