Comments on: Tragedy Strikes the Derby — So Sad

By: Dr. Meg

Dr. Meg — Sun, 04 May 2008 22:33:38 +0000

I've been soul-searching ever since the race. I find rationalizations for the sport itself, and then tear those rationalizations apart. As much as I love animals and support their welfare, in our current sociocultural paradigm they are someone else's property to do with as they will. It doesn't make it right, but there it is. As far as the training too much too soon and too hard, heeck, people do about the same thing to girl gymnasts, and they are HUMAN CHILDREN.

If you think about it, a tremendous amount of animal suffering goes on every day. Eight Belles had a quick end, at least; anyone who has ever looked into abattoir management knows that is not the case for a lot of production animals. But yet we benefit from the process every day (unless you are a radical vegan or something). Is the "need" we have for entertainment any less reason to use the animals that our culture deems as property? Is it right for someone to keep a dog that they neglect and let be slightly malnourished and fleabitten? What if that dog was the only decent companionship that the 11-year old abused boy in the house can get? Then does it become more acceptable? I am not pretending to know all the answers, I am just trying to think about the right questions.

I think that the reason we are all so upset is that this was the demise of a beautiful glorious animal who was performing and entertaining us. I think the key is pushing for changes within the rules of the sport that would reduce injury. But I don't think that we should vilify the sport, even though my emotions tell me to rant away.

By: Jennifer McDevitt

Jennifer McDevitt — Sun, 04 May 2008 20:22:05 +0000

I've ridden all my life and have always condemed flat racing. It is nothing more than animal cruelty and abuse and NOTHING will convince me otherwise. Turf and running at such an early age is only half the problem. Breeding is done for speed and nothing else is taken into consideration except winning and money.
Eight Belles' trainer, Larry Jones' comments in The New York Times seemed smug and it made me sick to read them. And don't feel sorry for the owners – they have their insurance policy. Feel sorry for the beautiful animal who was trained to run herself to death – that they want to run that fast is just baloney. Horses have a true sense of self preservation and riders and trainers can take that away from them.
I haven't watched a Triple Crown since Ruffian was put down after a STAKES race – not even the Triple Crown. An ego and money race to see what horse is best. I hold this industry with nothing but contempt and disgust.

By: dave

dave — Sun, 04 May 2008 18:26:44 +0000

thanks for those numbers.
A quick google search revealed some a handful of different numbers depending on the source, but all seemed consistent with yours.
maybe this tragedy is what it takes to force reform in the sport. From what i've read, a move to synthetic tracks, drug reform, and more responsible breeding/training could do wonders.

By: here i am

here i am — Sun, 04 May 2008 17:10:13 +0000

dave – I might be off on this and I am sorry if I am, but I have always been a big racing fan as well and my understanding is that roughly 1 in 400 starts results in an injury

how sad these tragedies are ……

By: Rob

Rob — Sun, 04 May 2008 09:01:12 +0000

I have to correct my previous post. Actually there is a law against animal cruelty, but it seems no one has the courage to apply it in this case. Even without a killed horse the beating of the poor animals is more than cruel.

By: ctal1999

ctal1999 — Sun, 04 May 2008 02:08:52 +0000

Chex said that pretty well. In addition, we have to remember that quarterhorses are very specialized creatures. They are specially bred with nothing but speed in mind and part of the physiology that makes them so damned fast also makes them vulnerable to these types of injuries. Added maturity might help, but as long as they race quarterhorses, this will continue to happen.

By: angie

angie — Sat, 03 May 2008 23:29:41 +0000

you put that perfectly.

By: Robert Seidman

Robert Seidman — Sat, 03 May 2008 23:12:29 +0000

Angie, without horse racing it could be argued that Eight Belles would never have been born to begin with. But I understand your frustration and find myself mostly sharing in your viewpoint at the moment.