Horse of the Year Home Run

Click HERE to read an excellent guest blog on bloodhorse.com regarding the current Horse of the Year pandemonium. Mr. Sealy hits a home run with this one. In the midst of the outrage between Zenyatta and Rachel fans, who has stopped to think about the real issue at hand? Had these two lovely ladies actually raced against each other, as was anticipated very publicly all year long, there would be no question as to who gets the crown. The best horse should be decided in a race, not by hundreds of voters waging words of war. I have been reading a lot lately about the origins of horse racing for my thesis on engaging fans, and Mr. Sealy depicts it perfectly: horse racing began with the challenge of obtaining the fastest horse, which led to social standing in society. It was all about sport, sportsmanship and socializing. Somewhere, we lost our way. And, as Mr. Sealy says, those who are serious about keeping horse racing alive must recognize an opportunity that was missed this year. While Rachel and Zenyatta were both no doubt much needed water to an increasingly parched sport, an opportunity was missed to return to the roots of racing, and regain the sportsmanship that crafted the beginnings of the game we love.