Of all the sports that humanity has enjoyed over the millennia, horse racing exists as the longest standing. The earliest records of horse racing in humanity date back to central Asia circa 4500 BC, following the first time the animals are known to have been domesticated. Even since that point, the sport has been in the public eye, travelling thousands of years and tens of thousands of miles to reach the modern-day.
Perhaps more impressively, the base components of horse racing have largely stayed the same. It’s still about testing the speed of the horses and man’s training and breeding skill, combined to push the limits of what can be achieved constantly. Yet, despite this constancy, the technology surrounding the game has evolved massively. From analogue roots in nature, modern horse racing has become inseparably intertwined with tech at the highest level, in more ways than we might think.
The Death of Contention
One of the longest-lasting problems with horse racing is the disputes that resulted from close finishes. Though dedicated referees and timers being given authority could assuage this issue, there was always going to be contention from losers in a high-stakes situation. Addressing this concern was the arrival of reliable camera technology. Today, with ultra-fast frame rates, we can always find the winner, so these former concerns which caused issues for centuries are now a thing of the past.
Access to the Games
Next on the list of evolutionary tech has to come from the extension of reach from broadcast technology. This first occurred in the mainstream in 1960, with the earliest known broadcast of the Grand National. Setting up in a van to follow the action, this development wasn’t just about showing the race to an audience; it also gave a better view from home than anyone could have in the stands.
Over time, dedicated racing channels would become possible and then popular on cable and satellite TV packages, but this couldn’t last forever. The last major change in this realm came from the introduction of online streaming tech post-2000. With this system, international and minor games could easily be shared, raising the potential for viewers to an entirely new level.
A More Convenient Punting Experience
The last great set of tech changes to horse racing followed the development of streaming. Building from this idea, online sportsbooks have made finding, watching, and betting on games easier than ever before. The more developed services around these systems can even collate bet results into convenient and concise informational pages. With the information listed like race time and date, runners, distances, race type, and more, the age of getting lost is over, replaced by the technologic racing era.
As long as horse racing has existed, it remained remarkably stable for the longest time. It’s only with the last hundred years or so that the technological revolution has completely revitalised the game, bringing with it a new level of popularity never before possible. Fans of horse racing are experiencing a true golden age, and if current trends continue, getting involved is only going to get easier.
