What: Animal Activist Horse Races
Film By: UNO Student
Editor’s Note: NolaVie partners with students of UNO professor László Zsolt Fülöp, pairing them with artists, non-profits, environmental groups, and cultural entities to facilitate a live curriculum that results in a short documentary. UNO student discusses the history of horse racing in New Orleans and how this has transformed into human racing! Local New Orleanians dress up in horse costumes and race each other while getting into the spirit of racing. This event occurs annually and is a classic!
|Read the full transcript of the interview below|
What is a horse? They are kinda bug-like if you think about it in the abdomen.
Did they evolve from seahorses? Well, in New Orleans on Thanksgiving, people go to the racetracks; it’s a tradition for the Thanksgiving Classic. Equestrian enthusiasts of all kinds gather.
These are very large beasts. They let humans ride on top of them. They don’t need to be around anymore; our machines have 70 times the horsepower. We don’t need horses for this tradition anymore. You could ride a man or a woman! The score or value is totally arbitrary.
In Easton Park in MidCity on Thanksgiving the 4th Annual Human Horse Races will take place on November 23rd, 2023
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This UNO documentary is absolutely delightful! The concept of “human horse races” where local New Orleanians dress up in horse costumes and race each other is peak New Orleans creativity — taking a traditional Thanksgiving activity and completely reimagining it with humor and whimsy. The student filmmaker’s quirky opening question “What is a horse? They are kinda bug-like if you think about it in the abdomen” sets the perfect absurdist tone.
I love the environmental and animal welfare angle woven into the fun. The point that “our machines have 70 times the horsepower” and “we don’t need horses for this tradition anymore” is surprisingly thoughtful for such a playful event. It’s not preachy activism; it’s joyful substitution. Instead of eliminating the tradition, they’re transforming it into something that celebrates the idea of horse racing without exploiting actual horses.
The fact that this is the 4th Annual event in Easton Park in MidCity shows it’s become a genuine community tradition. New Orleans has such a gift for taking serious issues and addressing them through celebration and absurdity rather than solemnity. The “score or value is totally arbitrary” line is perfect — it captures the spirit of participation over competition.
On a practical note: I take a lot of photos at local events and documentary screenings for my personal archive, and the HEIC format from my iPhone is always a pain when I’m trying to organize them or share with fellow culture enthusiasts. I’ve been using to convert those event photos to JPG before archiving. It runs entirely in the browser so my photos never leave my laptop, which I appreciate since they’re personal memories. Batch conversion is a lifesaver when I’ve got dozens of photos from an event. Just thought I’d pass it along in case anyone else documents their local adventures!
Outstanding content; I will recommend it to my acquaintances and request that they check it out. You’re very kind in sharing. When you have additional leisure, proceed to: run 3