The Debate Continues: Is Horse Racing A Kind Of Sport Or A Bet Game?

Photo by Dallas Reedy on Unsplash

Is horse racing a sport? Or only a bet game? This is the most common question you heard from a lot of sports fan all over the world. Technically, a sport is being defined as a form of physical activity which involves both your mental and physical competency performed by an individual, team or particular organization.

As we all know, the main characters of horse racing tournaments are thoroughbred horses trained with the highest stamina and agility to compete in large furlong races. Most people understand that sports are being exercised by humans and at the same time sports should bring a full of intense action when being performed.

Undeniably, the popularity of horse racing has established a trademark of entertainment to all sports fans in the world. Some people will say that it’s a sport because the horses are controlled by jockeys, but on the other hand, some people will argue that it’s only a bet game because you bet horses and gamble to win not the jockeys respectively. While this question continues to circulate until now, let’s feed you some ideas to help you decide whether a horse racing should be considered as a sport or you should take it as a betting game because it’s a kind of gambling, to begin with. Let's go ahead and discuss.

Technically, the latest edition of the Triple Crown Series is underway which will start in less than two months. It will commence in Churchill Downs with Kentucky Derby, then we head on to Maryland for the Preakness Stakes, and finally in Elmont Park, New York for the final leg which is the Belmont Stakes. A lot of horse racing fans and bettors are looking forward to the upcoming odds that these horse racing tournament would come up because they are excited to bet for their best entries. This is clearly an exciting series to look forward as the Triple Crown Series will showcase the best of the best-thoroughbred horses all over the country.

Horse Racing Is A Sport

For most people, they consider horse racing as a sport because horses can't run without the person controlling it. They said that it’s the jockeys who are controlling the horses to run and it’s the ability to win relies on the hands of the said person. While it is true that horses stand tall and weighs heavily, jockeys are still able to control them, giving them a command to run at a specific speed for a particular distance. The jockeys also command that horse to steer a precise speed upon running to route directly to the finish line to end up victorious.

Besides, for people that call horse racing as a sport, they firmly believe that a horse’s hard-earned win is achieved because of the athletes which are jockeys are collaborating with the horse’s ability to run to end up winning.  This is why they see horse racing is a partnership between a beast and a human where the racing is dubbed as a Sport of Kings where the excitement is more felt when the racer reach the final stretch where no amount of money can equate that feeling.

Horse Racing Is A Bet Game

Some people believed that there’s no way you can call sports horse racing as a sport. Going back to the definition of sports, it is plainly exercised by humans where more physical and mental ability is exercised and no involvement of animals like horses. Sports primarily needs analytical skills and physical strength that no thoroughbred horses can equate and do the same as what humans can do. 

They believed that horse racing is a plain outdoor gambling and bet game. For people who believe that it’s a betting game, there is nothing special about horse racing to be called as spots in the first place. If you are a sports fan and wants to understand the real meaning of sports, you can either take football, baseball, or basketball where it’s more entertaining and enjoyable to watch and experience. The only thing that makes a horse racing enjoyable is the betting games and the betting categories you can dive. Clearly, betting is not defined as a sport.

Lastly, horse racing is a plain business with only a word race being attached to it to sound it appealing and considered a sport for some. They believed that no amount of pretty horses and wacky hats can equate what really sport means and the essence it holds over the course of time.

Up to this day, the debate still continues whether horse racing is really a sport or only a bet game? While the feud continues for some convincing themselves that its a sport and it’s a bet, at the end of the day it still depends on you how you’re going to take it. Your answer depends on your own definition of what horse racing for you would be.