Horse racing is one of the world’s oldest sports, yet its basic concept has changed very little over time. It has evolved from a primitive contest of speed or stamina between two horses to a multi-million dollar public-entertainment business, but the underlying principle remains the same: the horse that crosses the finish line first is the winner. Along the way, horse races have become more complex and involved with specialized electronic monitoring equipment, enormous fields of runners and even higher stakes, but they continue to be fundamentally the same sport.
During the seventeenth century, race betting became increasingly popular in England and France, and rules were established to regulate the sport. A system of standardized weights was instituted, and horses were assigned a weight based on their ability, with allowances for age, sex, jockey, training, and more. This system was the foundation of modern thoroughbred racing.
The first organized horse races in America took place in 1664, during the British occupation of New Amsterdam (now New York City). Colonel Richard Nicolls laid out a 2-mile course and began awarding silver cups to winners. Until the Civil War, the hallmark of excellence for American Thoroughbreds was stamina rather than speed. The introduction of dash racing – one heat per race – after the Civil War made a few yards in a race very important, and the rider’s skill in coaxing that advantage from his mount became an integral part of the sport.
By the nineteenth century, thoroughbred races had become an international sporting event. The best runners were no longer the best bred, but the most skilled riders. The advent of synthetic track surfaces made a good rider even more important, as he or she could alter the direction of a race with just a touch of the right leg.
During the era of the greatest thoroughbreds, such as Secretariat and Seattle Slew, the sport exploded in popularity. With high stakes and elaborate marketing, the sport became a multi-billion-dollar enterprise. At the same time, concerns over animal welfare began to rise in prominence, with allegations of abuse and a general lack of regard for the plight of horses.
Despite the fact that horse racing is an extremely lucrative industry, it faces a very uncertain future. Increasing public awareness of equine welfare issues, including abusive training practices for young horses, drug use and illegal slaughter, are contributing to declining attendance and revenue. Moreover, the public is growing weary of the constant stream of negative publicity surrounding the sport, with many would-be fans simply choosing to avoid it altogether.