Is Horse Racing a Sport???

[jrockster21]

So, I'm watching ESPN. There is the Redskins minicamp, and I'm sure tons of other sporting news to cover, but ESPN chooses to cover horse racing. :mad: :mad: :mad:

So I ask...is horse racing a sport???

[Canadian Hog]

From the point of view of the horse, yes.

As for the jockey, I say no.

[TheDoyler23]

I believe that it's called, "the sport of Kings."

[CrabR]

yes

jocks are not given the credit they are due

[Mass_SkinsFan]

How many of you have owned or been around horses very much? I know that most of you live in the Mid-Atlantic region where there are a lot of horses, so I'm sure some of you have been involved with them.

I happen to own a horse, myself. Not a racing horse by any stretch of the imagination, but a nice horse. I know how much muscle control and concentration it takes to ride my Fjord in a full English saddle at a walk and a trot. I know how much abuse my own body takes doing that twice a week. I don't want to think about how much abuse the body of a jockey takes riding a Thoroughbred at full speed in that postage stamp of a saddle with the other horses and riders bouncing off of them.

Now add the fact that the horses that will compete in the Kentucky Derby tomorrow are THREE YEAR OLDS. Your average horse finishes growing and becomes an "adult" somewhere between five and six years old. So effectively these horses that will be running tomorrow are adolescents, at best, and they've been under saddle for a year already. Most regular trail horses MIGHT see a saddle on their backs for the FIRST time as three year olds, and personally I wouldn't do it before their at least four.

Horse Racing may not be on the same level as weight-lifting, football, soccer, tennis, etc... as a sport in many people's minds. However, considering the amount of athleticism required by both the horse AND the jockey, I would definitely call it a sport. It's not one that I would ever personally be involved with, but it IS a sport.

[Chris Lamb]

Rent Seabiscut............IMO yes jockeys need to stay in great shape. I have never seen an obese jockey.

[gchwood]

any thing you can bet on is a sport in my opinion (yes that includes the oscars)

[Rumrunner6900]

I know how much muscle control and concentration it takes to ride my Fjord in a full English saddle at a walk and a trot.

I prefer a Chevy myself.... :laugh:

Yes, I think it is a sport....if poker is, this should be!

[HOF44]

Now add the fact that the horses that will compete in the Kentucky Derby tomorrow are THREE YEAR OLDS. Your average horse finishes growing and becomes an "adult" somewhere between five and six years old. So effectively these horses that will be running tomorrow are adolescents, at best, and they've been under saddle for a year already. Most regular trail horses MIGHT see a saddle on their backs for the FIRST time as three year olds, and personally I wouldn't do it before their at least four.

I wonder why they run them so young. Why wouldn't they wait until they are 4 or 5?

[Mass_SkinsFan]

I wonder why they run them so young. Why wouldn't they wait until they are 4 or 5?

Let's see... You've got $40K invested in something, how long are you going to wait to see if you're going to get any return on that investment?

These horses aren't pets. They're effectively sportscars. Investment opportunities.

[HOF44]

Let's see... You've got $40K invested in something, how long are you going to wait to see if you're going to get any return on that investment?

These horses aren't pets. They're effectively sportscars. Investment opportunities.

Is running them this young worse for them horses than if they did it when the were 5? I'd think with the investment they have in them, they would want to do whatever they could to protect it.

I really don't know much about the industry. Its just when you were saying the horses don't mature till about 5 I wondered why do the race them at 3.

[PleaseBlitz]

Its an activity. Like golf, pool, autoracing, and poker.

[Mass_SkinsFan]

Is running them this young worse for them horses than if they did it when the were 5? I'd think with the investment they have in them, they would want to do whatever they could to protect it.

I really don't know much about the industry. Its just when you were saying the horses don't mature till about 5 I wondered why do the race them at 3.

Again, it's the investment thing. Most thoroughbreds do not have very long racing careers. When they're done on the track they are generally sold for a pittance of the money spent on them in training and track fees because they have no more value to the owner. Especially if they were not winners on the track. And we're talking about the lower end of the racing spectrum here

Now, when you're talking about the level of horses you're going to see tomorrow, those horses have had tens of thousands of dollars invested in them already. Breeding, foaling, training, etc... These horses need to prove that they can be worth that investment. If you wait until they're five or six to race them, that's a boatload more $$$ for a horse who hasn't proven they can WIN.

[drums and skins]

Let's see... You've got $40K invested in something, how long are you going to wait to see if you're going to get any return on that investment?

These horses aren't pets. They're effectively sportscars. Investment opportunities.

$40k?

Try $400k. People pay up big bucks to mate horses with a stud.

