Horse races are contests of speed between horses, typically ridden by jockeys or drawn by drivers and pulled sulkies pulled by drivers. Archeological evidence has confirmed its long and distinguished history dating back to ancient civilizations as far as 700 BC. Horse racing remains one of the world’s most beloved spectator sports today with races held nearly daily worldwide betting markets that attract vast audiences; notable races such as Triple Crown attract large audiences while lesser-known races can provide some excellent prize pools as well.
In 1665, America witnessed its inaugural horse race; almost 200 years before the Founding Fathers wrote the Constitution. A British colonial governor named Richard Nicholls laid out an oval track on what is now Long Island New York known as Newmarket after an iconic racecourse in Suffolk County England and offered silver cups to winners of each of three races that season. These early races would likely look familiar to today’s racing enthusiasts: horses raced ‘weight for age,’ fillies got allowances and winners carried more weight than non-winners.
As the sport became more professionalized, regulations were developed to govern it and make it fair for all competitors, including rules regarding breeding and eligibility requirements for races. A thoroughbred that wasn’t sire or broodmare could still compete as long as its trainer met these criteria; alternatively a breeder or owner could purchase one and use her to produce foals who qualified for open events.
Thoroughbred horses originally designed for speed were short-raced and built for speed; as the sport evolved in the 1800’s, longer distances and stamina became increasingly important. Sprinters became dominant breeds; races would feature them at various lengths – sometimes pitting one man against another or even pitting a woman against her own horse!
As a result, there are now various types of horse races. In Europe for instance, jumpers usually begin as juveniles in flat races before progressing onto hurdling and steeplechasing if judged capable.
Denise Ordway of Journalist’s Resource has conducted numerous studies that evaluate what happens when journalists cover elections primarily by reporting on winners and losers instead of policy issues – commonly known as horse race coverage. According to this research, voters, candidates, and the news industry all suffer as a result. This collection of research, put together by Ordway as part of her Journalist’s Resource column examines multiple studies related to horse race coverage as compared with reporting on stakes involved.