Tammy Bruce: Sad News: Barbaro Euthanized

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Sad News: Barbaro Euthanized

The late, great Barbaro

A great horse, fallen by the excesses of racing and the damage it causes. I love horse racing, but it's clear again, especially after this event, that the damage and pain it causes is not worth it. Poor Barbaro. Poor us.

Barbaro euthanized

Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro, whose valiant battle for survival after shattering his right-hind leg in the early stages of the May 20 Preakness brought international attention unprecedented emotional support, was euthanized early today at the University of Pennsylvania New Bolton Center, where he had been hospitalized for more than eight months...

A deterioration of the originally injured leg required surgery on Saturday during which pins were inserted through the bone and connected to an external device. That setback, complicated by a left-hind hoof afflicted by severe laminitis, indications that the front hooves were beginning to become laminitic and Barbaro's inability to lay down for 48 hours following the last surgery led to the final decision "There was not one foot that was not affected," Gretchen Jackson told the Thoroughbred Times.

I grew up in a home where horse racing and betting were part of the experience. My Uncle Jack was a bookie, and my Uncle Ed was always betting on the horses. He would have office pools for the horse races and I was always good at picking winners. At a very young age, he started taking me to Hollywood Park and Santa Anita tracks. I enjoyed the sport a great deal, loved how beautiful the horses were, and was told over and over again, the horses love to run like that, they love to run together.

Through the years, though, you would see horrific accidents, legs breaking, horses dropping. I was loathe to admit that's because of the unnatural pressure, the unnatural training, and the push to drive the horses literally to their limit.

No, that does not happen in nature. This is not how horses run normally. I'm sorry to say this, but and even sorrier that it took the death of a favorite horse of mine to finally come to this conclusion, but now I will be officially against horse racing. Whiel I have enjoyed it, and it's very exciting, the price for the horses is just too high.

Posted by Tammy · January 29, 2007 10:03 AM · Permalink
Animal Issues | Sports

Comments

With Barbaro's tragic accident, I vowed never to watch another horse race. I've followed his remarkable healing process and sensed that the last setback would be .... What a valiant creature he was. The meadows at Rainbow Bridge has gained a new critter -- free to roam again!

Posted by: gull at January 29, 2007 11:42 AM

I've been tearie all morning...there was something about Barbaro that just struck your heart...his personality was incredible..we started going to Del Mar a few years back and I too was amazed on the beauty of these animals, I've loved horses since I was a little girl...but last year at Del Mar alone 17 or 18 horses were put down due to injuries...having seen first hand a horse go down right in front of our seats, it gave me a new perspective to the race...I don't think I'll be going back...

Tammy, where did you get the picture of Barbaro? I would like it so I can put it on my wall of 'The Greatest'..

Posted by: Marie at January 29, 2007 12:09 PM

Thank you for the photograph and thoughts regarding Barbaro. I grew up with horse racing in New Mexico (La Mesa Park, Raton, New Mexico). As an adult, I always looked forward to watching the big races of the triple crown each year, and we have seen wonderful, awe-inspiring horses over the years. But, we have also seen tragedy upon tragedy on the tracks. (I will never forget Ruffian!) And, in recent years, these tragic accidents have increased. Add the increased likelihood of track accidents, to the well-documented cases of abuses in training, and I have come to the point where this sport is over for me as well.

Posted by: NavajoSierra at January 29, 2007 12:34 PM

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Sad News: Barbaro Euthanized

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