I would say so, but its just too tough to think of basketball, football, hockey, and even baseball players who really exert themselves and test their physicality at everygame.

The only problem I have is that if you start broadening the word "sport", you'll have things like golf, break-dancing, marching band, etc, being called sports. I wouldn't consider any of these bona fide sports, but they very well could be considered such.

[portisizzle]

No,it is an exhibition. Just like gymnastics and ice skating is an exhibition.

[The Sir]

Didn't Tony Kornheiser vote Secretariat the #4 best athlete of the 20th century?

[Barney B]

No,it is an exhibition. Just like gymnastics and ice skating is an exhibition.

I understand that line of thinking, but in those '"sports" the winner is selected by judges. In racing (cars, horses, marathon runners, etc.), however, the winner is more clear-cut - the first person to the finish line wins. So that's where I draw the line.

I'd say that auto racing is a sport, so therefore horse racing is also a sport.

[PleaseBlitz]

I understand that line of thinking, but in those '"sports" the winner is selected by judges. In racing (cars, horses, marathon runners, etc.), however, the winner is more clear-cut - the first person to the finish line wins. So that's where I draw the line.

I'd say that auto racing is a sport, so therefore horse racing is also a sport.

:laugh:

[jrockster21]

No,it is an exhibition. Just like gymnastics and ice skating is an exhibition.

I would definitely consider gymnastics a sport...its physical competition and direct tests of strength, balance and control. Ice skating is a sport when they do all that crazy jumping and such, but ice dancing is an exhibition.

I'd say that auto racing is a sport, so therefore horse racing is also a sport.

Auto racing is not a sport.

[HOF44]

Auto racing is not a sport.

Is to!!!

I have irrefutable proof. It used to be on the Wide World of Sports. If it was on there it had to be a sport otherwise they couldn't have called it Wide World of Sports. Beat that logic.

[Warhead36]

I just hate how there is 8 hours of coverage for a 2 minute race.

[jrockster21]

Is to!!!

I have irrefutable proof. It used to be on the Wide World of Sports. If it was on there it had to be a sport otherwise they couldn't have called it Wide World of Sports. Beat that logic.

:paranoid:

Um....ah....well....

Its not a sport because I say its not! :mad: :redpunch:

Beat that logic!!

I just hate how there is 8 hours of coverage for a 2 minute race.

This is my biggest problem. NFL Tonight is 30 minutes once a week, but they can cover horse racing for sooooooo long. Its friggin' boring, unless you're a gambler. I guess I just answered the question though...its all about the Benjamins.

[Teller]

Is to!!!

I have irrefutable proof. It used to be on the Wide World of Sports. If it was on there it had to be a sport otherwise they couldn't have called it Wide World of Sports. Beat that logic.

"Wide World of Internal Combustion and Aerodynamics" doesn't quite have the same ring to it.

[DeanCollins]

How many of you have owned or been around horses very much? I know that most of you live in the Mid-Atlantic region where there are a lot of horses, so I'm sure some of you have been involved with them.

I happen to own a horse, myself. Not a racing horse by any stretch of the imagination, but a nice horse. I know how much muscle control and concentration it takes to ride my Fjord in a full English saddle at a walk and a trot. I know how much abuse my own body takes doing that twice a week. I don't want to think about how much abuse the body of a jockey takes riding a Thoroughbred at full speed in that postage stamp of a saddle with the other horses and riders bouncing off of them.

Now add the fact that the horses that will compete in the Kentucky Derby tomorrow are THREE YEAR OLDS. Your average horse finishes growing and becomes an "adult" somewhere between five and six years old. So effectively these horses that will be running tomorrow are adolescents, at best, and they've been under saddle for a year already. Most regular trail horses MIGHT see a saddle on their backs for the FIRST time as three year olds, and personally I wouldn't do it before their at least four.

Horse Racing may not be on the same level as weight-lifting, football, soccer, tennis, etc... as a sport in many people's minds. However, considering the amount of athleticism required by both the horse AND the jockey, I would definitely call it a sport. It's not one that I would ever personally be involved with, but it IS a sport.

you wouldn't last 5 minutes on a motocross track let alone 8 hours in an enduro. english sadle :laugh::laugh: how can you wear those pants and boots without feeling like freddie mercury?

I do enjoy watching steeple chase events, especially when they have water

hazzards in front of the hedges.

[PleaseBlitz]

Is to!!!

I have irrefutable proof. It used to be on the Wide World of Sports. If it was on there it had to be a sport otherwise they couldn't have called it Wide World of Sports. Beat that logic.

I once watched the World Championships of Lawn Darts on WWoS. :laugh: