The first races were established towards the end of the twelfth century, with horses imported from the East. It was these horses, after careful selection, that gave birth to the breed of English purebreds. Towards the end of the eighteenth century, the first obstacle races and gallops were imported to the continent, with all their components, including bookmakers, betting.
There was no English citizen who had not become passionate about this sport. Thus the first Racecourses were built, York, New Caster, Liverpool, New Market. The latter was the scene of the most exciting races, with the largest bets. It should be remembered that a winning horse in 1775 won something like 300 thousand lire.
By 1773, 19 races with prizes of over 100 guineas were already established in England. The phenomenon of trotting raced from that period, then began to spread insistently in Ireland as well.
The merit of having established the first races in Italy belongs to a Piedmontese company that began operating between 1844 and 1846. In Milan, the first impact with racing took place in 1872 at the Arena. In Senago, in 1857, the Lombard club announced gallop races. The Piedmontese club directs its objectives towards Alessandria, Asti, Olbia, Vercelli. Meanwhile, new companies are also springing up in other parts of Italy.
In 1852 in Pisa and then in Naples. In the absence of real sports clubs, horse races in this period are organized by private groups. Finally, however, the “National Society” was born, which in 1862, obtained from the government by decree of the Minister, an aid of 50,000 lire. From this society the National Horse Racing Association was born, which then quickly dissolved. In 1871 a group of lords of the Lombard aristocracy founded the new Lombard society, establishing the “Varese Horse Racing Society”.
In 1881 with the birth of the Italian Jockey Club, all these societies were absorbed into a single body for the organization of horse races.
In 1776 the first races took place in the plain of Leblans, and then emigrated for a time to Vincennes near Paris.
Famous were the races held in 1872 in Fontainebleu, in which the horses of the highest French society took part; fabulous prizes, if compared to those times; Some texts of the time tell that never before was such luxury seen in that period. But the official institution of racing in France belongs to Napoleon. Between one battle and another, the brilliant leader gathered his garrisons by organizing horse races.
In 1805 he officially announced them in France. After London, Paris became the hub of international horse racing, strengthened more and more by the years that followed.
THE FOUNDERS OF THE COMPANIES
Alfonso Bellettini
Antonio Capri
Leopoldo Vaccari
Giuseppe Zoboli
On Saturday 8 November 2025, the Modenese Society for Exhibitions, Fairs and Horse Racing Srl presented a preview of Navionix, a very innovative tracking system for racehorses that brings Modena to occupy a place at the forefront of technology in Europe.
Great success at the Hippodrome: “Cooks with heart” conquers the public and solidarity Modena – An evening to remember, between the scents of haute cuisine and an embrace of solidarity.
The racecourse is pleased to introduce a new and exclusive service that will further enrich the experience of our visitors. In the grandstand area, private lounges with table service will be available, with compulsory consumption, offering an elegant and comfortable environment for those who want to enjoy the races in a more private and high-class context.
The Glorious Modenese Society for Horse Exhibitions, Fairs and Races was founded in February 1875. Even before its birth and consequently of the new racecourse, from 1856 to 1867 the annual races in Modena were held on the city walls, then from 1868 in the lawn of maneuvers. The four Modenese horse lovers, who founded the Modenese, answered to the names of Alfonso Bellettini, Antonio Capri, Leopoldo Vaccari, Giuseppe Zoboli.
Already a year after the establishment of the association, in 1876, the first trotting racing meeting was held in Modena in the Hippodrome and the first Horse Fair. In 1880, the Fiere e Corse company, directed by its first president Prof. Giuseppe Tampellini, raised its banner with a yellow and blue ribbon, the colors of Modena. The nobility of the city participated intensively in these horse races. Already in 1893 the Pariglie race was held for the first time: Olrack and Grecuzzo won. In 1889 the Totalizer came into operation, a bet was made for 2,200 lire, there was a lot of enthusiasm alongside the races, in the stables of the Foro Boario, numerous beautiful subjects were exhibited, which aroused the interest of the entire population.
In 1915, the Municipal Administration, thanks to the interest of Pier Luigi San Donnino, allocated 52,000 lire to widen the track, and build permanent grandstands. The inauguration was enthusiastically attended by the Princes of Savoy and other highest authorities. To allow the smooth running of the races, six stages were placed around the track (200 meters from each other) in time, in each of which there were 2 judges who noted the breakage of the horses. The President of Modense, Cav. Tito Giovanardi, later managed to bring the European Championship to Modena. In 1925 the company celebrated 50 years of racing under the high patronage of Benito Mussolini.
The greatest attraction was the International Modena GP of 120,000 lire. Thanks also to the names of Ettore Barbetta and Nello Branchini, the name of Modena rose to the forefront of the national trot, in 1931 Dr. Cacciari won the G.P. Allevamento with Etrusco, owned by Count Orsi Mangelli, while Nello Branchini with Jassemine won the G.P. Internazionale Ghirlanda.
