The Jersey Act was a 1913 regulation by the British Jockey Club and the owners of the General Stud Book that prevented most American-bred Thoroughbred horses from registering with them. It was intended to halt the increasing importation of racehorses of possibly impure bloodlines after a series of bans on gambling by US states, including gambling on horse races. The loss of breeding records during the American Civil War and the late beginning of the registration of American Thoroughbreds led many in the British racing establishment to doubt that the American-bred horses were purebred. The Act prohibited the registration of horses unless all of their Thoroughbred ancestors had been registered. Despite protests from American breeders the regulation was in force until 1949. By then, ineligible horses were increasingly successful in races in Europe, British and Irish breeders had lost access to French Thoroughbreds during and after the Second World War, and any impure ancestors of the American bloodlines had receded far back in most horses' ancestry.

Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jersey_Act

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1797:

French Revolutionary Wars: A naval battle off the coast of Brittany between two British frigates and a French ship of the line ended with over 900 deaths when the latter ran aground. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Action_of_13_January_1797

1910:

The first public radio broadcast, a live performance of Cavalleria rusticana from the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City, was sent over the airwaves. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birth_of_public_radio_broadcasting

1915:

About 30,000 people in Avezzano, Italy—96% of its population—were killed when an earthquake struck the region. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1915_Avezzano_earthquake

1968:

American singer Johnny Cash recorded his landmark album At Folsom Prison live at the Folsom State Prison in California. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/At_Folsom_Prison

2000:

Steve Ballmer replaced Bill Gates as Chief Executive Officer of Microsoft. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Ballmer

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

Hilary term: 1. The second term of the legal year, running from January to March or April, during which the upper courts of England and Wales, and Ireland, sit to hear cases. 2. The second academic term of the universities of Oxford and Dublin, running from January to March. The term was modelled after the legal term, but does not begin and end on the same dates. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Hilary_term

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

RELIGION IS DOING; a man does not merely think his religion or feel it, he lives his religion as much as he is able, otherwise it is not religion but fantasy or philosophy. Whether he likes it or not he shows his attitude towards religion by his actions and he can show his attitude only by his actions.   --G. I. Gurdjieff https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/G._I._Gurdjieff