The Derby Shows Beauty, Horror of Horse Racing
May 5th, 2008 at 11:11 amBy Chris
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While the Big Brown celebration is legitimately deserved — his performance was incredibly dominating; so much so it seems his opponents have thrown in the towel for the Preakness — the sadness concerning Eight Belles is legitimately deserved as well. The only filly to appear in the 134th running gave an incredible performance as well.
Unfortunately, her run ended in despair after she broke both front ankles after crossing the finish line. Because the damage to her legs was so extensive, Eight Belles was euthanized on the track. In light of the horrific ending to Eight Belles’ promising racing career, PETA has, of course, shared their opinion with the rest of the free world.
And while it may be a bit misguided, the fact of the matter is, seeing Eight Belles succumb like she did is enough to make any animal lover question the need for horse racing. While Mike Vick gets vilified for his role in a dog fighting ring (deservedly so), the horse racing industry continues on its path unimpeded.
What makes this even harder to take is it’s doubtful Eight Belles will be remembered with the same passion devoted to Barbaro, especially after the initial buzz tapers off. Personally, I’d prefer to remember her like this instead of debating whether or not NBC should have shown more footage of her horrific ending.
But maybe that’s just me.
Stumble it!
May 5th, 2008 at 12:12 pm
I still believe in horse racing. Some horses were just born to run. I just think there should be tougher rules bout using whips and such. Eigh Belles raced her heart out and should be remembered for the effort she gave. Although I am not a big fan of PETA maybe their efforts will get some sort of justice in her memory.
May 16th, 2008 at 3:20 pm
[...] time to shine and if the Barbaro saga didn’t dampen their spirit, nothing — not even the destruction of Eight Belles — [...]
May 27th, 2008 at 11:23 am
[...] horses and their safety has been brought back to the forefront — especially when you consider the tragedy of Eight Belles. With this in mind, I pursued an opportunity to interview Dr Lawrence Bramlage, the attending [...]