Boyd Martin's Crackerjack Euthanized at Pau

[Groom_amp_Taxi]

@WNT

My last loaded question is just how stiff was Michael Jung’s Sam before the competition? I am FAR from claiming he used it as an excuse not to run! But, it appears a lot of veteran riders were not thrilled with the course, including Boyd, but rode it anyway. I think is on the riders to have to put their collective foot down about courses that are blatantly not fair to the horses.

MJ does not seem like the type who would withdraw saying his horse was stiff and use that as an excuse for not liking the course. Seems like it would be more in character for him to honestly but tactfully say something along the lines of “after walking the course, I do not feel it will give my horse a good feeling.” Pure conjecture on my part, of course, and only MJ and his close connections know for sure.

While understanding the physiology that causes horses to have catastrophic breakdowns is important, it seems to me it’s a little less important to the sport of eventing than the continuing questions around fence and cross country course design and designers, rates of speed, variations in terrain.

And finally, in this day and age, there really shouldn’t be excuses for not having easily accessible data for all national rated events regarding starters, finishers, horse falls, riders falls, reasons for retirement.

[riderboy]

Unfortunately any good points Denny makes are lost in the firestorm he creates, and he does make some good points. The repetitive stress/microfracture pathology which can lead to catastrophic fracture as Reed posted got me thinking. At our last show, even before I got bucked off in SJ warmup, Gryhrs and I decided to not run XC because we have big boys and the ground was friggin hard. We actually made the call after an UL rider pulled all of hls horses. But we were the exception. I wonder how many horses suffered just that kind of microfracture trauma jumping on that ground. We need studies but we also need to be the best stewards we can be for our horses.

[JER]

@BreathEasy

I think course designers hold most of the responsibility here.

There are two course designers on the USEA Safety Committee. Both of those CDs names come up in conversations about course design and safety, and in neither case in a positive way IME.

[BreathEasy]

@JER

There are two course designers on the USEA Safety Committee. Both of those CDs names come up in conversations about course design and safety, and in neither case in a positive way IME.

If there was an easily searchable/available compilation of CD “results” all listed in an easily comparable excel type chart that event organizers could pull up and consider when deciding who to hire, the course designers creating trappy horse tricking courses with tons of horses not finishing or being injured would stand out, and appropriately could start being black balled.

[WNT]

I agree, G&T; it was just a random thought that crossed my mind after reading all the rider comments about the course.

I also remember when Tim Lips withdrew from Badminton this year, remarking that it was not a good course for his horse, there were some very unkind aspersions upon his courage posted here. Now I doubt he knew or cared about that opinion, but there are people with the power to cast doubts upon riders that could break their career if not enough riders take a stand against poor course design to make a difference. It will have to be a concerted effort from riders and national governing bodies to effect any meaningful change in course design. The FEI doesn’t seem to care too much as long as their bottom line isn’t affected.

[KellyS]

The whole situation from horse death to events riders attacking each other on social media makes me sick and disgusted with the sport.

One thing I haven’t seen mentioned is that eventing has become a business for many of the riders now competing. It is no longer a sport in which amateurs compete in the Olympics or a rider has one horse to compete if they have team aspirations.

These professional riders have to make a living, and that is done by having many clients and many horses in training. You will want horses owned by other people or syndicates in order to minimize your costs. You will want clients who have deep pockets and can afford to event frequently and buy the best horses either for themselves or for you. You will need an operation down south and one up north.

When something becomes your business, you make decisions based on what you need to do to make a living. That’s why we see Boyd, Phillip, and Buck riding 7 or 8 horses in one horse trial. That’s why horses’ records are meticulously managed to avoid poor scores or letters showing up when they are offered for sale.

And these are just a very few changes related to a sport that now needs to produce revenue for professional riders, professional show management, professional course builders, and other many professionals.

And I think the entire group, including a lot of amateur riders, breeders, and fans, would like to comfort themselves by saying the sport is safer today than in the past. Yes, the footing and fences in the 60s, 70s, and 80s were hair raising, and to complete a team, horses were run into the ground and catastrophically injured. When comparing those things, eventing looks better today. However, I believe we’re comparing apples and oranges,

We need to ask ourselves about what the sport has become. Sure, the fences are beautiful and the footing beautifully maintained, but we are asking for more jumping efforts at higher rates of speed, for more accuracy and mentally-tiring focus over tight and twisty courses. We have better medical therapy, but it’s being used to help horses jump higher and run faster while competing many times more per year than ever before.

The sport may be different, but it may not be better.

I think it is easy to say “join a committee” or “do something about it.” You can have the ideas, be willing to do something, and/or on the committee but you need the sport’s organizations to be willing to listen, and even if you do have someone listening, you still need the professional riders’ to admit the sport needs to change to better protect both horses and riders. Yet, we can’t even get riders, as a group, to stand up to bad courses, such as the one at Pau, or insist on better research to ensure their horses have the best chance of survival.

How many people, including Denny, have tried to help improve the safety of the sport and been blown off? What pushes someone to the point that he has to basically “scream” on the internet that this sport is killing too many horses, because, face it, even one death, is ONE TOO MANY.

