Through a FOIA request to the Virginia Racing Commission, I have confirmed the following kills at that state’s tracks last year. (Virginia is a light-racing state.)
Tapwood, May 6, Great Meadow R
“Fell over the jump and became wobbly, was placed into the trailer and in a few minutes collapsed and died – hemorrhagic shock.”
Liveforthesong, Aug 10, Colonial R
“Was unsaddled and noted to have blood in both nostrils and collapsed. When opening the thorax, there was a significant amount of red serosanguinous fluid present, and this fluid was present within the oral cavity and throughout the entire trachea. Findings in this animal are consistent with exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage.”
Rycroft N, Oct 28, Shenandoah R
“Horse broke down at the 3/4 pole, fell on the right side and became recumbent. [Multiple] fractures, ruptured tendon. Euthanized [three-plus hours later].”
This poor animal was 12 years old.
I’d like to hear the apologists and racing supporters explain why Rycroft N was made to lie for 3 hours in agony before someone finally got their ass in gear and euthanized him. I KNOW it wasn’t because his connections were heartbroken and saying goodbye.
RYCROFT N appears to have been from New Zealand. Once a horse wins a certain amount of money and achieves a certain class there, they aren’t allowed to drop in class. Evidently, they are ripe for the picking for people like Randy Bendis.
I have a fondness for Standardbreds,partly because my maternal grandparents lived in Lancaster County,where you would see them pulling buggies down the roads. No horse should die for being forcibly bred into this sleazy industry.Sad,sad,sad.
It’s sickening to think about how some Standardbreds end up at a livestock auction in Texas after their racing connections and the Amish are done with them. Some of those horses are resold again by a dealer who rides them bareback with only a halter, and the lead rope as a single rein, in an alleyway between rows of pens.
The Standardbreds and the Thoroughbreds he rides are gentle (and some have disfigured limbs) but they have “outlived” their usefulness to the people who just want to make money off of them.
Poor Rycroft N probably also had 100s of races in their history also, as most Standardbreds seem to. It was just this last year that I noted that they seem to have to retire at 14 from recognized racing, but can continue on into their mid to upper teens in fair and amateur races. God forbid the poor Standardbreds just get to retire. It’s either off to the Amish, off to breeding, off to unrecognized races, or off to the kill pens.