A horse race is a random name picker staged as a day at the track. Every name becomes a racehorse with a jockey in coloured silks, lined up in its own lane on a green turf course. After a 3-2-1 countdown the starting gate opens and the field gallops about 1200 metres, trading the lead until one horse reaches the finish post first. Second and third place stand on the podium and the full finishing order is listed below.
It suits any moment where people like a bit of suspense before the answer: picking a raffle winner at a fundraiser, choosing the next speaker in a team call, or settling who hosts the next game night. Up to 60 horses can run. With a long list each lane gets narrow, so for a big crowd it is easier to run a few heats.
How to run a horse race
- Type or paste the names, one per line. Each line is one horse and its jockey.
- Choose a race length: Short is about 10 seconds, Normal about 20, Long about 35 and Epic about a minute.
- Press Start race. After the 3-2-1 countdown the gate opens and the camera follows the leading horse.
- When the last horse is home you get the podium and the complete order. Copy the results or run the race again.
Is the horse race fair?
Yes. There is no form guide and no favourite. The moment you press Start, the page shuffles the field with your browser's crypto.getRandomValues, so every possible finishing order is equally likely. That shuffle is the result. Each horse then gets its own speed curve, with surges and moments where it fades, timed so it passes the post at its assigned moment.
A horse that leads at the halfway mark has no better chance than one that starts slowly. Nothing during the race, including resizing the window or switching to full screen, can change who wins. Your list stays in your browser and is never uploaded.
Ideas for horse races
- Run a sweepstake-style draw at an office party or a family gathering, with prizes for the top three.
- Pick the order of turns for a board game night.
- Choose which class team presents first, then tick Remove winner and race again for second slot.
- Set the race title and winner message to match your event, then put it on a projector in full-screen mode.
Frequently asked questions
How many horses can run in one race?
Up to 60. Every horse has its own lane, so with a very long list the horses and name tags get smaller. For a large group, run heats of 10 to 15 horses and race the heat winners in a final.
Can I change the winner message?
Yes. In the race settings you can write your own pop-up text. Use {name} for the winner's name, {icon} for their icon and {n} for the number of racers, for example "{name} wins by a nose!". You can also turn the pop-up off.
Does the horse race make sound?
Yes: countdown beeps, hoof beats while the field gallops, the odd neigh and a fanfare for the winner. The sounds are generated in the browser and can be switched off in the race settings.
Can the same horse win twice in a row?
Yes, because every race is a fresh draw. If each person should win only once, tick Remove winner after race and the winning name is taken off the list.