Grab a mint julep, it’s time for the 2023 Kentucky Derby. This annual event brings the world together for “the most exciting two minutes in sports” at Churchill Downs’ dirt track in Louisville.
It’s been more than 140 years since the inaugural race — Saturday’s race will be the 149th running — and you’d think reporters would have covered every angle of the event, from the horses’ names and odds to jockeys and trainers to Triple Crown winners.
But there’s one community whose perspective on the Kentucky Derby has gone largely unexplored. That community is horse girls.
MORE Kentucky Derby: Q&A: FanDuel TV’s Christina Blacker on what bettors should expect at the 2023 Kentucky Derby
What is a horse girl?
No, these aren’t half-girl, half-horse hybrids. Humanity hasn’t created centaurs… yet. Instead, horse girls are simply girls who love horses.
People outside of equestrian circles may not realize how developed horse girl subculture is. There are horse girl movies, books, clothes, websites and so much more. In the small Georgia town I grew up in, horse girls qualified as their own clique in school. Similar to University of Georgia fans wearing team jerseys to bond with other fans, horse girls identified each other through horse-themed clothes and flocked to each other in the cafeteria.
The phenomenon is so well established that BuzzFeed was able to compile a post full of horse girl memes. Urban Dictionary also has several definitions for “horse girl.” Many girls (and women) just adore horses. And like anything people love, from sports to bands, there is merch, media and more catered to it.
Also, horse figurines. Lots of horse figurines.
What do horse girls think of the Kentucky Derby?
For self-described horse girls like Reddit user iDieFirst, riding horses and watching the Derby are family traditions. For others, the Derby is more of a casual event.
“I think it’s a really cool thing to watch, whether you know anything about horses or not,” said Lauren Davoodi, a rider at ISE Equine Endeavors in Parker, Texas. “There’s also a lot of amazing history behind the Derby and the Triple Crown, and you can learn a lot just by reading about the races or seeing posts online. It’s really amazing to see how much love and effort the riders and trainers involved put into their horses.”
In contrast, some horse fans, like childhood horse girl and current art educator Anna Moon, have never even watched the Derby. Similarly, Savannah Kawahata, veterinary medicine student at UC Davis and “lapsed horse girl,” has also never tuned in to the race.
“I’ve never had the attention span for watching professional sports,” Kawahata said.
What Derby watchers should know about horses
Many outlets, including For The Win, have covered animal welfare concerns at the Kentucky Derby. It’s an important issue, especially when horses’ lives are on the line. In response to worries over animal health, the newly established Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority is working to ensure racehorses’ health and well-being.
“I don’t think horse racing, at least in the U.S., is done in a particularly healthy or sustainable way with concern for the animal’s well-being, so I don’t love it as a whole,” Kawahata adds. “That being said, I’m sure this level of racing is leaps and bounds improved over the tracks I’ve seen.”
While opinions on the Derby vary, there are some key sentiments that horse enthusiasts want people to know. When it comes to animal health, Moon wants Derby watchers to understand how the sport impacts horses.
“I think attendees should know it’s a dangerous sport, that’s about entertaining humans and not a love for the creatures,” Moon said. “I was pretty scarred as a child to learn just how dangerous racing was for the horses, how it’s nearly impossible to rehabilitate horses from injuries or doping abuse.”
Like dogs bred for specific qualities, horses bred for racing display strong talents in some areas and major drawbacks in others.
As a 2020 episode of the Scientific American podcast Science, Quickly explains, “Breeding pairs are chosen for their athletic prowess and competitive behavior.” This system can and has resulted in “significant inbreeding” and related health issues.
While this raises concerns about the ethics of horse racing, it also pushes back against claims that horses are forced to race.
“A common argument I hear against the Derby and racing in general is that the horses are forced to run,” Davoodi said, “and that couldn’t be farther from the truth. Race horses, especially the ones that are good enough to make it to the Derby, love their jobs.
“They’re like bird hunting dogs — they’re bred to do one thing, and that’s all they want to do. If a horse doesn’t want to run, it won’t run, and there’s nothing you can do to make it.”