The Equibase account of the 5th at Charles Town last night: “BLIXT…dueled through the backstretch…but stumbled and lost his rider mid-turn; was euthanized.” “Stumbled” – dead. Blixt was five; he was “For Sale” at $5,000 on kill-day.
In the most recent Stewards Minutes from Santa Anita, one “fatality” is listed for the w/e October 14, but as is this track’s wont, the victim was not identified.
This is horseracing.
I dread each time you post knowing another horse is dead…for nothing except greed…
Ah yes, let’s say the horse “stumbled” sounds a lot better then telling the truth i.e. that this horse suffered a catastrophic injury.
Equibase can attempt to deceive the public but at the end of the day, there’s no escaping the fact that trying to cover up what is really happening to these magnificent horses is futile. The public are being educated by people who genuinely care about these innocent horses being sacrificed virtually on a daily basis. Utterly sickening.
Yes, Caroline, the horse “stumbled”. BECAUSE of an injury and usually a catstropic one, as you said.
This business has no conscience, and no integrity – minimize, deceive, and ignore…..
Sorry Carolyn !
No need to apologize, Rose. Love your comments, integrity, and incredible knowledge of the equine, especially the racehorse, always learning from you.
As an aside, I recently attended the ISES (International Society for Equitation Science) conference in Rome. All about the welfare and training of the horse. Met some fabulous Americans there, including the amazing Hilary Clayton and Rebecca from Georgia who does wonderful work for so many horses. There was a presentation by Gemma Pearson of the UK, she did some research on racehorses becoming reluctant, fractious, upset when they were being loaded into the gates. It was a good sample of nearly 300 horses and it was done in Canada at the Woodbine racetrack, if my memory serves me correctly.
I worked for a short period of time back in 2000-2001 at the Blue Ribbon Downs race track in Sallisaw, OK greeting and seating guests. When I could, I watched the horses run. Every day that there was a race (weekends only), there were at least three or four horses pull up lame – sometimes even the one that ran first place. At one of the claiming races, just about 200 yards from the finish line, a young filly went down and slid along the track about 15 yards before she came to a rest (it was a wet track because it had been raining). I’ll never forget the sight of that poor filly trying to get to her feet. She made the attempt about four times before I saw what her problem was. BOTH of her front legs were broken off at the knees which left her legs flopping around still attached by the skin. It was shocking and pitiful and had many people leaving the building in tears.
Blame it on the horse.
Take away the responsibility from the industry and the vile members who do this.
Even when a horse is being visibly and repeatedly beaten, while giving its all, they utilize euphemisms such as “urging,” or “coaxing.”
No, it’s not the jockey beating the crap out of a, most likely, tired/sore/maimed and dying racehorse.
It’s the racehorse who required the beating, and all of this is taking place in full public view – their dying is a public execution by the executioners who squeeze the last drop of life out of them because they are blood sucking parasites.
This is so sickening, so repulsive that I can’t believe that there are actually people who defend/support/invest in this modern day horror show.
Some of these injuries CAN be fixed all be it an expensive timely procedure and then potentially none runner, but if you love the horse you’d happily have it living it’s days out crazing, considering the money they bring in! Greed however sees them disposed off for the next horse and the process commences again