The term horse race is a colloquial expression that refers to an uncertain, close contest. It can apply to political races, sports competitions and a wide range of business situations. In the latter context, it is often used in reference to a company’s succession planning process, whereby multiple internal candidates vie for the position of chief executive officer. Those who support this approach say it is essential to the growth of an organization that high performing individuals can see a clear career path that includes challenging assignments and opportunities to hone leadership skills.
In a company setting, the horse race approach to succession is most effective when a board of directors and current CEO have a strong understanding of the competencies and experience required for the top job. This allows them to evaluate a pool of candidates against the organization’s strategy and culture to determine if the candidate who emerges from the contest is ideally suited for the role.
Despite the romanticized facade of horse racing—where wealthy spectators don elegant hats and sip mint juleps while enjoying the spectacle of the fastest horses in the world—the truth is that this is an industry built on cruelty. The sport’s participants— Thoroughbreds bred for speed—are forced to sprint, often under the threat of whips and illegal electric-shocking devices—at speeds that can cause severe injuries such as hemorrhaging from the lungs. And the jockeys who ride them are at risk as well; on average, two jockeys die and 60 are paralyzed each year.
For these reasons, many of us are drawn to the idea of banning animal races. But while the debate around the ethics of horse racing is ongoing, the sport has been impacted by technological advances in race safety. The use of thermal imaging cameras, MRI scanners, and endoscopes allows for early diagnosis and treatment of conditions that previously went unnoticed. And 3D printing is now capable of producing casts and splints for injured horses.
Despite these advances, there is still no excuse for the industry’s systematic cruelty. Each week, an average of 24 horses suffer fatal breakdowns at racetracks nationwide. That number doesn’t even include those who are discarded by the racing industry when they’re no longer profitable. The exploitation of these beautiful animals is nothing short of barbaric, and the only way to end this abuse is to ban animal racing altogether.