Race-Track / Hippodrome d'Enghien-Soisy, Ile de France.

http://www.soisy-sous-montmorency.fr/Histoire-de-l-hippodrome.html

HISTORY

1836
CREATION OF THE FIRST OFFICIAL TROTTING RACES IN FRANCE
It was at the initiative of an officer of the National Stud, Ephrem Houël (1807-1885), and with the help of the Municipality of Cherbourg, that the first trotting races are organized. In 1836, asked by the town council of Cherbourg, Ephrem Houël proposes to organize on the beach, from the terrace of the baths to the redoubt of Tourlaville, horse races of country to which it imposes the pace of the trot to give the spectacle of a group competition avoiding the dispersion at a gallop of a heterogeneous and stretched peloton. On the 25th and 26th of September, 1836, the municipality of Cherbourg is the first to offer this horse-riding entertainment immediately attracting a huge crowd of the city and the neighboring countryside. It consolidates this experience in July and August 1837 and renews it every year.

The success of these events will lead cities such as Caen, Dieppe (1837), Saint-Lo, Angers, Boulogne-sur-Mer (1838), Langonnet (1839) and many others to pursue the initiative.

1842
26 TROTTING RACES ARE CONTESTED IN FRANCE
1852
100,000 FRANCS OF ALLOWANCES DISTRIBUTED
These prizes are shared by three hundred laureates out of forty-five different racetracks.

1857
CREATION OF THE SOCIÉTÉ GÉNÉRALE DES COURSES DE NORMANDIE
Its main objective is to discover the trotting races outside the lower Normandy departments, especially in Paris.

1864

CREATION OF THE ENCOURAGEMENT SOCIETY FOR THE IMPROVEMENT OF THE FRENCH HORSE OF HALF-BLOOD
Ancestor of the Society of the French Horse, this Society is founded in Caen, on October 21st. The headquarters will then be transferred to Paris.

1867
FIRST TROTTING NEWSLETTERS RELEASED
True journal of trotting, it continues to appear today every week.

1873
100,000 PEOPLE IN VINCENNES.
If we already ran at Vincennes (in the Park of the Castle) a century earlier, the racecourse was inaugurated on March 23 at the current site, which was that of the Imperial Farm. Three obstacle races are on the program. The crowd is at the rendezvous, with 100,000 spectators

1879
FIRST RACES AT TROT IN VINCENNES.
The Society of Encouragement for the Improvement of the Half-Blood Horse, recognized in 1866 by ministerial decree, obtains the concession of the racecourse from the City of Paris. On September 7th, six races are on the bill. Of the four trotting races, three compete under the saddle and one on the harness. The first two places in this Grand International come back to two Russian trotters. The track has a circumference of 2,000 meters. The stands are made of wood. It was not until 1934 that the racecourse was exclusively devoted to trotters.

Historical Image 1906
1906
CREATION OF THE FIRST WINTER MEETING AT VINCENNES.
On the initiative of Philippe du Rozier and with the aim of increasing the number of trotting meetings, the Company creates a winter meeting. Six additional meetings are organized between 20 November and 15 February. In 1910, thanks to this winter program, Vincennes proposes 38 meetings in the year. This figure increases to 68 days in 1925.

1920
FIRST PRIZE OF AMERICA
A year after its reopening, following the First World War, is held on February 1, the first edition of the Grand Prix of America, gathering 14 starters. The event, so named in tribute to the allies, has 20,000 francs. It unites only French trotters, although open to foreign horses and is won by the aptly named Pro Patria , who reoffends the following year.

1940/1945
EVERYTHING STOPS ALMOST
The number of trotters, who run in the year, falls to 715 (they are 2.307 in 1939). It will be necessary to wait until 1947, to find the figures of pre-war and 1977 to see this number to cross the bar of 10.000.

1952
FIRST NIGHT IN VINCENNES
More than 3,000 starters are registered at Vincennes, at the beginning of this post-war decade. To cope with this increase in demand, the racecourse creates first nocturnal meetings in June. On the 20th, six races are scheduled, played on a small track of 1,260 meters in circumference and 20 meters wide, designed for this purpose, around the enclosure of the lawn. New stables are also built.

Historical Image 1981
nineteen eighty one
A TROTTER PASSES UNDER THE 1'15 '' IN PARIS-VINCENNES
In the Prix de France 1981, the big event of the winter meeting and the traditional revenge of the Prix d'Amérique, the American Classical Way wins and creates the sensation by recording a time of 1'14''2 over the distance of 2,100 meters, with departure to the autostart. He is the first trotter to achieve a mileage reduction of less than 1'15 '' per kilometer in Paris-Vincennes.

1983
INAUGURATION OF NEW STANDS
On January 11, 1983, eight years after renewing its concession with the City of Paris for a lease of fifty years and after several years of work (which did not prevent the organization of the races), the Society of Encouragement of the Horse French, then presided over by Albert Viel, inaugurates his new installations. Tribunals 206 meters long and 65 meters wide were built, the hall was enlarged, for a total amount of work of 8 billion francs. Two years later, is installed a giant screen of 100 m2, world first.

1989
A FIRST PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC IN VINCENNES
For the first time since the creation of the racecourse, a President of the Republic attends the Grand Prix of America, having gathered 33 000 spectators. François Mitterrand presented the winner's cup to Roger Baudron who just led the mare Queila Gédé to success, while the great favorite Ourasi was happy with 3rd place.

Historical Image
1993
THE GREAT TRACK OF VINCENNES MADE ITS REVOLUTION.
After several years of work, the Grande-Piste Paris-Vincennes is operational. Its turns have been redrawn and raised about 6% (especially that of the plain, after the stands), its descending and rising parts attenuated. The tour of the Great Track is 1,975 meters. The mileage reductions will improve by one second.

2006
THE 1'10 '' WALL IS CROSSED
For the first time, a trotter descends under 1'10 '' per kilometer at Paris-Vincennes. The feat is part of the Prix de France - like Classical Way 25 years ago. It is Kool du Caux who is the author by signing 1'09''8. His dolphin, Kesaco Phédo, realizes, for his part, 1'09''9.

2013
THE FLAGSHIP OF LETROT
With 155 meetings, including sixty nocturnals played every Tuesday and Friday, Vincennes is the flagship of the Trot discipline. His showcase of excellence. The stands, the large hall (3,000 m2), the stables (170 boxes), the panoramic restaurants (100,000 seats are served each year, which makes Vincennes the most "run" restaurant in the capital) have been modernized . To live the races from the inside, a giant screen of 160 m2 offers an ideal visibility of everything that happens on the racecourse, before, during and after the races. 1,250 events are scheduled for a total annual budget of more than 70 million euros, including 20 Group I races, culminating in the Prix d'Amérique Opodo and its one million euro envelope. No trotting racetrack in the world offers such a spectacle and distributes so much wealth.

Information referenced directly from thier official site, for more information vist: hippodrome-enghien

En train - SNCF Transilien Gare du Nord, Ligne H
Station Champ de courses d’Enghien
Bus 112 - Ligne 10, 12, 14
Station Champ de courses d’Enghien
En voiture - Autoroute A15, direction Cergy Pontoise
Sortie 3, D170 Montmorency
Parking 1500 places
2€ la place

Hope you liked the post. I took the photos ages ago and i am glad to put them to good use. I decided to include some history of the race-track and linking details. me = @realmonteagudo