Giddy Up

Just what is the point of watching and taking part in horse racing, and why does the jockey get all of the credit for the efforts of another?

I mean, where is the skill in sitting on the back of a horse? All you have to do is strap a midget with a silly coloured pair of pyjamas and an eating disorder to the back of a horse and then slap it silly with a whip as it gallops around the track.

If you are then fortunate enough to pass the winning post ahead of the other horses the jockey and trainer are crowned heroes whilst the horse huffs and puffs in the corner. The owner is then rewarded with a fat cheque whilst all the horse gets is a bail of hay and a sugar lump – or if it fails to win enough a one way trip to the glue factory.

However, it would be far more interesting if the jockey was made to run around the one mile track with a horse, dressed in silly pyjamas, strapped to his back. Now, I’d pay to watch that!