The jazzman’s tribute was really nice but he got a photo of a horse without a star mixed in there.
I’d never paid attention to that song before–had no idea, had never listened to the words…
Nancy M: Why wasn’t anyone mourning and lighting candles and writing letters to the Iditarod athlete who fought a long battle with cancer and lost? You know she had a young son she left behind. It was horribly tragic and sad.
That’s quite unfair, Nancy M. What’s the name of this thread?
Monday~
Thanks, Alex.
Update 1443: A nice commentary in the Baltimore Examiner: Brooke Gunning: Barbaro: Lessons from a horse’s life, it ends:
Barbaro had a different destiny. Some winners have gone on to further fame and success in their racing careers or at stud. A select few have won the Triple Crown. All were victors in their day. A rarefied few achieve greatness. Through thousand of races over ever-increasing generations, the names of the truly great still resound. Secretariat, Seabiscuit, Man o’ War and Native Dancer hear the hoofbeats of the newest legend to join their august racing ranks. Barbaro has earned his place.
Many will participate in a moment of silence at 10:30 am to pay their respects to Barbaro and his connections. Many will then continue to fight for all those things that are now important to sustain Barbaro’s legacy.
Nancy M: Why wasn’t anyone mourning and lighting candles and writing letters to the Iditarod athlete who fought a long battle with cancer and lost? You know she had a young son she left behind. It was horribly tragic and sad.
Gee, Nancy, how do you know no one was? Are you upset because no one started an online thread about the iditarod cancer victim? Why didn’t you? Of course, not on this bullitin board. Of Course. I am certain that is not what you were suggesting.
You sound like the kind of person who, when someone gets comforted or praised or soothed looks around to see who deserved it more. Kinda cold. That was a nasty, sour post.
It’s been a week today.
To say it’s been a difficult adjustment would be downplaying it quite a bit.
I’ve had an unhappy feeling about Barbaro all year, looking back. The comments I had made to friends and the worry I had read between the lines. Now I know why.
Barbaro was so game about keeping things positive; he took all of us along with him. I know without a shadow of a doubt he received the best of decision-making every step of the way.
Dr. Richardson so obviously loved this courageous horse; somehow that made everything easier. His owners trust in him was based on his vast knowledge and his love for their animal. How much better can it get?
I have received so many e-mails and phone calls at home, and messages here on COTH that I wanted to publicly thank so many fellow posters I now call friend. We have shared a journey of sorts together, and became unified with our focus and love.
I developed a wonderful friendship with Alex Brown at Tim Woolley Racing, and various friends at New Bolton. I want to thank them all here, in addition to the private correspondence I’ve had with them.
As I look at the clock, and realize it’s almost 10:30am, I find myself choking up, again.
I gladly dedicated myself to the “task” of creating and daily updating the Barbaro thread. It became a labor of love. It is so important that those of us who came together for the love of this horse to continue the work started through his plight.
As I see its minutes before 10:30, I just want to say how much I miss him.
Thank you VB for everything.
yes, everything, VB, sincerely thank you.
VB you really speak for all of us. It will be a hard day today and I guess we all need to take comfort in the fact that Bobby is up there watching over us.
The job that you have done on this bulletin board and the efforts to keep us updated to the very minute are nothing short of exceptional. I guess that is why we all feel like a family and that Bobby belonged to all of us - we knew every detail of his care and we were always there rooting for him. It seems like we have all lost something very precious - even though most of us never even met Bobby. I had always hoped and prayed that the day would come when I could go and see him on a farm in Kentucky somewhere just being a horse. How nice it would been to actually see him in person. It does seem that God had another plan for Bobby and winning races was just a side note - all of the horses that come after him and benefit from what the vets have learned from him will be his true legacy. How fortunate we were to have him - if only for a short time.
Again, thank you VB and Alex. It was remarkable journey and if only the ending had been what we all wished for. May his memory stay bright–he become so special to so many of us.
I agree on appreciating the amazing work of love contributed in great detail by Alex and VB for Barbaro and his extended family.
