What is a Horse Race?
A horse race is a contest in which horses compete against each other to finish the race first. This sport has long been a part of human culture and is popular in many countries around the world. It has even been featured in some mythology and legend, such as the contest between Odin’s steed Hrungnir and the giant Hrungnak in Norse mythology. Horse racing is a thrilling and engaging sport that can provide a great deal of entertainment for its fans. However, behind the glamorous facade of Thoroughbred horse racing is a world of injuries, drug abuse, and gruesome breakdowns. The truth is that most horses are not merely running for fun–they’re running for their lives.
The horse race is run over a variety of distances, and each type of race has its own distinct rules. Sprints, or races that are less than two miles (3.2 km), are generally considered tests of speed and acceleration. Longer races, known as routes in the United States and “staying races” in Europe, are typically seen as tests of stamina and endurance. In addition, the type of gait a horse uses can also affect its chances of winning a race. Horses that pace (“move in unison” with their front and back legs on the same side) will need to wear hobbles to help them keep from breaking stride, while trotters (who move their front and back legs at the same time) don’t require the use of such devices.
As with any athletic event, horses must gradually build up their conditioning in order to perform at peak condition for a race. Each morning, a horse will go on routine jogs or gallops, and then will be asked to work (run at a faster pace for a set amount of time). This exercise is meant to gauge the level of fitness and readiness for a race.
In the 1700s, horse racing was very different from what it is now. The original King’s Plates were standardized races for six-year-old horses carrying 168 pounds in four-mile heats, and winners had to win both of them. Then, starting in 1751, five-year-olds began competing in the King’s Plates, and eventually a race for four-year-olds was added, as well as a dash racing format that required one race to decide the winner.
When journalists covering elections primarily focus on who is winning or losing – what’s often called horse race coverage – voters, candidates and the news industry itself suffer, a growing body of research suggests. In recent years, scholars have begun exploring the impact of a new type of journalism, called probabilistic forecasting, which allows newsrooms to collect and analyze data from multiple opinion polls to more accurately predict a candidate’s chance of winning. In this updated collection, we include studies on probabilistic forecasting and coverage of third-party political candidates and their chances of winning.