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Sports in the 1600s

Sports in the 1600s were often relegated to competitions of martial skill, and in many cases drew large crowds and were the source of other festivities. In some cases, competitors would travel long distances -- sometimes crossing through several countries -- to attend larger competitions, but often such events were so costly that only knights or nobility could afford entry. In general, the largest sporting events of the 1600s were horse racing, archery, jousts and fencing competitions.

Jousts
- Jousts were competitions fought from horseback, in which two knights with lances charged toward each other, each trying to unseat the other, and was in essence a simulation of battle. Many knights fought in a joust, and often the terms of the joust allowed the winners to collect the armor, horse and sometimes weapons of those they defeated -- which, in that time, were so expensive that they often equivocated to the value of a house today.
Archery
- Archers formed a large component of most armies during the Renaissance, and archery competitions were often held to test the skills of archers. Often, these competitions incorporated long distances, small targets and sometimes even moving targets. The oldest still-existing archery competition today -- the Ancient Scorton Arrow -- was actually founded in the 1600s, and it was during the 1600s that many surviving archery societies were founded to preserve the art.
Fencing
- Though swordplay competitions had been a factor throughout the world for centuries by the 1600s, fencing was the pinnacle of swordplay sports, and had its own codified set of rules and standards, and fencing academies were operating throughout Europe. Fencing competitions, like jousts, were divided into duels between two individuals, with victors pairing together until one competition winner could be decided.
Horse Racing
- Though horseback racing had been practiced since antiquity, the 17th century saw the rise of the beginnings of modern horse racing, at which time it came under the patronage of James I in England. Specific courses were build with horse races in mind, and the breeding and training of horses specifically for races also rose into popularity in this period, ultimately contributing to the creation of the Thoroughbred breed.

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