The horse racing season is about to begin in earnest. For most people, the biggest and most exciting moment of the season happens in early May. Even right now, people are perusing lists of former Kentucky Derby winners, which you can find right here, and preparing their betting strategy for this year’s participants: https://www.twinspires.com/kentuckyderby/winners/
While the Derby is a massive example of horse racing’s reach, there are other events all around the country, or even the planet, that are equally worth celebrating. In this article, we examine how horse racing events bring communities together.
The Impact of Massive Events
Mega events like the Kentucky Derby have an obvious community impact. This May, approximately 150,000 people will come into Louisville, Kentucky, and neighboring communities to celebrate the Derby. While they’re there, they will spend tens of millions of dollars.
Not only does this produce a significant amount of revenue for Churchill Downs and all of the vendors associated with the Derby, but it also has an incredible impact on the community. Hotels fill up, restaurants do high volumes of business, and stores fill with customers.
There are also hundreds, if not thousands, of jobs created and supported by the Derby specifically, and more generally, Churchill Downs itself.
In these ways, the biggest impacts are often economic. The Derby is not alone in this. All of the Triple Crown events produce a similar, even if not quite as substantial, impact. And there are comparatively popular international events as well. The Melbourne Cup, for example, is known as “the race that stops a nation,” as the entire continent of Australia seemingly pauses to take in the event.
These impacts are amazing, but they’re also only a small part of how racing touches lives and brings communities together.
It’s Not Just the Derby
It’s easy to point at the Kentucky Derby as the gold standard in racing. That’s exactly what it is, but the event is so big that it’s not really an accurate point of comparison. Most horse races don’t do even one percent of the Derby’s revenue. That’s okay, they don’t have to.
Horse racing may take its most glorious form in Triple Crown-like events, but the game itself is actually popularized on a much smaller scale. People have, for many generations, been discovering racing not on their televisions, but in their communities.
Local tracks provide family-friendly entertainment at an affordable price. Yes, there are bars and betting windows. Some are even attached to casinos. These aspects of the experience aren’t necessarily made with family outings in mind, but nevertheless, the game has appealed to families for many generations.
Drinking and gambling are a small, or even non-existent, part of the experience for many people. Races are fun. They’re exciting. Many tracks don’t even charge money to watch them. You can go with your family on a Saturday afternoon and have hours of free or low-cost fun.
These aspects of the experience help to create family memories and ensure a continued interest in the sport for decades to come.
Economic Impact
Like the Derby, local tracks also create jobs. Maybe not thousands, the way a venue like Churchill Downs will, but hundreds. People are working with the animals, people working in the restaurants, the bars, the stands, and even parking lot attendants.
Then there’s the economic impact of tourists. Many people will travel hours to take in a horse track. That means hotels and restaurants are consistently filling up.
It’s no exaggeration at all to say that horse tracks are the lifeblood of many communities all over the country.
Tracks Need Your Help
Unfortunately, the health of local racing venues has been seriously threatened. It takes a lot of money to run a racetrack. Even venues that are running consistently at half capacity, which can involve thousands of people in the stands on any given night, might be losing money due to the high costs.
If you live in an area with a local track, consider doing your part to support it. Obviously, that’s not an ethical imperative. Taking your family out to the racetrack does not have the same ethical implications as, say, choosing what charity to support. It does, however, have an impact on your community.
If you want the jobs, the entertainment, and the cultural value that racetracks create, you might need to do your part to ensure that this kind of activity can continue without interruption in your community.
The problem might be real, but the cure is at least pleasant. Have a fun night at the track with your family. It’s good for the community. It’s good for you as well.
