What’s your perspective?

There were two reasons why I enjoyed watching today’s King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes. First off, as truly one of the most important races in the world, it was no surprise when the mid-summer classic drew the deepest cast of talent seen so far on the turf this year. The running of the Group 1 Ascot affair did not disappoint either, as two of the stars, Danedream and Nathaniel approached the wire in a heart-pounding, head-bob of a finish. Yes, it was a great race, but what made it even more of a pleasure to watch was the fantastic camera coverage given to us by British television.

Starting with the first shot, giving us a birds-eye view of inside the starting gate as the jockeys readied their mounts for the break of the huge race, it occurs to me how much better the camera work is in this race than what we are accustomed to in America. With the traveling camera staying just in front of the horses, we are afforded a constant and telling look at each horse furlong after furlong. It’s really easy to tell how your favorite is traveling from this perspective.

While this moving camera is paramount to the early race coverage, other views, including head-on, side-view, from behind, and even a ground level camera shot, only add to the overall experience of race watching. Then as the race nears the exciting conclusion, a more traditional view from the grandstand takes us home. But it is not just one view from the grandstand, like any well produced sporting event on television, it seems the English know how to pan in and pan out to better capture the unfolding story.

After watching it again, I wonder why we can’t do it this well here in the States.