Here's a short Time article about almost everything we at the situation have been talking about as of late, with the exception of politics:
So it's about our obsession with youth as much as anything else. I think this is spot on. Unfortunately.But it's only fair to point out that breeders aren't a solitary priesthood. They flip horses the way real estate speculators once flipped condos. With dollar signs in their eyes, they savor 2- and 3-year-old horses, exactly the way the fashion industry looks at long-stemmed 14-year-old girls, exactly the way the celebrity culture gazes on Britney and Lindsay and Miley, exactly the way shoe-company reps scrutinize boys on basketball courts. Horses, fashion models, teen stars--they're all produced for maximum profit.
Every market needs buyers as well as sellers, and that's where the rest of us come in. If horse breeders have stopped raising animals that are sound for the long run, it's because the audience for mature racehorses--like the audience for maturity in general--has vanished. Seabiscuit, over his 89-race career, drew huge crowds season after season. By contrast, this year's Derby winner, Big Brown, will command the public eye for two months at best, retiring after the Belmont Stakes in June. Provided he lives that long.
3 comments:
Interesting and apt comparison. Also rather depressing. Secretariat also had a lengthier career than Big Ben.
I also think the focus on celebrity has an impact on the racing industry. One of the networks (NBC?) spent their entire pre-race show focused on the celebrities arriving for the derby, rather than providing any information about the race, horses, jockeys, etc. The derby in this light becomes a 'see and be seen' event, rather than a race renowed for world-class horses. The mardi-gras themed party section of the derby grounds continues this focus -- the race is a party not a gathering of equine enthusiasts. The focus on the horses is lost. The horses, like the derby hats worn by celebrity women and empty mint julep glasses, are disposable.
Oops. Big Ben was a show jumper (who also had a longer career). I meant Big Brown.
Big Brown also makes Mr. P-Duck and I wonder if soon racing jerseys will display corporate sponsors (Big Brown is named for UPS).
You're right... I did read about Big Brown being from a UPS family. To tie it back into NASCAR, maybe horses will start to wear their sponsors. That would really add class to a plummeting event!
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