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(Oddity Central)   Racehorse figures jockey is just dead weight, runs entire race without him and wins anyway   (odditycentral.com) divider line
17
    More: Weird, Horse racing, horse race, Vanyar's jockey, entire race, slow horse, sort of thing, final push, Tokay Stakes  
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426 clicks; posted to Sports » on 25 Jan 2023 at 8:50 AM (8 weeks ago)   |   Favorite    |   share:  Share on Twitter share via Email Share on Facebook



17 Comments     (+0 »)
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SpectroBoy [TotalFark] [OhFark]
2023-01-25 8:37:00 AM  
Well yeah, I'd imagine it's a lot easier to run fast without some dude sitting on your back the whole time.
Even if it's a micro-dude
 
Stud Gerbil
2023-01-25 8:56:39 AM  
Is that even allowed?   Wouldn't that be an unfair advantage?
 
wxboy
2023-01-25 9:43:32 AM  

Stud Gerbil: Is that even allowed?   Wouldn't that be an unfair advantage?


It is not allowed, because yes, it is an advantage. The horse would be disqualified.
 
Cheese and Rice
2023-01-25 10:26:31 AM  
Fark user imageView Full Size
 
zekeburger
2023-01-25 11:05:57 AM  
Was the horse's name Hoof Hearted?
 
Aetre [TotalFark]
2023-01-25 11:24:59 AM  
When you get beat by the NPC in a racing game.
 
Pfighting Polish
2023-01-25 11:47:09 AM  
I got the horse right here
The name is Vanyar, dear
And at the start, he'll throw his rider clear

He'll run the race sublime
He'll cross the finish line
And he won't need a jockey on top to steer

Can do
Can do
No rider but the horse can do
 
muphasta
2023-01-25 11:55:34 AM  
While it was impressive to see the horse run the race independently, I found it more interesting that it slowed its pace after crossing the finish line like the other horses without any prompting. 

It must just know the routine after countless training/practice runs.
 
mjones73
2023-01-25 11:56:33 AM  
Jockey! I don't need no stinking jockey!
 
Sebastrd
2023-01-25 3:49:41 PM  

wxboy: Stud Gerbil: Is that even allowed?   Wouldn't that be an unfair advantage?

It is not allowed, because yes, it is an advantage. The horse would be disqualified.


If it's that much of an advantage, why have jockeys? You'd think owners would love to have one fewer people to pay.
 
wxboy
2023-01-25 4:15:57 PM  

Sebastrd: wxboy: Stud Gerbil: Is that even allowed?   Wouldn't that be an unfair advantage?

It is not allowed, because yes, it is an advantage. The horse would be disqualified.

If it's that much of an advantage, why have jockeys? You'd think owners would love to have one fewer people to pay.


The jockey is there mainly to "encourage" the horse to run faster, and also to control where the horse actually goes (The same reason anyone else is riding a horse). There are plenty of times a racehorse dumps its jockey and then just drops into a trot or just sort of wanders around rather than continue running.

Of course, the more you get into it, the more the question arises of whether horse racing is animal cruelty, which is of course a good question.
 
Pfighting Polish
2023-01-25 4:20:10 PM  

Sebastrd: wxboy: Stud Gerbil: Is that even allowed?   Wouldn't that be an unfair advantage?

It is not allowed, because yes, it is an advantage. The horse would be disqualified.

If it's that much of an advantage, why have jockeys? You'd think owners would love to have one fewer people to pay.


A variety of factors, including but not limited to:

1. While it's not uncommon to see a loose horse finish a race appropriately, you'll also see them skip the track sometimes, too. If the horse gets spooked or something and decides to deviate from the course, it's a heck of a lot easier to control it with a rider on it.

2. In theory, for both safety and fair play, horses in horse racing are supposed to basically allow each other free movement if they want it, including a faster horse having the ability to pass a slower one if there's any possible way for a pack to allow room. A jockey can act as a second set of eyes and keep a slower horse from cutting off a faster one.

3. Maybe the biggest, a jockey can tell if a horse is hurt. Most horses will just run through an injury, which could doom the horse. A jockey can literally save the horse by knowing when it should pull up.
 
SalmonberryPie
2023-01-25 5:38:46 PM  
That was awesome! What a Pro!
He even took himself off the track after the race.
 
marleymaniac
2023-01-25 6:09:26 PM  

wxboy: Sebastrd: wxboy: Stud Gerbil: Is that even allowed?   Wouldn't that be an unfair advantage?

It is not allowed, because yes, it is an advantage. The horse would be disqualified.

If it's that much of an advantage, why have jockeys? You'd think owners would love to have one fewer people to pay.

The jockey is there mainly to "encourage" the horse to run faster, and also to control where the horse actually goes (The same reason anyone else is riding a horse). There are plenty of times a racehorse dumps its jockey and then just drops into a trot or just sort of wanders around rather than continue running.

Of course, the more you get into it, the more the question arises of whether horse racing is animal cruelty, which is of course a good question.


I imagine that a jockey would not have had the horse run the outside line like the horse did. Cutting the corners makes the track shorter.
 
RealityChuck
2023-01-25 7:16:45 PM  
This is news?  I've seen it happen multiple times -- the horse unseating the jockey at the start and finishing the race first. Given the horse is carrying a hundred (or more) pounds of less weight, it's not even a surprise.
 
ozarkmatt
2023-01-25 10:12:19 PM  

RealityChuck: This is news?  I've seen it happen multiple times -- the horse unseating the jockey at the start and finishing the race first. Given the horse is carrying a hundred (or more) pounds of less weight, it's not even a surprise.


Yeah, I've seen it a few times myself. If the horse is well trained, it will run the race on it's own and will usually finish first. But like the article says, what most often happens when a horse loses its rider, it kinda goes off on a tangent, like a dog that sees a squirrel across the way.
 
Mad Canadian
2023-01-26 4:01:13 AM  
Another reason is that the jockeys (usually) all carry the same weight.  (About 126 lbs)

Rookie jockeys get a 5 or 10 pound reprieve, which allows the horse to generally run faster, giving them a slight advantage to mitigate their inexperience.

Generally, an extra pound will cost the horse a length over a mile.

/I want to be a sick horseplayer again...
 
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