A horse race is a contest of speed between horses that either are ridden by jockeys or pulled by sulkies and their drivers. The word is also used to refer to a competition among individuals or groups, particularly in an office or workplace environment. The need for precision that a horse race requires makes it an ideal analogy for business management, in which top executives are often pitted against each other in a race to see who can get the job done best. The practice, proponents say, is a testament to an organization’s commitment to developing its high performers through functional assignments and stretch opportunities, as well as a test of the strength of leadership development processes.
The greatest races have several things in common: a prestigious setting, the most storied and recognizable names in racing and, of course, the horses themselves. For a race to be called “great” it must be one that surpasses the expectations of spectators and fans, and transcends mere skill or luck in winning. Examples of this are Secretariat’s record-setting win in the Belmont Stakes, Arkle’s win in the Gold Cup or Sea Bird’s six-length routing of an international field at the 1965 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.
Despite the fact that most horse races are speculative and not based on actual gambling, betting continues to be a big draw for many fans. The thrill of seeing a well-bred and fast horse run and win, as well as the possibility of a large payday, attracts bettors to the track. And while most bettors don’t care who wins, there are those who connect with the characters of certain horses and cheer for them by name. One such horse was Seabiscuit, who captured the hearts of hard-core and casual horse racing fans alike.
While the thrill of a great horse race draws spectators to the track, the brutality and cruelty involved in the industry make it a focus of animal rights activists and other concerned citizens. Specifically, the unnatural training and confinement of these animals often results in physical and psychological suffering. During testimony before the New York State Senate, an equine veterinarian likened keeping a 1,000-pound horse in a 12-by-12-foot stall for 23 hours a day to locking up a child in a closet for the same amount of time. This suffering, argues the movement against horse racing, can manifest in repetitive, compulsive behavior such as cribbing (biting at the gate of its stall) or biting its own legs to create sores.
A study by Johanna Dunaway and Regina G. Lawrence found that news organizations whose ownership is tied to corporate interests are more likely to publish articles that frame elections as horse races, especially in close races and during the weeks leading up to Election Day. Such horse-race coverage may discourage voting by elevating the public’s cynicism about politics and government. As such, the study’s findings are a significant contribution to our understanding of how strategic news coverage influences voter turnout and perceptions of the democratic process.