Horse racing is one of the oldest activities in the world with records dating back to the Ancient Greeks. Horse racing has also several variants such as camel racing and car racing. Let’s see if horse racing is a sport.
What is horse racing?
Horse racing is a contest in which horses have to run against each other. In most instances, there is some riding on the back of the horse (a jockey or equestrian). The goal is to be the first to finish a distance. In most instances, the equestrian is sitting in a saddle (thoroughbred) but it is also possible that there is a carriage (harness racing).
Equestrians use a specific position to guide the horse. It can be quite challenging to hold on to a charging horse. They often ride the same horse for a long time so a lot of riders have a strong bond with their horse.
There are many different types of horse racing, including:
– A long horse race is defined as a race run on a course that is one-eighth of a mile or longer. This is raced at distances between one hundred and sixteenths of a mile, one mile, and one mile and a half. Horse racing
-A sprint race is any race where the distance is about half a mile. The horses have to sprint against each other. This can be very spectacular as horses are magnificent animals that can run very fast.
-Jumping is completing an obstacle course. Horses have to jump over different obstacles. The first horse that completes all of them, wins the tournament. In some instances, the horse might refuse to jump and this can cost the equestrian a lot of time. They spend a lot of time finding the right horse for this as they have to be able to perform the jumps with the correct technique.
-There are also other contests that don’t involve speed but focus on elegance and technique (dressage is an example). These are not considered races but riders can compete and win points for the moves that they make.
There are referees that check if horses follow the rules. For example, it is not allowed to run into other horses or push riders out of their saddle. A lot of these systems are also automated. There is a door that opens at the start so that the horses don’t start too early.
This activity is not very accessible as horses require a lot of maintenance. Furthermore, it takes a lot of equipment to transport them and bring them to the tournaments.
Horse racing is popular worldwide, from India and Europe to the USA. It is quite challenging to transport the horses over a bigger distance so most contests are quite regional.
People enjoy watching the spectacle of horses that are running. They often dress up for these events and it is a great way to meet other people that are interested in this activity.
What is a sport?
The word “sport” is used as a synonym for physical activity or exercise. You might say that someone is a “sport” because they are active and fit. But what does it mean to be a sport? In the broad definition, it means a physical activity that requires certain skills.
Stricter definitions also require that sports have a competitive element. An activity needs 3 components before it can be considered a sport according to these definitions:
1/ A physical activity
2/ That requires a skill
3/ And has a competitive element
In today’s world, most sports involve competitive games where the goal is to beat your opponent. This means that you can’t participate in a sport without having an opponent.
A lot of sports can be viewed on TV and a lot of people have a favorite athlete. This can inspire them to start practicing this sport as well.
Is horse racing a sport?
Based on the previous we can state that horse racing is a sport. Even in the most narrow definition of the word, it can be seen as a sport. Let’s go over each of the reasons why.
It has a physical element as riders have to move their arms. It is also quite intense to remain seated on a galloping horse. Some people might argue that this is less intense than a lot of other sports but there is still a physical element so this fulfills the definition. If you don’t agree, you should give it a try and you will notice that it is quite intense.
Horse racing also involves some skills as you have to pick the right horse and train it. Furthermore, you have to be able to pick the right trajectory. Once again, you could argue that other sports require a higher skill level but there is some skill involved in horse racing.
Horse racing also has a competitive element. Horses race against each other to be the first ones to arrive. Some races also have obstacles that horses have to jump over. This is quite controversial as some horses fall when they miss one of these obstacles.
Jumping is in the Olympics. This can be considered horse racing as they have to be the first to complete an obstacle course. The horses are not on the track at the same time though. A more traditional group race is not on the program in the Olympics currently.
To conclude, we can state that horse racing is a sport. It has a rich history and people enjoy watching it. While it can be controversial as horses can fall, there are a lot of participants in this sport. Horses require a lot of maintenance and this is why this sport is not very accessible. Riding a horse can be very intense as well so it requires a lot of training.
Source
https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/sport
