History of the Horse Race
The awe-inspiring sight of hundreds of horses galloping down the stretch of a horse race is an American tradition, and one that has drawn in millions of fans for centuries. The sport of horse racing has gone through many changes over time, including technological advancements and updates in racing regulations. Today, horse races draw large crowds and are a multi-billion dollar industry. The history of horse races began in ancient Greece, where both chariot and bareback (mounted) horse racing were part of the Olympic Games. From there, the sport spread to other parts of the world and developed into different styles.
The early races were match contests between two, or at most three, horses. Public pressure eventually led to standardized events that included larger fields of runners. Initially, the races were 4-mile (6.4-kilometer) heats, and winning required victory in two heats. In 1751, the length of a standard race was changed to 2 miles (3.2 kilometers). Then in the 1820s, dash racing began, wherein a horse only needed to win one of the heats to be declared a winner.
Breeding 1,000-pound thoroughbreds for spindly legs and massive torsos is a recipe for breakdowns. These horses don’t reach full maturity, or fuse their growth plates in the spinal column, until they are 6. And even at that age, if a horse is pushed past its limit — as many are in the lucrative, but often dangerous business of racing — it will break down.
And that’s a shame, not only because of the huge economic costs for the owners and gamblers but also because it deprives the public of the dazzling athleticism and beauty of this venerable sport. The number of horses who die during or after a race is unknown, but it is in the thousands. Eight Belles was a Kentucky Derby favorite and a promising young filly, but she died after the race because of the overwhelming stress of what she was made to do.
Unlike political polls, which focus on a couple of candidates jockeying for the lead to the detriment of primary contenders and third-party candidates, horse race journalism has long recognized that underdogs can and do win. That lesson should be applied to politics as well.
In this era of flashy, slick political polling that seems to dominate the news cycle, journalists must strive to provide complete context for readers and give them tools to make sense of complicated numbers. That means not only identifying the polls that matter, but explaining how those numbers came to be and what they mean for people. It’s a hard way to be in the business, but it is what makes horse race journalism still a valuable news source.
The awe-inspiring sight of hundreds of horses galloping down the stretch of a horse race is an American tradition, and one that has drawn in millions of fans for centuries. The sport of horse racing has gone through many changes over time, including technological advancements and updates in racing regulations. Today, horse races draw large crowds and are a multi-billion dollar industry. The history of horse races began in ancient Greece, where both chariot and bareback (mounted) horse racing were part of the Olympic Games. From there, the sport spread to other parts of the world and developed into different styles. The early races were match contests between two, or at most three, horses. Public pressure eventually led to standardized events that included larger fields of runners. Initially, the races were 4-mile (6.4-kilometer) heats, and winning required victory in two heats. In 1751, the length of a standard race was changed to 2 miles (3.2 kilometers). Then in the 1820s, dash racing began, wherein a horse only needed to win one of the heats to be declared a winner. Breeding 1,000-pound thoroughbreds for spindly legs and massive torsos is a recipe for breakdowns. These horses don’t reach full maturity, or fuse their growth plates in the spinal column, until they are 6. And even at that age, if a horse is pushed past its limit — as many are in the lucrative, but often dangerous business of racing — it will break down. And that’s a shame, not only because of the huge economic costs for the owners and gamblers but also because it deprives the public of the dazzling athleticism and beauty of this venerable sport. The number of horses who die during or after a race is unknown, but it is in the thousands. Eight Belles was a Kentucky Derby favorite and a promising young filly, but she died after the race because of the overwhelming stress of what she was made to do. Unlike political polls, which focus on a couple of candidates jockeying for the lead to the detriment of primary contenders and third-party candidates, horse race journalism has long recognized that underdogs can and do win. That lesson should be applied to politics as well. In this era of flashy, slick political polling that seems to dominate the news cycle, journalists must strive to provide complete context for readers and give them tools to make sense of complicated numbers. That means not only identifying the polls that matter, but explaining how those numbers came to be and what they mean for people. It’s a hard way to be in the business, but it is what makes horse race journalism still a valuable news source.