[QUOTE=Oakstable;2193401]
The jazzman’s tribute was really nice but he got a photo of a horse without a star mixed in there.[/QUOTE]
Actually, I believe I saw 2 that weren’t Bobby. One head shot and a side profile of what appeared to be a bay with either a hay belly or pregnant. I kinda figured the side profile might have been his dame and the head shot (a much darker bay than Bobby) might have been his sire. 
[QUOTE=Davignport;2194371]
VB you really speak for all of us. It will be a hard day today and I guess we all need to take comfort in the fact that Bobby is up there watching over us.
The job that you have done on this bulletin board and the efforts to keep us updated to the very minute are nothing short of exceptional. I guess that is why we all feel like a family and that Bobby belonged to all of us - we knew every detail of his care and we were always there rooting for him. It seems like we have all lost something very precious - even though most of us never even met Bobby. I had always hoped and prayed that the day would come when I could go and see him on a farm in Kentucky somewhere just being a horse. How nice it would been to actually see him in person. It does seem that God had another plan for Bobby and winning races was just a side note - all of the horses that come after him and benefit from what the vets have learned from him will be his true legacy. How fortunate we were to have him - if only for a short time.[/QUOTE]
Wow! I couldn’t have said it better! VB, you and Alex really went above and beyond and I echo the words of others in thanks.
Another article that defends the outpouring of support for Barbaro and the good that Barbaro can and has brought upon us: Going the Distance — Barbaro reminded us that life is worth fighting for.
How often
How often, in real life, does it happen that the Good Guys get an opportunity to take on the impossible, to try everything in the arsenal, with no holds barred, in one glorious attempt to do something genuinely and simply good–the kind of ultimate, fantastical thing that everyone dreams of doing, the kind of thing that childhood dreams are built upon?
And how often do we get to say about such an event, “Those are my people, I have a connection with them, however small, and I’m proud of them and of that glorious effort”?
And when the Good Guys got so close, so very, very close to that glorious thing, but saw at the final moment that it was not to be, and then accepted that crushing loss with such grace, with such dignity.
My god in heaven, how could we NOT feel strongly about Barbaro, about his people, about his story? How could we not wail and gnash and cry and stomp our feet in frustration with this unsatisfactory end to our fairy tale story?
How could we not be affected by such an experience??
VB - I loved that article. She really hit the nail on the head.
What I think has been so powerful about Barbaro is the love that he felt…from MM, M/M Jackson, Edgar, Peter, all before he was even hurt. He trusted and loved his people. With that trust came the trust he had in Dr. Richardson and the NBC. He knew he was loved and respected. I think that’s what made him such a great…he did everything in life be/c he knew he was loved…We should all be so happy in life…
That Run for the Roses video really got to me…especially be/c I saw VB’s words peaking out from behind the open window…about how it’s been a week and she misses him so much. If we feel empty, imagine how all his people feel…
Thank you, monstrpony. Beautiful words.
There is no proper way to say thank you…VB your tireless efforts for all of us is unprecidented(sp) I feel like you brought not only Barbaro into my home but everyone attached to him. I miss the daily up dates and the ACN every day. Having a horse who has had laminitis and survive I thought with the kind of care he got he would surely beat it, I hoped…My tears are less then they were a week ago…Except last night I was watching Seabiscuit, had to watch something that had a happy ending, and in one of the racing scenes my 4 year old daughter asked where Barbaro was! I told her he was racing in the clouds, she asked if his hospital was there too…I said he is not in pain any more but running free…she asked how they fixed him? I did not know how to answer her but she loved him too!
Let this show horse owners all over the world that catastrophic injuries can be fixed. Now we just have to learn how to manage everything else…
Always a Barbaro believer Thanks TEAM BARBARO!!!
I cannot imagine what his immediate family is going through.
He so wanted to win up until the very end.
I love the Run for the Roses video too.
Some of the photos are meant to represent scenes, but are not documentary photography, BTW.
