This is wonderful! I have trouble watching Video so today I made myself watch this. I did not shut my eyes when he faltered. It is breaking my heart but I somehow feel better today! My hope is someday to be able to think of our dear Bobby without such sadness. For today this is not happening but soon I will smile instead of cry!
Thanks to VB for all you bring us!
Barbaro you are still my hero!:sadsmile:
[QUOTE=VirginiaBred;2226274]
Sunday~
Thanks to a amazing Barbaro fan, this was forwarded to me to share and post. I have sent it to Alex as well. Simply beautiful.
I was sent this by a Barbaro fan. Here is the story that goes along with it:
I started writing a song about Barbaro during the recent Oklahoma ice storm when my power was out for 11 days. At that time, Barbaro was still alive, and like a lot of other people, was now sure he was going to make it. Unfortunately, that all changed a week later. Sadly, I had to start reworking the lyrics to reflect that. It is now complete, and I hope this meets with approval from his many fans.
From, oktahahorses
(a little about the song writer: He spends quite a bit of time researching the subject before writing the song and laying the track down. He has also done one on Lost in the Fog, Billy Silver and Ruffian. He has done some historical ones too such as Last Call (about the last day firehorses were used and replaced with trucks), Dan Patch and Poco Lena (legendary cutting horse).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fC7fejz3H7M[/QUOTE]
I watched with tears in my eyes as Barbaro won the KY Derby but I couldn’t watch any more when,during the Preakness, the announcer spoke about Bobby being pulled up. I just couldn’t watch that one more time. I hope the rest of the video was good. 
I still check in a couple of times a day and still light a candle either before or afterwards. 
Thanks again VB and Alex for all the updates and to anyone else that finds something about Bobby.
I watched the video and was okay until they announced Barbaro is being Pulled up and I started to cry all over again… I guess I shouldn’t worry about where he will be place…The physical remains are a minor detail now. He lives in our hearts every day…
Thanks again VB
A nice opinion piece on Barbaro: MY TURN: Barbaro set example for people. This article reminds me to thank everyone who sent me cards and wishes after Barbaro’s passing. Many of the cards included stories about how Barbaro had effected them deeply and persuaded them to action. Actions included directly rescuing a horse, contributing to group efforts financially for horse rescue or actively engaging with government. A friend of mine called yesterday, she is planning to open up her farm to rescue some horses. Very cool.
Thanks Alex~
Wow, it’s been a week since I lost it over Barbaro, but seeing the words “the end” at the end of the song just killed me. If anyone knows where I can get one of the Barbaro bracelets, please PM me. I know he’s gone, but I believe that he is just as strong in his death and his legacy will live forever.
Thanks so much to VB and Alex for keeping us up to date. I will never forget your kindnesss during this time of tragedy.
Monday~
Jennywho, here you go:
Barbaro Wristband Fundraiser
Contact:
Sharon Clark
P.O. Box 78
Silver Spring, PA 17575
You may e-mail Sharon at barbarowristbands@dejazzd.com
Thanks Alex~
Update 1500: A nice story about a new equine shelter in Kentucky: A shelter from harm; Horses get care, retraining for possible adoption at new facility. Staci Hancock, president of the Board for this new facility, is very active in anti horse slaughter.
Update 1499: Another very cold morning this morning at Fair Hill. We are told this is the last day of this persistantly cold weather, I will believe it when I feel warm! The Tapeta track was closed until 9 am, they were working on it earlier. This will be the same tomorrow, and then things should return to normal.
Tim had the idea to use the horsepaths this morning (before 9) as our training track. It worked out quite well. I think we got a good 2 mile jog into each of them (for me, Hawty Creek, Nonpariel, Slew and two more) and it was nice to do it in the fresh air, even though it was thoroughly cold. At 9 I had three left, they each went to the track. They were pretty psyched about that, the first bronked its way onto the track, the second was a little better, as was the third. For each we did two circuits, galloping slowly from the 5/8ths to the quarter pole (a mile and a quarter). The track seemed fine for slow exercise.
