A horse race is a close form of competition among horses that are ridden by jockeys or pulled by sulkies and their drivers. It can also refer to any formidable contest or competition. The term is commonly used in reference to political contests and elections, but it is also applied to business, sporting events and even military conflicts.
In a horse race, the term home stretch means that the last few yards of the event are approaching. The phrase is derived from the practice of jockeys loosening their reins just before the final turn, or stretch, of a race, making it easier for the horse to take the lead. This figurative meaning of the term arose around 1860.
Originally, horse races were run in the Greek Olympic Games between 700 and 40 B.C. The sport was later developed in Europe and the Middle East, where it became popular with the advent of four-hitched chariots and mounted bareback racing.
In the United States, organized racing began with the British occupation of New Amsterdam in 1664. It was not until the Civil War that thoroughbreds began to emphasize speed and the modern form of the race took shape.
The American Thoroughbred is a breed of horse that was developed in the mid- to late-1700s by crossing imported Irish and English bloodlines. The name of the breed derives from a Dutch word meaning “fine bay.”
A horse’s pedigree is one of the qualifications it must meet in order to compete in a race. To be eligible for a race, the horse must have a sire (father) and dam (mother) who are both purebreds of the same breed. The American Thoroughbred’s most important race is the Kentucky Derby, which was first held in 1875. The Derby is a Grade I race that is open to all breeds of horses aged three years or older.
Many of the horses used in horse races are bred to be fast, and are often pushed beyond their limits, sometimes leading to injuries. A number of horses, according to animal rights activists at the group Horseracing Wrongs, bleed from their lungs during a race due to this excessive exertion. The horses are then treated with cocktails of legal and illegal drugs intended to mask the bleeding and enhance performance. The animals that do not survive a race are slaughtered.
In a horse race to select a company’s next CEO, it is critical that the board of directors and current CEO consider whether the company’s culture and organizational structure are compatible with such an overt leadership contest. The board should also establish succession processes that will prepare the company’s senior-level leaders for ever more challenging roles. Failure to do so could have a serious impact on the company’s success.