Will You Watch The Kentucky Derby This Year?
2008 was a rough year in the equestrian industry. A series of high-profile accidents and deaths across several sports got national attention and brought to light key problem areas in the respective disciplines.
The tragic death of the filly Eight Belles, who was euthanized 10 minutes after running second in the 2008 Kentucky Derby and fracturing both front ankles, was probably the most well-known of these incidents. It brought about an uproar among horse people, bloggers, and the general public about thoroughbred racing. Why it happened and what can be done to prevent it in the future were major discussions for weeks.
At the same time, I heard from many horse bloggers and horsey friends who said that they would never watch the Kentucky Derby again. They can no longer support a dangerous, callous sport like thoroughbred racing.
Cons of Thoroughbred Racing
The biggest problem with thoroughbred racing is that it is a big-money sport. As such, owners, trainers, and breeders tend to see horses as a commodity and not always as living, breathing animals. This attitude is evidenced in many areas:
- racing thoroughbreds too young
- breeding for speed at the expense of soundness
- the rise of industries such as nurse mares
- breaking down horses by pushing them too hard and racing them too often
- keeping race horses cooped up in stalls with no pasture time or interaction with other horses
- drugs that mask pain and lameness
- all kinds of unethical(and illegal) treatments to make a horse run faster
We, especially us horse enthusiasts, hate to see a horse break down. It’s even worse when it happens live before our very eyes like with Eight Belles. It makes us see all the negative aspects of the racing industry, and cry out (justly) for the wellfare of these horses. Sometimes all we can do is boycott an industry with which we take issue. Don’t add to the Neilsen ratings, don’t bet, don’t go to the racetrack. If enough people joined in, maybe we would see some changes. If not, we still have to do what we feel is right.
Pros of Thoroughbred Racing
There are just as many reasons to love racing as there are to hate it. Just as there are a lot of people in it for the money, there are just as many people who are in it for the love of horses and the love of racing. The woman who owns the barn where I grew up has gotten into breeding and racing in the last few years. She’s doing it on a small scale and doing it because she loves it. She wants to change the industry by showing that it is possible be successful and keep her integrity. She doesn’t whip her horses. She lets them grow up a bit before she races them. She doesn’t push them too hard or run them unsound.
Or check out fellow blogger Holy Racehorse, who advocates the benefits of barefoot trimming, rehabilitates race horses, and truly cares about the well-being of each one of her charges.
There are a whole lot of good people in the thoroughbred racing industry. And good things about it include:
- Thoroughbreds love to run. And they are good at it.
- It gives thousands of horses a job. That’s important in this current climate of too many unwanted, neglected horses.
- Thoroughbred racing adds a lot to our economy in jobs as well as gambling. A lot of people put in long hours and work hard, but they have jobs.
- Racing is a spectator sport. It’s glorious to watch these thoroughbreds run. They are so obviously meant to do it.
So, Will You Watch?
Personally, I will continue to keep my eyes on thoroughbred racing. I love thoroughbreds. I love their athleticism and their heart; whether they are running, jumping, galloping cross country, or performing piaffe and one tempis. I will watch for the love of horses and the love of horses who love what they do. I will watch for the barn owners and Holy Racehorses of the world who continue to train and compete with integrity. I will watch so that I can see for myself what goes on the industry so that I can decry what is bad and encourage what is good.
Tell me, where do you stand? Will you refuse to watch the Kentucky Derby or participate in thoroughbred racing in any way? Or will you continue to tune in?
I can definitely see both sides. And there are a lot of valid reasons for both. Feel free to share your view or add any pros and cons to the above lists.
The death of Eight Belles will not keep me from watching the Kentucky Derby or any other race. However, I must include that it took me a long time to watch horse racing in the first place until ‘how it works’ was explained to me by a long time racing barn manager. So after many discussions, I started watching. My husband even worked at one of the local horse racing tracks, using one of our own horses to patrol the grounds (he was in security). Unfortunately my experience in watch racing has been less than stellar as it seems to never fail, that the races I choose to watch inevitably an entry is injured. It almost gives me a complex, like maybe if I don’t watch the horses will be safe. I don’t know what the answer is in making horse racing safer, but I do believe action needs to take place. I know lots of people in the industry and I know they would not knowingly hurt their animals. I agree with you that horses need jobs. This is one of many.
I know that I, of all people, should hate thoroughbred racing, but I don’t. I plan to watch the derby…I might even have a derby party this year since it is the first time I will not be working on a Saturday! And I want to take a day over the spring and go visit one of the tracks my horse raced at so I will be seen in the stands…and gambling. If there was no Thoroughbred racing I wouldn’t have my ponies. And can you imagine the price of a lesson horse if there were no off the track TBs out there for less than $1,000? Of course I hate seeing the accidents. Espcially since I think a lot of them are preventable. My big beef is the breeding of horses without thought for the whole picture…but I think more people then just TB breeders are guilty of that. I hate when I hear about a race horse who had a good career at the track being bred even after they had to be retired because of some conformation or genetic problem. Yes, they might still have a baby that can run, but for how long? And I know you said that horses race more today, but I remeber seeing that they are actully raced significantly less times in their lives now then they did 30 years ago and being shocked by it. I might be making that up…still not feeling 100%
djhornsby – now that sounds like a fun job, patroling the racing grounds by horseback. I bet your husband saw and learned all kinds of interesting behind the scenes stuff about racing. That’s certainly an interesting vantage point you’ve had.
