JockeyClub

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.

Jockey Club - undated. BN Digital Collection

Image description: This is an old black-and-white photograph of a majestic building located on a corner. On the left side, we see a row of trees and a few people walking. On the corner, there are old cars parked. In the center, the main building has an ornate façade with elaborate architectural details, including columns and a large central arch. On the right, there is another building with a sloped roof. In the background, we see more buildings and a flag raised on the roof of the building on the right.

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, in the neighborhood of São Francisco Xavier, on the land where UERJ stands today, but it only operated for a few years. The Prado Fluminense started operating again in 1868, when the newly founded Jockey Club began occupying it, remaining 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 stands today.

Derby Club, next to the Jockey. BN Digital Collection.

Image description: This is a historic black-and-white photograph of a building with classical architecture. On the left side, we see an older structure with ornamental details. In the center, the main building has a rectangular facade with regularly spaced windows and a sloped roof covered with tiles. At the top, there is a small structure with a flag. On the right, we see another building with similar architectural elements. In the foreground, there are trees and a sidewalk with people walking.

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.

Both clubs also maintained, in addition to their 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 Edifício Linneu de Paula Machado, named after the first president following the merger (Almirante Barroso, 52).

The Jockey Club built a new headquarters downtown, designed by Lúcio Costa, in the 1950s, a building that occupies an entire block on Rua 1º de Março.

Image description: The image is a photograph of a modern building in a city. On the left side, we see a building with a classical façade, while in the center stands a large office building with many rectangular windows. On the right, there is another building with a façade similar to the one in the center. A clear blue sky is above the buildings.

The 1950s were the golden age of horse racing in the city. With the transfer of the capital to Brasília and a decree by President Jânio Quadros restricting horse-racing activities, the process of decline began in Rio.