Before I share my feelings on the Eight Belles situation, let me put a few things out there:
-I watched the Kentucky Derby this year, just as I have each of the past five years or so, but had turned off the TV before news of Eight Belles' injury had come about.
-I admit that if Eight Belles hadn't been euthanized, it probably wouldn't have crossed my mind to post this blog.
-I'm not a member of PETA or a vegetarian, but I'm also not a fan of animal cruelty.
OK, now that those points are out of the way (and feel free to reference them again should you continue reading this), back to this shocking situation.
Plain and simple, this horse racing stuff is getting out of hand.
Eight Belles didn't just die from two broken legs; she died from trainers running her into the ground for a race that's only a moneymaker for others.
Eight Belles was just a filly, meaning her racing in the Derby was like my 16-year-old cousin playing in the NFL. Yeah he's pretty good and might survive for a little bit, but ultimately, it's not the smartest of ideas. Of course, hindsight is 20/20 and she did finish second, but at what cost?
I'm not saying they need to ban horse racing, BUT (and this is where I'm probably going to step on some toes) if people want to create an uproar over Michael Vick breeding dogs to fight so he and his buddies can be entertained and make some change, horseracing can't be too much further down the totem pole.
Think about it. Dogs aren't meant to fight and kill each other -- they are meant to be man's best friend, wag their tails, catch frisbees in the park and chase cars.
So when Vick and his buddies did the opposite with their pitbull ring, most were calling for his head, saying it was inhumane and unacceptable -- and I agree.
As for horses, I would think that God created them to graze in the pastures, gallop with their buddies and help with farmwork. Granted, horses also have been used for warfare and to pull tourists around town in a carriage. But still, the majority of horses don't do these things or race.
So now that we have the second horse in three years suffering a fatal injury on the track, all after spending two minutes making money for people who have taken these horses from their normal lifestyle to be "athletes," where's the huge outcry?
Not only that, but the talk of cloning horses is getting louder each year. Now, I'm not trying to get into the issue of whether cloning is right or wrong, but seemingly the only reason to clone horses is to make another Barbaro or Secretariat, aka a moneymaker. Yeah, it might be great for the sport of racing, but isn't our economy in a serious bind, meaning our money could be spent a little more wisely? And how is cloning in hopes of making another great horse any different from a baseball player taking steroids to become the next great hitter?
I understand these trainers aren't deliberately trying to kill these horses like Vick and his buddies were, which is why I'm not placing dogfighting and horse racing on the same pedestal. Yet you can't ignore that both unnecessarily place animals in danger (against their will) and really only benefit humans, who make money and can gloat of "their" achievement.
I also understand that human athletes have died playing many sports from basketball to football to hockey, showing that there is some type of danger in most athletic events. The human element doesn't make the tragedy any less sad, but at least these people have a say in if and when they want to play these sports.
But where do we draw the line? When does breeding, training and beating horses for the sake of three races become inhumane? When do these trainers become more cautious to the fact that these horses are more than just means to a jackpot?
Of course, I don't have all the answers, but this situation should certainly raise more ethical questions than it has. I'm sure most trainers and jockeys love their horses to no end, but it's really interesting to see how people react differently to certain sports, people and situations.
No doubt I'm a lover of sports, but I'm even a bigger proponent for the preservation of life and what's right. I know we can't get inside a horse's head and know if it really enjoys being bred into a racer. But I think we can all safely say that no horse wants to have its last moments in life play out like Eight Belles did on Saturday.