OnTheBit – I think you’re right about thoroughbreds racing significantly less now than they used to. I remember reading last year that 30 years ago horses were bred more for soundness and not just for speed. They were bigger boned, generally stronger and had longer, busier careers. Today’s thoroughbred is much lighter without the same kind of stamina. In thinking about it, the really successful horse race very little. Big Brown only had what, 9 starts? Middle of the road horses, doing it in the small time, race a whole lot more. That’s a good point, tho. I know a lot of people still complain about how often and long horses race … but it IS a whole lot less than they used to.
I don’t care much for he practices used in the racing industry. I’m not sure if I will watch it or not, that’s the only honest answer I can give right now. They are beautiful animals and they are inspiring to watch as they thunder down the homestretch, but I really don’t like to see an injury, especially like the one Eight Belles had,it’s really upsetting. I love the thoroughbreds and feel they are one of the most talented horse breeds, I guess I would like a guarantee that no one would get hurt and all the horses are taken well care of etc… Unfortunately, there are no guarantees in life or the horse racing industry.
For me, I’ll probably be watching. If I’m not it’ll be my schedule that interfers not because I don’t want to watch.
It’s not just the thoroughbred industry that has problems with abuses and people exploiting the horses. If I were to quit because there are bad people exploiting horses, it wouldn’t help horses one bit. Instead it would leave horses totally in the hands of those who don’t really care about them. I’m not going to let those people and their excesses stop me from following my passion. Along the way you can bet I’m going to do everything I can to bring about change and make things better for the horse.
I absolutely will slip off from what I have to do that day to watch the Derby. I didn’t see the collapse of Eight Belles on TV last year, even though I was in Kentucky then, but I heard about it on the radio. I reckon I’d better blog about that soon. May is closer than I think.
I honestly think that Eight Belles was where she wanted to be that day because they do so love to run. Yeah, some of it is the herd/prey “gotta be out in front” thing, but they know that nothing’s after them. They run like that because they love it. They run for fun in the fields. They want to explode out of that gate and let ‘er rip. Jockeys have a hard time holding some of them back.
Too many people already reject too many equestrian disciplines because of the bad apples, despite how all the good eggs who never get any press. I’m not accusing any of Eight Belles’s connections of anything, but I do believe that equestrian activities are under siege on several fronts..
I am going to watch the Kentucky derby and see the proud horses compete. But I do have alot a negative feelings about horse racing as said in the above cons. Money greed responsible for all of them. I cried and was angry for days after. I too believe she probably loved to run. But her bones were not strong enough to hold up to that hard pace.
Emphasis should be on letting bones develop fully. Not to race early for money.
I hope that some rules are made to make the horses safer.
I will be watching. I know that there are the good and bad of all horse racing. I was very upset with the death of Eight Belles also. I only know about Thoroughbred racing from what I read and watch on TV, but I used to work in the Standardbred racing world many years ago and loved and hated it. I thought that they were starting those babies out WAY to early. Saw my share of crashes and good racing. I truly do not miss it. I love seeing my plump, lazy hay burners at my barn. They only work in the summer and fall with the SCSO and teach my 4 year old how to ride, and your lazy day trail rides. Come on Spring!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I just stumbled into this site. Love the intellegent and sincere views expressed here. To be honest, my friend of over 40 years lives in Louisville and she told me that there was a grey horse running that could be a fun bet. No, she couldn’t remember his name, or his owner’s name…oh, well.
I have a very funny relationship with racing and watching racing. I love horses, have rescued a good many TBs over my 60 years and I certainly LOVE thoroughbreds. Every year I have this arguement with myself. Will I watch it, will I not? I hate seeing horses hurt. I always watch races through my fingers with horror. But somehow, I can’t help watching the big races, even though I know some horse or another will be injured and I will “hate myself in the morning”.
For the last 8 derby races I have lived in England and because of that I seem to miss the derby one way or another. Time change, opps was THAT the first saturday in May that just went by? Time slips away.
I fully agree with several of you who have expressed the notion that if we don’t watch it, or bet on it, don’t keep our eyes on the sport the bad guys will win. I always want to know my enemies, and horses have a lot of problems keeping safe in this day and age.
On the other hand, I have watched the The Grand National for the past 8 years. Now, that is truly a nightmare. I don’t WANT to watch it, but I do; can’t help myself. I have the feeling that if I don’t watch, somebody will get hurt…just the opposite of the person who said she thought she had “jinxed” some of the horses that got hurt while she was watching.
Over my fireplace I have a huge limited edition print of a painting of Aldiniti with Bob Champion up, just clearing the last fence of the Grand National. I bought it because I so loved the movie “Champions” and it is wonderful. It’s even signed by Bob. But you know, I keep saying I’m going to sell it because I can’t stand the cruelty of the National, but I never do. Somehow looking at that picture and remembering that both of them were doomed, and yet survived to live on gives me some sort of hope.
In this day and age we all could use a bit of that, don’t you think?