The World’s Greatest Horse Race – The Prix de l’Arc De Triomphe
Horse races are run over a course that can vary in length from one country to the next, though a classic race such as the British Gold Cup is over 21/2 miles (4 kilometers). The steeplechase, which involves jumping over a variety of obstacles and often includes hurdles, is one of the more demanding races for horses. It takes great speed and stamina for them to make the distance and is considered by many to be a true test of their athleticism. This type of racing has been around for thousands of years and was referred to by the Greek author Xenophon as early as the 5th century BC.
Today, thoroughbreds are trained by professionals who specialize in horse health and conditioning. They are also bred to be fast and agile, as well as have good endurance. The breed’s popularity and prestige has risen in recent years because of its long-standing traditions, but the sport still faces challenges. New would-be fans are often turned off by scandals relating to horse welfare and doping.
The world’s most prestigious horse race is the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, which has been held annually at Longchamp Racecourse in Paris, France since 1920. The event attracts the rich and wealthy because of its long-standing traditions, glitz, prestige, and large sums of money bet on the winning horse.
Sadly, the sport suffers from numerous problems that can be blamed on its own inherent nature. The most important of these is the lack of an adequately funded and industry-sponsored wraparound aftercare solution for horses leaving the track. Many former racehorses are left to hemorrhage into the slaughter pipeline, where they can be sold to places like Mexico and Canada that charge arbitrary, sometimes outrageous ransoms for them. This is hell for the horses and is not a sustainable business model.
There are three types of people in horse racing: the crooks who illegally drug and otherwise mistreat their animals; the dupes who labor under a false fantasy that the sport is broadly fair and honest; and the far-too-silent masses who know the industry is more crooked than it ought to be but won’t give it their all to change things. It is from this third group that serious reform must come if the horse racing industry wants to survive and thrive.
Once the horses are lined up on the starting line and the stewards and patrol judges, assisted by a camera-based motion picture patrol, have made their inspections, the race begins. The stewards watch the race for any rule violations, and then declare the winner based on the finish time. The winners are awarded trophies and the finalists receive rosettes. The final results are then posted to the governing body’s website and announced on television and radio. The races are televised in over 50 countries worldwide.