It is sad to note that Alison Hershbell passed away last weekend. She was too young. As a jockey she provided Tim with his first winner, London Ice.
I just love living vicariously through these “track” posts. I can just smell the air and hear the sound. Thank you!
Update 1504: Mike Jensen reports on Hard Spun’s race: Favorite Hard Spun hits tough times at Southwest Stakes. Its hard to find excuses for Hard Spun. They are speculating that he just did not like the track, yet he worked over the same track recently and it was a very impressive work. You can also consider that Hard Spun easily beat Teuflesberg (the winner) in his last start, but then in his last start they changed the tactics (apparently unsuccessfully) on Teuflesberg. No matter, Hard Spun had been impressive to this point, yesterday he was not. Lets see how he comes out of the race and assume they will still move forward to the Rebel.
On other triple crown news, Breeders’ Cup winner Street Sense has his first serious work of the year: Street Sense starts to buckle down, excerpt:
“This is what we’ve been building to thus far all winter,” said Nafzger. “He really kicked in down the stretch and hit the line good. We’ve hit every step perfectly with him up to now, but he’s still a couple of more works away before he’s ready to run. But a work like this gives us more options to consider as we get closer.”
Thanks Alex.
Thanks Alex~
Update 1505: Wow, it was more than 40 degrees before the morning began, it felt like a veritable heatwave! I rode six today. Hawty Creek jogged about two miles, around the horsepaths. The rest went to the Tapeta track.
The Tapeta track opened at 7:15 am this morning, it was scheduled to open at 9. I guess with the milder night we were able to get on it earlier. Anyway, all the horses went well. I rode Quick Quest again for Tim, he does seem like a nice type of horse. Slew also went well, especially considering its been a few days since he has been on the track.
Mediman seems to have come out of her first race in good order. Tim also noted that a couple of people at Laurel yesterday came up to him and told him they enjoyed reading this site. Very cool (that’s the first time someone has approached Tim because of the site I think.)
All in all a decent morning, which finished up with a quick conversation with a friend of mine in Dubai who has spent sometime running their Gallery. There may be some good ideas for the Museum the Jackson’s are considering.
Update 1506: An excellent opinion piece from the Bloodhorse: It’s the Horse, Stupid, a short excerpt:
If racing learns one thing from the spectacular outpouring of public emotion during Barbaro’s eight-month ordeal, it should be this—it’s the horse, stupid. Your fans love your horses. From a marketing standpoint, the horse is racing’s greatest asset; however, the business does little to protect it, and in so doing, is risking everything.
Prado says Barbaro won him an Eclipse
Jockey: Ky. Derby winner changed my ‘whole life’
By Sandra McKee
Sun Reporter
Originally published February 21, 2007
Edgar Prado, dressed in a blue robe and white slippers, sat on an old desk just outside the jockeys’ room at Laurel Park yesterday and considered what Barbaro, the late Kentucky Derby champion, meant to him. “You know, the year before Barbaro, I won as many races,” he said. "I won the Belmont, but I didn’t win an Eclipse Award. I’ve been nominated four other times, but I didn’t win.
“Barbaro won the Eclipse for me. There are some champion horses who can change your whole life. Barbaro did that for me.”
A year ago, Prado had five Kentucky Derby prospects to choose from and early on he picked Barbaro. Yesterday, he said there was never really any doubt.
“All along, he was the easy choice,” Prado said. "He did everything well. And then he won the Holy Bull and confirmed it with the Florida Derby. You hope for a horse like that every year, but horses like Barbaro don’t come along very often. Horses like Barbaro are special.
“But there is always hope.”
This spring, Prado is riding Canadian-bred Buffalo Man for trainer Cam Gambolati and Kentucky-bred Sightseeing for trainer Shug McGaughey.
“Buffalo Man won his last race at Gulfstream Park,” Prado said. “He was good in a tough race. … . If he keeps running well and winning, it will give us a better idea of what he can do.”
