A horse race is a competition in which horses are jockeyed by humans on a specially designed track and then ridden to the finish line. Betting on the outcome of a horse race is popular worldwide. People can bet on individual races, as well as accumulator bets that combine multiple bets on different events. In addition to the horse’s ability, other factors that can influence a race include its position relative to the inside barrier, sex, and training.
One of the earliest recorded accounts of horse racing dates back to the Greek Olympic Games in 700 to 40 B.C. There, riders participated in both four-hitched chariot and mounted bareback races. The sport soon spread to other countries, including China and Persia.
In the earliest horse races, match contests between two horses were common. However, pressure from the public led to standardized events with larger fields of runners. The earliest races were 4-mile (6.4-kilometer) heats in which a horse needed to win two of the heats to be declared the winner. As dash (one-heat) racing became the norm, a rider’s skill and judgment in coaxing an advantage from his mount quickly gained importance.
During the early days of modern horse racing, some horses were bred for speed while others were bred for stamina. This distinction resulted in the development of a variety of gaits, or running styles, used to propel the horses forward over the course of a race. The most common speed-oriented horse is a pacer, which moves with its front and back legs on the same side, similar to walking. Other common gaits include the trot, in which the horse’s front and back legs move alternately on each side of the body, and the gallop, in which both the front and back feet travel forward at the same time.
Some horse breeders and owners use drugs to improve their horses’ performance, especially in sprinting races. The practice of doping has caused controversy in horse racing, with many fans believing that it damages the health and welfare of the animals. In the United States, the Jockey Club has banned wagering on a race after a horse is doped, not because of concerns about damage to the animals but rather because it affects the profitability of the game.
In politics, a growing body of research suggests that when journalists focus too much on reporting on two candidates chasing each other in the polls, voters, third-party contenders, and journalism itself suffer. This practice is often called “horse race journalism.” Similarly, horse racing provides a valuable lesson about the value of paying attention to long shots in a race. This approach could serve reporters well as they cover the 2016 presidential election. Annie Aguiar is an audience engagement producer for Poynter. She previously worked as a state issues reporter for the Lansing State Journal and graduated from the University of Michigan. She has a degree in political science and public policy.