by A horse race is an event in which one or more horses compete against other entrants for the prize money offered by a bookmaker. Each horse is assigned a specific amount of weight to carry for fairness. Some races, called handicap races, are more prestigious and offer higher purses. In these races, each horse is given a weight based on its ability, with allowances for younger horses and female horses. A horse’s performance can also be affected by its starting position in a race, sex, and training.
Horses that have had some level of racing success are able to earn photo certificates, which can be displayed in their tack rooms. Some of these horses are even sold in the resale market, where they are often renamed to reflect their race history. A horse’s level of racing success may not correlate with its future career, however, and some retired racehorses go on to enjoy a second life as a beloved pasture companion.
The Grand National is famous as one of the world’s most dangerous and grueling horse races. Its 4.5-mile circuit includes 40 obstacles, many of which are so high that they put a tremendous strain on a horse’s slender front legs. Many horses die each year at these fences, and some survive with injuries so severe that they can no longer be ridden.
Despite the danger, it’s important to note that horse races are a popular form of entertainment. People have been betting on horses since ancient times, and the sport has a rich tradition in Europe and America. Today, most horse races are televised, and millions of Americans watch them at home.
The televised coverage has made the sport more popular than ever. A survey by the American Horse Council found that more than two-thirds of American households watch horse races, and this figure is even higher in countries such as China, where horse racing has become an enormously popular spectator sport.
Many critics of pre-election polls have complained that news outlets treat elections like a horse race, with reporters endlessly parsing data and statistics to determine who’s ahead and who’s behind at any given moment. While these criticisms are valid, the freedom of speech and the press allow news outlets a great deal of leeway in what they report on and how they present it to readers.
ANNIE AGUIAR is a reporter for Poynter, and she recently took a playful approach to analyzing whether or not horse race journalism is appropriate for election coverage. She interviewed actual horse race journalists about their thoughts on the subject, and their answers are included in this article.
