Horse racing would be more interesting if...

The races were longer.

It's a lot of hype for one lap. Turn horse racing into super motard on horses and I am so there. Also, make the jockeys were cowboy gear. They can still be little guys, because you don't want horses snapping knees carrying some fat berkeley around, but they should dress like cowboys or pony express riders. And they shouldn't be allowed to hit the horses, but they should be allowed to hit each other. Also, pit stops. The horses and jockeys should have to stop and eat a sandwich at some point in the race, and a bunch of dudes should put him up on horse jacks and give him calf rubs or something.

Also, if I ever get rich, I'm going to buy a race horse and name him "Second Place" just to watch the announcer's head explode while he tries to call the race.

jg

I swear, the only pre-race coverage worse than Nascar coverage is Horse Racing pre-races. 3 hours of women in big, funky hats with champagne just for a 2 minute, 1 lap race. They need road course setups with chicanes and "horseshoes" :Instantrimshot:

Honestly..everything I ever needed to know about horse racing, I learned from Spike Jones.

No offense intended to Leslie & the other horse lovers here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNwzsEw1Cxk

Yes, no offense to the horse lovers here. I just can't sit thru the coverage

JG, I think steeplechase is the type of horse racing you are looking for.

Some of the Olympic courses look like horse autocross.

Pit stops to re-shoe the horse?

Love the second place idea!

Chime in any time Lesley

a multi-state pony express race would be interesting

Hell, yeah, I don't bother watching horse racing. Insufferable twats in big hats poncing around hoping everyone's looking at them, while the horses are treated as disposable.

You want to watch exciting? Watch some cross-country eventing - they're like Petter Solberg and Kimi Raikonen on four legs. It's a partnership between horse and rider, not some poor animal being flogged within an inch of its life for the sake of some fat rich bastard.

Check out Liz Halliday, who raced LMP1 in ALMS, and also events at a world-class level:

http://www.lizhalliday.com/

OMG, yes. This

Do this wheel-to-wheel (hoof-to-hoof?) and I am ALL OVER IT.

jg

In reply to JG Pasterjak:

That is better but they still need pony express or cowboy outfits.

I did some low level eventing, it's bloody exciting. Cross-country trials too, so many parallels between good riding and good driving.

Rolex two-day event..... you keep thinking NFW, but rider after rider, typically, makes it. if they don't, some awesome crashes.

In reply to Lesley:

Sooo...barrel racing would be like autocross?

I knew how to ride (strangely, learned it from a girl I was crushing on in college), just gave up on it after trying to help my ex-wife's cousin round up some stock on his place in Missouri (no, I can't rope, he just needed a Trail to keep them pointed in roughly the same direction). Damn thing decided it didn't like me, dragged me through every bunch of brambles on the property.

Another one of those life stories that you're proud to say, "I've done that!" but would never do again. I haven't even looked at a horse since (20yrs).

Favorite real horse name called in a race:

Hoof Hearted

say it aloud a few times.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kqj2hkbDnyM

JG Pasterjak wrote: OMG, yes. This Do this wheel-to-wheel (hoof-to-hoof?) and I am ALL OVER IT. jg

Cross country trials are sometimes run in teams, where three have to go over one jump, abreast. It's a riot. My horse tripped before one jump, I was so determined not to let down my team members that we jumped it anyway with my legs wrapped around his neck. Still don't understand how I managed not to fall off.

Foxhunting is pretty cool too - a whole mess of horses & riders all going en masse over jumps. It's fun playing "chicken" with your friends and forcing them off a jump.

I thought you would suggest to get rid of the horses and get some cars....

JG Pasterjak wrote: OMG, yes. This Do this wheel-to-wheel (hoof-to-hoof?) and I am ALL OVER IT. jg

just replace the 4 legs with 2 wheels and add some hard stuff... endurocross

I love horse racing but hate how the Triple Crown and Breeders Cup are shown on the ESPN and NBC stations. 99% of the racing coverage is not like this. I'd much rather they treat it more like they do any old race at Hawthorn or Santa Anita or Woodbine.

Although the Dubai World Cup is done right for a glitzy horse race.

Nascar Craftsman Truck Series would be better if the truck beds contained day laborers and lawn equipment.

Less of this:

More of this

poopshovel wrote: Nascar Craftsman Truck Series would be better if the truck beds contained day laborers and lawn equipment.

...or pulled full horse trailers.

I absolutely despise horse racing. Something about the horses dying or being euthanized at the track really gets me.

Cross country racing is different. I feel like the handlers have a much better connection with the animal.

Weird question:

How do they groom the water hazards so that they don't get muddy/sticky? I imagine a horse going over a hurdle and getting their hoof stuck in mud is a very real concern.

Do they just use a gravel bottom or something?

I've jumped some that became big, porridge-y bog holes after a whole field has gone through, one of the fun parts of fox hunting is how filthy you get. I've seen others that are gravel, or sand.

The difference between horse racing and sports like eventing, is that with racing - you have an audience that's generally removed from the horse. The primary interest is on betting and entertainment. The animals are often owned by syndicates or groups of owners who know about horses. Eventing, cross-country – it's a community. Most of the people you find at these events have a lifestyle that centres around horses. They either ride, or are passionate about horses. And many competitors, especially at lower levels, own the horse. Those people will be at the event hours after the fans have gone home, grooming, rubbing down sore legs and keeping a close watch to make sure there are no ill after-effects. The lower levels are grassroots, just like us – the horses have been discovered after scouring the countryside for a diamond in the rough, lots of bartering goes on for expensive equipment, coaching and trailering, and true die-hards become jacks-of-all-trades. It's a tight partnership that takes years to forge – there's a reason Mazda borrowed "jinbai ittai" (horse and rider as one) to describe the MX-5.