Greatness has a way of translating across pursuits. Put a sensationally successful businessman, athlete, musician, actor, and a horse in a room together and you will find a common pool of characteristics fueling their success. Hunger. Drive. Native talent. A willingness to do what others won’t to win. An insatiable appetite for oats.
And ok. These traits probably describe the people handling horses more than they do the equines themselves (except for the oat thing). Regardless, there are parallels between tennis and horse racing that warrant further consideration. More commonalities to these games than the mere fact that they are frequent interests of the country club demographic. What are the parallels between tennis and horse racing?
Understanding Your Opponent
In both tennis and horse racing, your accomplishments are measured very directly against those of another. And yes, this is a basic component of any sport, but not to the same extent. When you hit a thirty-seven-foot jump shot, that is an objective accomplishment. When you return a serve or outpace other horses, your achievement is relative to the efforts of the opponent.
Good tennis players and jockeys/trainers will spend a significant amount of time studying their competition. They may have a default strategy that they apply to almost any event, but the stars of the game can adapt based on who they are competing against.
In tennis, players analyze opponents’ serving patterns, movement tendencies, and weaknesses under pressure. Similarly, horse racing teams study competing horses’ performance history on various track conditions, pace preferences, and running styles. This preparation often makes the difference between victory and defeat.
Both sports require competitors to make real-time adjustments based on their opponents’ actions. The ability to recognize patterns quickly and adapt accordingly separates champions from the rest of the field.
Mastering the Environment
Both games are also influenced significantly by location. Tennis courts vary dramatically in surface and feel. Clay courts slow the ball and produce high bounces. Grass courts like Wimbledon create faster, lower bounces that favor serve-and-volley players. Hard courts fall somewhere in between. Elite players must adapt their style to each unique surface.
Horse racing tracks present similar challenges with their distinctive features. The Grand National at Aintree features the infamous Becher’s Brook jump. This formidable obstacle has a 6’9″ drop on the landing side, catching many horses by surprise.
The takeaway here is that in events like that, the champion will have found a way to not only outpace their competition but also overcome the unique challenges of their competition. Rafael Nadal’s dominance on clay and Secretariat’s record-setting run at Belmont showcase this mastery of both opponent and environment.
The Potential For Upset
Both games can also be extremely volatile. In tennis, upsets happen at a rate of around 30%. Horse races experience similar odds. In racing, the tendency for unexpected outcomes owes to several factors–not the least of which is the format. Most races only last for about two minutes. Almost anything can happen in that amount of time.
In tennis, a player needs only to get hot. Or another player needs to go cold. Or a ref needs to make a bad call. Or a bounce needs to go a certain way. Yes, upsets happen in other games as well, but the formats are different. On the MLB website, they literally describe upsets as “impossible,” during a three-game series, noting that “any outcome is reasonable” when two professional teams play against one another three times in a row.
The compressed timeframe in both sports amplifies small advantages or mistakes. A single break of serve in tennis can decide an entire match. Similarly, a slight stumble out of the gate in racing can doom even the most talented horse. This inherent unpredictability keeps fans engaged and creates dramatic moments that define both sports.
If you are a betting sort, this volatility will probably both excite and fright you. There are opportunities to wade in with limited risk. When you sign up for some services, you’ll be given a horse racing bonus that basically lets you play with free money.
Outside of that, bet responsibly. Never wager more than you can afford to lose, and do your research.
Two Great Games
There are, of course, limitations to the similarities between horse racing and tennis. Star tennis players don’t leave behind five-pound piles of waste on their hotel room floor (usually) the way a horse does in their stall. Nor can they run at forty miles an hour, even on their best day.
Regardless, these great games have commonalities, just like any two sports might. Some people choose their sports based on the format. They like the way that a very specific game is played. Die-hard fans recognize common threads and ingredients across sports. Qualities that can make any game exciting to watch when it is being played at the highest possible level.
