What is a Horse Race?
Horse races are an equestrian competition in which humans on foot or horseback compete to control horses that have been selected as participants. Horse racing has long been practiced across many civilizations throughout history; archeological findings indicate horse races were held in Ancient Greece, Rome, Babylon Syria and Arabia among others. Alongside providing entertainment value and raising funds for charities or good causes.
Race procedures begin when jockeys, or riders, weigh in and report to their trainers’ paddock for instructions from them. When parade their horses past stewards who check that each is carrying its required weight; infringements that could disqualify winning horses due to rule violations could also disqualify them; saliva and urine samples taken from horses to test for drug use are then tested by these same stewards; winners receive large purses as prizes for their efforts.
While horse racing may have a bad rep, recent advances have seen major improvements to animal welfare. Tracks are now safer, while advances in veterinary care have improved horse health. Yet even with all this progress made towards animal welfare, controversy still surrounds this form of gambling; some people see races as not legitimate but instead mere forms of gambling; while others feel horse racing doesn’t compare as harmfully to other forms of betting.
Horses in nature tend to move swiftly: prey animals that need to stay out of danger while at the same time keeping safe for one another, they run fast away from any threats rather than running toward them. Therefore, when humans organize races among horses to see which can run fastest and win, we call it “horse racing.”
Selecting the next CEO by way of a horse race involves selecting one executive from among several who express an interest in becoming the company’s next leader. Supporters of this approach argue it creates a stronger organization by encouraging internal competition and selecting someone with proven their abilities for this task; furthermore, an overt contest can motivate strong leaders who may otherwise remain on the sidelines to vie for it themselves.
Critics of the horse race method of selection argue that it can result in lost business momentum and damage organizational cohesion, in addition to becoming disruptive to board and current management. Therefore, companies should carefully consider if their culture and structure align with this method for selecting leadership before using this strategy; and adopt strategies to minimize potential negative side-effects of such selection processes.