Horse racing is a popular sport that attracts a wide audience of spectators and gamblers. Its history dates back to ancient times, and the sport has been a prominent part of civilizations around the world for centuries. There are three main types of horse races: flat racing (where horses run over an oval track), steeplechasing (racing over obstacles) and harness racing (where horses trot or pace while pulling a driver in a sulky). A day at the race track is as much about socializing, betting and consuming food and drink as it is watching the horses.
Horse races are a major global industry and generate a worldwide revenue of $115 billion annually. They also form a rich tradition in many societies and are considered an important part of culture, with some races referred to as “the race that stops a nation.” Attending these marquee events can be an extravagant experience for the spectators, who typically wear fashionable hats and dresses and enjoy mint juleps and other alcoholic beverages.
A major aspect of horse racing is the betting, which occurs throughout the course of each race and often contributes to the soaring prize money that is awarded to the winner. A large percentage of the world’s population bets on horse races, and wagering on them has become an integral part of the sport’s cultural fabric.
However, betting is not the only way that the popularity of horse races has grown in recent years. The practice of televising horse races is becoming more common, and it has led to more people tuning in to watch their favorite horses take the spotlight. This is particularly true for the more lucrative and prestigious races such as the Kentucky Derby and the Melbourne Cup, which are viewed as the pinnacle of horse racing.
While the horse race is a hugely popular event for spectators, the sport also involves many complicated and controversial issues that have come to the forefront in the past decade or so. One such issue is the treatment of the horses. Many people are against horse racing because they believe that the treatment of these animals is cruel. In fact, some even support banning the practice altogether.
The sensitivity of the topic has led to extensive research being conducted on how horse racing is covered in the media, and this research has found that the majority of articles written about elections frame the competition as a horse race rather than focusing on policy issues. In particular, corporate-owned newspapers are more likely to publish horse-race coverage than smaller, independent newspapers.
The concept of what is natural plays a critical role in the thoroughbred racing and breeding discourse, as it guides breeding regulations and impacts husbandry, training and racing practices. This study explores how key industry and animal advocacy informants in the US, Australia and UK conceptualise naturalness within the context of common racing practices that potentially impact the horses’ welfare. This is achieved through semi-structured interviews and photo elicitation of four common images of thoroughbreds on race day.