Horse races are competitions where horses are either ridden by jockeys, pulled in sulkies and driven by drivers, or both at once. Dating back to civilization’s dawn, this ancient sport continues today in many countries worldwide and as an event attended by spectators worldwide. Critics often object to horse racing due to its cruelty (thousands of thoroughbreds are killed each year) while others point to environmental impacts or economic decline as causes for its decline.
Horse races are determined by which horse crosses the finish line first; some races are handicapped to even out competition between horses and provide equal conditions. Historically, horses were bred and trained primarily for speed and endurance; in recent years however, breeders have increasingly focused on developing thoroughbred athletes with smaller frames that exhibit athleticism more effectively; as a result today’s thoroughbreds tend to be smaller and more agile than their predecessors.
No matter its popularity, modern horse racing remains an extremely dangerous sport. On any typical race day, one or more participants may suffer serious injuries like broken legs or lameness that prevent them from continuing the competition; some even die during races like Havnameltdown’s tragic Preakness loss; according to Horseracing Wrongs more than 12,000 thoroughbreds died last year due to racing!
Even more alarming for non-horseracing enthusiasts was Havnameltdown’s postmortem examination which revealed she suffered from osteoarthritis and severe degenerative joint disease; additionally corticosteroids and sedatives used during training raised serious concerns.
Horse racing can be particularly brutal on its participants. Horses begin training before their bones have fully developed and compete at high speeds on hard tracks with limited space available for training, leading to one study concluding that one catastrophic injury occurs every 22 races while another estimated 3 thoroughbreds die daily due to injuries sustained during races.
Although horse racing has taken steps to increase safety and quality of its equine athletes, these issues continue to threaten its future. Furthermore, there is widespread belief that the industry is declining, evidenced by falling attendance at races, revenue decreases and decreased number of horses entered each season.
Before considering using horse races as an executive succession strategy, boards should carefully consider their organization’s suitability for such competitions. If an organization relies on internal collaboration and teamwork for success, an overt horse race could disrupt that plan and cause lasting harm to its business. In addition, boards must assess whether they have enough tools at their disposal to effectively manage competing interests among executive candidates seeking the position vying for it and create strategies to minimize disruptions that arise as a result. Once an ultimate winner is chosen it will likely be difficult to replace other senior-level executives who backed them.