Horse racing is a sport in which horses compete against one another over various distances. Races may take place on flat tracks or over jumps; sprint races often serve as tests of speed while longer distance events test stamina. Some view horse racing as inhumane and advocate reform; others believe it to be essential part of society and therefore deserve protection.
Horse races were first recorded as four-hitch chariot and mounted racing events that took place at the Olympic Games of Greece between 700 BCE and 40 BCE, at their Olympic Games. Over time, this sport quickly spread through other Near Eastern and European countries as spectator activities; its popularity gradually diminishing due to major professional and collegiate team sports and concerns regarding animal welfare/doping practices.
Today’s horse races are organized and sanctioned by national and international governing bodies that ensure both humans and horses are treated humanely. Betting opportunities exist across most states while horses compete both within the US and worldwide.
Horse racing has long been seen as a contentious activity. Critics contend that its practice is inhumane and corrupt due to widespread doping and overbreeding practices; supporters argue it provides entertaining events for broad audiences while providing millions in revenues to horse owners and tracks alike.
U.S. horse racing history dates back to 1664 with the British occupation of New Amsterdam, when Colonel Richard Nicolls laid out a two-mile course for racehorses under his command and offered a silver cup to each spring and fall race winner. Prior to the Civil War, many racehorses were crossbreds that prided themselves on stamina rather than speed; during and after both World Wars, however, faster thoroughbreds with superior cavalry capabilities began breeding rapidly – ideal for cavalry service duties by cavalry forces alike.
A study published in 2021 in Trainer magazine examined blood samples taken from injured and healthy horses to detect differences in messenger RNA that might indicate performance-enhancing drugs being present. While these preliminary results cannot prove anything, they do suggest it may be possible to detect and deter illegal drug use by studying individual horse’s physiological makeup.
Scholars have suggested that newsrooms that emphasize political horse races are less likely to cover topics of relevance to their readers, suggesting instead that news organizations should prioritize coverage of local races and topics alongside national horse races. Furthermore, scholars contend that such coverage puts novel or third-party candidates at a disadvantage during elections and during close races in particular; researchers have found that corporate-owned newspapers with large circulations tend to publish stories framing elections as a horse race more frequently in these situations than local papers do.