In the early days of horse racing, accurately recording race times was not a priority. Judges made rulings based on their assessments, which generally satisfied both participants and spectators. In cases of contention, races could be re-run, or agreements could be reached to divide the prize money. The first recorded dead heat in the Weatherby Racing Calendar took place in April 1801 at Newmarket Racecourse, where Sir Peter's Worthy and Sir Charles Bunbury's Sorcerer crossed the finish line simultaneously. The judge opted for a re-run, resulting in a victory for Worthy. Such dead heats were typically resolved without much dispute.
However, the Industrial Revolution, which began in England in the 18th century, brought significant changes to all aspects of life, including horse racing. Rules were refined, racing conditions evolved, and the selection and breeding of horses improved, leading to a larger and more competitive field. This increase in participants resulted in a rise in dead heats and heightened controversies, especially when multiple horses finished in proximity. As judges’ decisions increasingly clashed with public perception and the opinions of horse owners, there arose a need for a more reliable method to record finish times—one that surpassed the limitations of human judgment. Thus, the concept of the photo finish was born.
Eadweard Muybridge: The Pioneer of Instant Photography
Eadweard Muybridge, born Edward James Muggeridge (April 9, 1830 – May 8, 1904), was an innovative photographer and explorer whose work laid the groundwork for photo finish technology. Though he was born and died in Kingston-upon-Thames, Surrey, England, he spent the majority of his life in America after emigrating as a young man, famously rejecting his grandmother's offer of financial support for the journey in favour of forging his own path.
Throughout his life in America, Muybridge engaged in various pursuits: he changed his name, sold books, captured the landscapes of the American West and Alaska, documented the conflicts between the U.S. government and Native Americans, and even became embroiled in a sensational murder trial after killing his wife’s lover—an incident from which he was acquitted. Ultimately, he turned his lens to the study of movement, photographing both people and animals.
Muybridge's most notable contribution was the invention of chronophotography, a technique that captures the motion of an object at short, regular intervals. He pioneered the use of multiple cameras to record motion, leading to the invention of the zoopraxiscope—a device that displayed sequential images on a rotating glass disk, creating the illusion of movement. This innovation was an early precursor to cinematography.
The catalyst for Muybridge's groundbreaking experiments was a debate involving Leland Stanford, the 8th Governor of California, and two horse racing experts. Stanford asserted that during a gallop, a horse's four legs leave the ground simultaneously, while his opponents contended that at least one leg always remains planted. To settle the dispute, an experimental track was established at Stanford's Palo Alto Stock Farm in July 1878, featuring a long white wall on one side and 12 cameras on the other. Strings were strung across the track, triggering the cameras' shutters as a horse galloped past, capturing each moment of its stride. The event attracted significant media attention, and news of its success quickly spread.
The series of photographs known as "Sallie Gardner at a Gallop," taken by Muybridge, is particularly famous for demonstrating that all four legs of a horse do indeed leave the ground when tucked under its body, contrary to the way it had often been depicted by artists of the time. Muybridge continued to refine his techniques, experimenting with various emulsions, exposure times, and mechanical and electrical shutter mechanisms.
In May 1882, Muybridge published a brief article in *Nature*, predicting that photography would soon play a critical role in determining race winners. His foresight proved accurate; the first known photograph of a race finish was taken by Ernest Marx at a New Jersey race in 1881.
Photo Finish: Evolution
As time passed, the limitations of traditional photo finishes became increasingly evident. Between two shutter clicks, a horse could cover approximately 10 cm, making it challenging to accurately determine the race winner. This issue was addressed by placing multiple cameras at the finish line to capture sequential images.
In the 1930s, slit photography emerged as a solution, wherein images were projected through a narrow slit, and a comprehensive finish picture was assembled from the resulting strips.
During the same period, the introduction of "Kirby cameras" revolutionised photo finishes by merging them with automatic timing. Invented by Gustav Kirby, this dual-lens movie camera recorded the finish line with one lens while the other captured a chronometer displaying time on rotating disks. The disks began to turn upon the sound of the starting pistol, ensuring each moment was accurately timed.
From the 1950s onward, two Swiss companies, Omega and Longines, fiercely competed in the photo finish and timing sectors, continuously developing advanced film camera models for photo finish applications. Up until the 1990s, film cameras were the standard for recording finishes, achieving speeds of up to 1,000 frames per second. However, these systems had their drawbacks, such as film tearing, jamming, or running out.
With the dawn of the digital age, the first digital photo finish systems were introduced, comprising a digital camera, a timer, and a connected computer equipped with specialised software for image processing. Today, colour digital photo finish systems and electronic starting pistols are commonplace.
The introduction of artificial intelligence has further transformed photo finish technology. AI systems can analyse vast amounts of data from multiple cameras positioned at various angles, quickly identifying errors and alerting the judging panel. Some race tracks even utilise laser sensors to determine which horse crosses the finish line first.
Efforts are now focused on ensuring that spectators and participants have complete confidence in the fairness and objectivity of the races. Despite the advanced technology at play, there are still instances when even the most sophisticated systems struggle to determine the leading horse. Rarely, two or even three horses may cross the finish line simultaneously, resulting in multiple winners.
One notable occurrence happened during the Velká Pardubická steeplechase in the Czech Republic in October 2024, where both Sexy Lord and Godfrey were declared winners, leaving the photo finish unable to decide a single victor. A similar situation arose in June 2024 at the Land O'Burns Fillies' Stakes race in Ayr, Scotland, where Azure Blue and Beautiful Diamond shared the top spot.