JockeyClub

Image description: This is an old photograph of a stadium. On the left, we see empty wooden benches, with a few people seated in the front rows. In the center, a man is sitting on a bench closer to the camera, looking forward. On the right, there are more benches and a staircase leading down to ground level. In the background, we see a structure with columns and a curved roof. Further back, there is a mountain covered in mist. The image is in black and white.

The Jockey Club experienced moments of glory throughout its 150 years. Of the 6 racetracks that once existed in the city, it was the only one that withstood the decline of horse racing starting in the 1960s.

Image description: This is an old black-and-white photograph. The image shows a racetrack with horses in motion. On the left, there is a white tent. Along the right side, there is a rope fence attached to posts. In the background, there is a line of trees and a hill. At the bottom of the image, it reads "DERBY-CLUB - Corrida inaugural em 2 Agosto de 1885".

The history of the Jockey Club begins with the occupation of the Prado Fluminense, built by the pioneering Clube das Corridas in 1850. The Clube das Corridas was the city's first turf society, located in the São Francisco Xavier neighborhood, on the land where UERJ now stands, but it operated for only a few years. The Prado Fluminense came back into operation in 1868, when the newly founded Jockey Club began occupying it and remained there until the construction of its new racetrack in Gávea (1926). For many years, the Jockey Club had as its neighbor the rival Derby Club (1884), which was located where the Maracanã stadium now stands.

Image description: The image is an old engraving of a map. The spatial layout begins on the left, where we see the "Derby Club" surrounded by streets and neighborhoods such as "Villa Isabel" and "Francisco Xavier." In the center, there is a highlighted area with the "Jockey Club" surrounded by streets such as "Leopoldina" and "Petrópolis." On the right, we find "Rocha" and "São Cristóvão." The colors are predominantly yellow and green, with black lines marking the streets and areas.

The Jockey Club was run by the city's traditional agricultural elite, while the Derby Club was frequented by the emerging urban bourgeoisie: professionals, industrialists, and merchants of the city. The Derby had more affordable entrance prices and more betting opportunities, and it soon became the favorite of a broad segment of the population. Although competition between the two was quite fierce, from the opening of the Hipódromo da Gávea onward, the two clubs decided to share the schedule and held races on alternating dates. After some years of disputes and conflicts, they decided to merge the two societies, thus founding the Jockey Club Brasileiro in 1932, and the following year they held the 1st Grande Prêmio Brasil.

Image description: The image is a historical black-and-white photograph of a grand building, identified as the headquarters of the Jockey Club and Derby Club. On the left side, we see a structure with classical architecture, notable for its central dome and ornamental details. On the right, there is a simpler structure with columns and evenly spaced windows. In the foreground, trees and vintage cars are arranged in front of the building.

Both clubs also maintained, in addition to the racetracks, headquarters buildings that were part of the first generation of the renowned Avenida Central, now Rio Branco, which were demolished to make way for the Linneo de Paula Machado Building, named after the first president after the merger (Almte Barroso 52).

Image description: The image is a black-and-white engraving. At the center is a horse's head, with details such as the eye, nose, and ears clearly defined. Around the horse's head is a ribbon bow that curves in the shape of an "8." Below the horse is a banner with the text "DERBY CLUB" written in capital letters. The spatial arrangement is asymmetrical, with the horse centered and the banner beneath it.

The Jockey Club built a new headquarters downtown, designed by Lucio Costa in the 1950s, a building that occupies an entire block on Rua 1o de Março. That period was the heyday of horse racing in the city. But with the transfer of the capital to Brasília and a decree by President Jânio Quadros restricting turf activities, the process of decline began in Rio.