In January, Prado was in Peru, doing charity work for children there, raising money for a school. That’s where he was caught by surprise with the news about Barbaro’s death.
“I thought he was going to make it,” he said. “I was there [at New Bolton Center] in November and he looked great. And then I talked to [trainer] Michael Matz in December and he said [Barbaro] was ready to leave, but they couldn’t decide where to send him.”
Prado paused as he remembered how, all at once, Barbaro took a turn for the worse and within days was gone, euthanized after contracting laminitis in all four feet.
“I had never seen a horse go that far with a broken leg and laminitis,” Prado said softly. “He showed so much courage to live and to win. He was a fighter, a true champion. He went through everything and was still trying at the end. I hope we all learned something from him.”
Prado said it is the same, whether the champion is a person or an animal.
“You don’t become a champion just by winning for yourself,” he said. "It’s what you do for others that makes you special, makes you great. “When Barbaro won in Kentucky, he didn’t just win the Kentucky Derby, he won people’s hearts. And in our hearts, he will forever be a champion.”
I love Edgar P! He is a stand up guy and deserves the Eclipse!
Thanks for the continued updates!
Thanks Alex~
Update 1510: The AVMA has a nice piece on the increased awareness of Laminitis as a result of Barbaro: Increased research to follow in Barbaro’s wake, excerpt:
“My hope is that the events over the last few months, and in particular Barbaro’s unfortunate passing, have raised the public’s awareness of the frustrating and devastating effects of laminitis and will catapult efforts to raise substantial research funding that can be used to advance our knowledge and understanding of this horrible disease through unified, collaborative research efforts,” Dr. Moore said.
Fortunately Barbaro has also increased the public awareness of horse slaughter, something the AVMA does not support: It’s back—Congress, again, takes up horse slaughter.
I think it is a huge fault of supporters of the ban to suggest people like the AVMA are AGAINST banning horse slaughter - they much like myself would love to support a bill that ensured all horses were well cared for and safe from harm, we just think this attempt is poorly thought out and based on emotion.
HLAStallion–I think you need to realize that you’re not preaching to the choir on this thread. Barbaro’s owners, especially Mrs.Jackson, fervently support the ban on horse slaughter, as do most, if not all, of the Barbaro faithful.
[QUOTE=HungLikeAStallion;2236106]
I think it is a huge fault of supporters of the ban to suggest people like the AVMA are AGAINST banning horse slaughter - they much like myself would love to support a bill that ensured all horses were well cared for and safe from harm, we just think this attempt is poorly thought out and based on emotion.[/QUOTE]
The AVMA’s, or more specifically, the AAEP since they are the one’s who work on horses OFFICIAL position is that they are for horse slaughter. They even go as far as to say it is an acceptable means of euthanasia. Obviously that doesn’t mean that every single member feels that way, but they are under the umbrella of agreement by their membership. I refuse to turn this beautiful thread into a slaughter debate, but if you are going to post here you should at least get your facts straight.
The slaughter issue has been part of this thread practically from the beginning.
I can’t imagine every Barbaro fan is going to agree on everything, it seems rather troublesome that only people who read this or post here or agree on a very complicated issue are the “real” Barbaro fans (just the vibe I’m getting though it hasn’t been said outright)
shrug
Thursday
Thanks Alex~
Update 1512: Steve Haskins writes about the Kentucky Derby and trainers’ strategy for getting horses ready for the first saturday in May: Kentucky Derby Trail: Two for the Road. I am not sure why Barbaro’s five week gap between the Florida Derby and Kentucky Derby is considered a “layoff”. I am sure he was in full training and likely more trainers may try the same this year.
Santa Anita has now officially committed to a synthetic surface, and will put it in place during the Del Mar meet, no decision has yet been made as to which surface: Santa Anita to go synthetic this year.