From the first modest demonstrations of 1876 admirable affirmations had been achieved. From 3,000 lire to 160,000 lire in prizes of those years. The Modenese Society for Horse Exhibitions, Fairs and Races carved its name in history as that glorious body to which a significant part of the Modena events of this century is linked.
One hundred years of events at the old racecourse.
The passion for horses, a flower of encounters and friendships have made the Foro Boario a place dear to the memory of the people of Modena.
Now we go to another location, with a bit of nostalgia.
(article by Mario Morselli, written on the occasion of the Centenary – 1974)
It is true that social or political conditions change, but certain fundamental values in human life remain unchanged. And this applies, above all, to city events that express popular consensus. In this place we must consider the trotting races that have changed very little from their original imprint. In fact, they express not only interest in an activity that in all its structures has preserved its forms and relationships intact, but also solid guarantees of protection for trotters’ farms, as well as economic and tourist values.
In this historical-philosophical analysis, the Hippodrome of Modena with its 100 years, finds its best verification, we know of its somewhat troubled origins, in 1872. In Modena it was decided to build the Hippodrome two years after the proclamation of Rome as the Capital, for the people of Modena this was also a historic fact, decided with an act of liberality that still makes us meditate today. The hippodrome was located between two buildings of the Este period: the citadel erected in 1635 by decision of Francis I and the Forum Boarium wanted by Francis IV, begun on a project by Vandelli in 1834 and completed five years later. The mention of the Forum Boarium is not accidental because it is linked to the origins of the “Fair” of cattle and horses. The hundred years of history of the racecourse have therefore been directly guaranteed by a perfect partnership between the Horse Racing Society (later the Modenese Society for Exhibitions, Fairs and Horse Races), the Municipality and the Military Authority. The project of Ing. Luigi Gandini and Dr. Luigi Gregori involved a preventive expense of 20,000 lire which, upon completion of the work (evidently even then there was a certain devaluation), became 60,000 lire.
The elliptical stake, with two parallel bars joined at the ends of the semicircles, is 815.95 meters. The first races took place on 19 and 20 May 1872. With the exception of 1945, that is, the year of the most intense and dramatic war activity of the Second World War, the races had a regular continuity even if in 1912, due to adverse weather conditions (fatally the whims of April often spilled over into the races), they took place in October. On the sandy ring of the Forum Boarium were famous protagonists Vandalus, the Russian horse Zeitoff.
The Modena meeting, established over three days with the holding of the Ghirlandina International Prize, has a priority: it is the only one to hold the races on Monday and it is “the Monday of the Ghirlandina” to attract managers and the public from all over Italy for the closure of the other racecourses. Famous in the 20s the horses Billy Bunker and Princes Moko made the duels engaged by the city drivers Barbetta-Bianchini, to which Carlo Cacciari was later added. His first victory on his home track was in 1919 with Tolmino. The names of Etrusco, Loredana and Dano are the winners of the Breeding Award. It is certain that Cacciari’s fame was consecrated in the Ghirlanda of ’48 when the sulky of Tais Toi imposed itself on the great Mystery in record time. Carlo Cacciari and his 1000 victories remain an indelible testimony demonstrating the level reached by the Modena teams and the class of their drivers.
The racecourse later took on the appearance of a permanent facility, allowing the stable presence, throughout the year, of horses in training. The rooms below the stands were reserved for the “game”, then completed with the construction of other counters, joining the two buildings with a single canopy.
Parallel to the races, again on the initiative of the Modense Society, the National Equestrian Competitions were held and we still seem to see Mr. Renzo Ghittoni, secretary of the Society, in his place as director, he who in terms of organizing races had rare skills, knowledge and experience.
During the Second World War, the air raids on Bologna recommended the transfer of conferences to Modena, which had 23 days from December 1943 to 30 April 1944. This intense activity continued even after the first air raid on Modena in February 1944. The grandstands of the racecourse as well as other facilities in the area were destroyed (it is estimated that over 100 high-explosive bombs were dropped on this area). The stables also suffered the same fate and some foals were victims of the fury of war.
As we have already mentioned, the Hippodrome of Piazza D’armi was a center for the breeding and training of the trotting horse and it is enough to mention that Modena had famous stables such as that of Baron Ruggero, Vaccari, Gustavo Modena, Baron Franchetti, the Boni brothers, Lady Hambletonia, Giuseppe Branchini, then his son Nello and Fausto, Cav. Barbetta, of Piccinini, of Dr. Cacciari.
With the strengthening of the activities of the great racecourses, even that of Modena, due to the faith in the trot of its passionate managers, adapted to the new commitments with the increase in equipment and with the presence of the great indigenous and foreign champions. Certainly the two famous Italian trotters, the legendary Tornese and Crevalcore, the fabulous Gallinotte, the great Americans, up to the reigning Italian champion: Carosio, to name a few of the great protagonists in Piazza d’Armi, confirmed that Modena could retain its prestige as an important center for Italian horse racing. And there was no shortage of authoritative awards.
