Barbaro wasn't a pet; he was a racehorse. He was a multimillion investment, he was a sports hero, he was a moneymaker -- and he was loved.
One thing is certain: No one wanted to see Barbaro die.
I remember the day of the Preakness. My sister owns racehorses, too, and she invited me to Pimlico. The crowd was buzzing that morning -- hours before the Preakness -- and the anticipation just grew as the race got closer.
It sounded like a football game -- the crowd was so loud -- when Barbaro and the other horses walked past the fans. We took our seats on the infield bleachers just in front of the start. First, Barbaro broke from the gate before the other horses. We worried that something was physically wrong with him. He was checked and loaded back into the gate.
This time, the start was good. The crowd roared as all of the horses raced past us and then, within seconds, so many people were so quiet. We saw Barbaro being pulled up and we saw him being attended to on the track. We worried. We didn't even know which horse had won the race. We walked right past the winner's circle, but no one was really paying attention. It was the quietest gathering we'd ever seen at a racetrack.
We heard all sorts of nuggets as we walked to our car -- Barbaro's injury was serious, but it wasn't life-threatening, he was going to be euthanized, he was already dead, he was going to be OK. We called my husband to find out what was being reported on TV. We turned on the radio.
We were in shock.
When you race horses you know this can happen. These animals weigh more than 1,000 pounds and reach speeds of more than 35 mph -- and all the while they are so close to each other. One bad step and the result can be catastrophic, as it ended up being for Barbaro.
Let's agree to save today for remembering the greatness of Barbaro -- the way he charged to the lead in the Kentucky Derby and won it so decisively. Everybody was talking about him being the next super horse -- the next Affirmed, the next Seattle Slew, the next Secretariat.
And in a way, he was. Never has a horse fought so hard to live after such a devastating injury. Never have people cared so much about a horse that wasn't even on the track.
Maybe it was because of Barbaro's owners, who decided to try to save him. Maybe it was the doctor who seemed always to be by his side. Maybe it was us ... maybe we just needed Barbaro to survive.
Save another day for the debate about whether horse racing is something that should be done at all. This day is for remembering just how great and valiant Barbaro was.
One thing is certain: No one wanted to see Barbaro die.
I remember the day of the Preakness. My sister owns racehorses, too, and she invited me to Pimlico. The crowd was buzzing that morning -- hours before the Preakness -- and the anticipation just grew as the race got closer.
It sounded like a football game -- the crowd was so loud -- when Barbaro and the other horses walked past the fans. We took our seats on the infield bleachers just in front of the start. First, Barbaro broke from the gate before the other horses. We worried that something was physically wrong with him. He was checked and loaded back into the gate.
This time, the start was good. The crowd roared as all of the horses raced past us and then, within seconds, so many people were so quiet. We saw Barbaro being pulled up and we saw him being attended to on the track. We worried. We didn't even know which horse had won the race. We walked right past the winner's circle, but no one was really paying attention. It was the quietest gathering we'd ever seen at a racetrack.
We heard all sorts of nuggets as we walked to our car -- Barbaro's injury was serious, but it wasn't life-threatening, he was going to be euthanized, he was already dead, he was going to be OK. We called my husband to find out what was being reported on TV. We turned on the radio.
We were in shock.
When you race horses you know this can happen. These animals weigh more than 1,000 pounds and reach speeds of more than 35 mph -- and all the while they are so close to each other. One bad step and the result can be catastrophic, as it ended up being for Barbaro.
Let's agree to save today for remembering the greatness of Barbaro -- the way he charged to the lead in the Kentucky Derby and won it so decisively. Everybody was talking about him being the next super horse -- the next Affirmed, the next Seattle Slew, the next Secretariat.
And in a way, he was. Never has a horse fought so hard to live after such a devastating injury. Never have people cared so much about a horse that wasn't even on the track.
Maybe it was because of Barbaro's owners, who decided to try to save him. Maybe it was the doctor who seemed always to be by his side. Maybe it was us ... maybe we just needed Barbaro to survive.
Save another day for the debate about whether horse racing is something that should be done at all. This day is for remembering just how great and valiant Barbaro was.
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