Penn National is still struggling to get its live racing program back: Penn National cancels Wednesday’s live racing (its been about three weeks). I would be curious how they have managed their training hours in the morning.
Barbaro’s Bravery Touched Many Hearts
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07053/763804-62.stm
Barbaro’s bravery touched many hearts
Thursday, February 22, 2007
By Linda Wilson Fuoco, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Beautiful Barbaro captured hearts, exhibiting speed and determination on every track where he raced. We thought we were watching thoroughbred history in the making. As we cheered him on, we thought we were watching the next Triple Crown winner.
When Barbaro broke down in the Preakness last May, horse lovers wept.
When that big colt harnessed his determination and courage to battle life-threatening injuries, we loved him even more. Horse lovers rooted for Barbaro to recover from a broken leg that would have been an instant equine death sentence not so very long ago.
That Barbaro lost his battle to recover and survive does not take away from his legacy. Barbaro’s ordeal will help other horses – and not just the well-bred racehorses and show horses that are worth millions of dollars.
Horses are relatively fragile creatures. Slim legs and thin ankles support bodies that usually weigh more than 1,000 pounds.
Racehorses aren’t the only equines that break legs. Victims include chubby ponies cherished by little girls and calm horses ridden slowly on wooded trails. Riderless horses break legs frolicking in pastures. Horses even break legs in stalls filled with fluffy piles of straw or sawdust.
Do you remember Ruffian? In 1974 and 1975 many people were calling her the greatest filly in the history of thoroughbred racing. Undefeated in 10 starts, she broke a leg on July 7, 1975, during her 11th race.
Many were surprised when she wasn’t euthanized. She was anesthetized and surgeons repaired her leg. She struggled and thrashed as she woke up. She fought caretakers who tried to restrain her. She re-broke her injured leg and was euthanized.
What veterinarians learned while trying to save Ruffian has helped other horses, including Barbaro.
“Equine anesthesia drugs are much better now,” said Dr. Kimberly May, an equine surgeon and a medical and science writer with the American Veterinary Medical Association. “We learned from Ruffian.”
Barbaro came through the anesthesia just fine, waking up in a sling and suspended in a pool of water. He reportedly did not thrash or struggle.
Barbaro and Ruffian had completely different personalities, said Dr. May, who did not treat either horse but has followed both cases. “Ruffian did not have the temperament” to survive the treatment.
Thoroughbreds are bred to run fast. They are bred to fight to win. They can be hot tempered and hard to handle, especially when they are young.
Despite that breeding, Barbaro was generally calm and easy to handle throughout his treatment.
The horse bred to run fast was, amazingly, calm enough to endure eight months of standing still.
Barbaro was treated at the University of Pennsylvania’s New Bolton Center for Large Animals, located about 20 miles from the main campus in Philadelphia.
Horse owners in Pennsylvania are lucky it’s there, for veterinary schools provide advanced and experimental treatments that regular vets can’t provide.
Horse lovers in Western Pennsylvania are more likely to send gravely sick and injured horses to the veterinary school at Ohio State University, because Columbus is closer to Pittsburgh.
Barbaro, like all veterinary school patients, had round-the-clock care and supervision every day, Dr. May said. The team of caregivers included young veterinary students. Barbaro’s top doc was Dean Richardson, chief of surgery at Penn’s veterinary school.
It wasn’t broken bones that killed Barbaro. It was a painful foot condition known as laminitis. Toxins can cause laminitis, and so can unequal weight distribution. In Barbaro’s case, as he favored his injured leg, he put more weight on his other three legs, and laminitis developed. At the end, vets said, the horse literally did not have a good leg to stand on.
“We lose a lot of horses to laminitis every year,” Dr. May said, “but we save many, too. We’ve come a long way. Barbaro’s death will draw attention to the condition and may raise more support for laminitis research.”
Why did so many people care about this horse? Even Dr. Richardson wept on Jan. 29 when he told the world that Barbaro was dead. “People love greatness,” Dr. Richarson said. “People love the story of his bravery.”
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