Even on here, we have people who are willing to say, “Well, this was a tragic accident. It could happen in the pasture.” But the difference is…it didn’t happen in the pasture! It happened at a 4-star event in which the horse’s rider said the course and horse were not suited to each other. It happened to a rider who has been using a profile picture of he and said horse in the midst of a rotational fall at another 4-star event.

I absolutely believe Boyd loved this horse very much, but the optics of this death are not good.

As someone who has been away from the sport for 11 years, I have to ask myself, is it really okay to support a sport that feels a horse’s death is an acceptable risk…no matter how that horse dies? When a horse dies in dressage or show jumping, it is a freak event because it is not common. Eventing, on the other hand, well, just look at the long list of horse and rider deaths posted on another thread on this forum.

Just because we say less horses die or are injured does not mean this “better” statistic makes any of it okay.

I think what we are seeing online is so ugly but I won’t bad mouth Denny, who absolutely is one of the finest horsemen I’ve known and feels absolutely gutted to see one more horse lost to a sport that is so willingly sacrificing them, nor will I blame the riders responding to him, who fear the same will happen to horses of their own but feel they have no choice but to accept the sport as it now is in order to make a living while following their passion.

I am just terribly sad for everyone involved. I do think we are getting closer to a breaking point of too many horses dying to justify a sport that has become a business for humans.

[Winding_Down]

@JER

Let me get this straight: Boyd was using his Badminton fall as his profile pic on Facebook?

This must have been an attempt at humor? Or some form of (self-aggrandizing) self-deprecation?

There’s something really callous about that. Horse falls aren’t funny at all.

We really don’t know why Boyd posted that photo but it was all over the internet in various discussions. I remember thinking how amazing it was that neither horse nor rider was injured. The photo is spectacular considering how airborne both Boyd and Crackers are.

Inferring his motivation at this point seems pointless.

If you look at a video of the fall, you will have to applaud how the modern technology (frangible pins) undoubtedly save this horse from a horrific injury.

So my take on this photo is that it would never have been posted had that technology been unsuccessful.

And the jump was eliminated the following year.

I also liked Boyd’s attitude reflected in his blog post in which he took all the blame and had only praise for Crackers.

https://youtu.be/U69seMFNLpU

I know Boyd and I will say that he has never appeared callous. He is the sort who tears up when he talks about his horses. He is everything wonderful about this sport. But that is just my experience and my opinion. Others who know him may think differently.

I know that he is devastated by this loss and this is compounded by the cruel accusations being thrown his way.

Note that the word “spectacular” is used above to indicate “huge” or “dramatic”

[JER]

@Winding Down

The photo is spectacular considering how airborne both Boyd and Crackers are.

Uneffingbelievable.

There is nothing - absolutely nothing - ‘spectacular’ about a horse fall.

[CSU92]

Many good points kellys

My hope is that the connections of this horse have done their due diligence in preparing this horse for this competition. I give them the benefit of the doubt and assume that they did and would like to learn as much from this loss to prevent it from happening to another horse.

Xrays and/or MRI exam of both front legs would be in order. It is very macabre but the limbs could be shipped to his veterinary team in the USA if need be. I’m sure they are very concerned with this situation and are looking for answers. Reviewing footage of the first horse inspection, prior radiographs on file, video of the breakdown, precompetition evaluations etc etc.

This was a breakdown on the order of Eight Belles at the KY derby which spurred much inquiry and should be treated similarly

[chism]

If I could give Kelly S a standing ovation, I would.
I don’t compete, I ride for fun, had a few of kids, raised them up to love the ponies as I do. Enrolled them in PC, lessons up the wazoo, horses at home, events on the weekend… the sport is amazing! Part of me feels that my post is “unworthy”, because I’m not one of the competitors, but I am one of the masses who love the sport. I feel bad for Boyd, I truly do…He seems like a great horseman, met him at Rolex and he also seems like an all around nice guy. It must have been a terrible thing to experience. I can only imagine the devastation of having a horse breakdown under you, he must feel terrible to have been called out in such a manner at such a dark time. He is not to blame, But what if the sport IS? What if the sport IS asking too much of the horses!!! Anyone who has met Denny knows he has no filter, he is passionate about sport, passionate about the horses and he has never been one to be quiet when things go wrong, and he has felt very strongly for quite some time that the sport has gone in the wrong direction. I’m not surprised one bit that he said what he said. It’s pure DE. How many more horses need to die? When is enough enough? It’s heartbreaking to see these magnificent creatures do what they do for US when it means their death. Who will speak for them?

[riderboy]

You know, I do wish we could stop saying Denny has “no filter,” it somehow seems to legitimize his rather cruel and uncalled for attacks. It’s also part of the new reality of social media, we say things online that we would never in eleventy billion years say to someone’s face, particularly just after the death of one’s horse.

[Winding_Down]

@JER

Uneffingbelievable.

There is nothing - absolutely nothing - ‘spectacular’ about a horse fall.

I suggest that you get out a thesaurus or a dictionary before spewing profanity in my direction.

The fall was dramatic. It was huge.

Please you and the bandwagon… please do take a moment … and take a deep breath, and count to 10

[Winding_Down]

@riderboy

You know, I do wish we could stop saying Denny has “no filter,” it somehow seems to legitimize his rather cruel and uncalled for attacks. It’s also part of the new reality of social media, we say things online that we would never in eleventy billion years say to someone’s face, particularly just after the death of one’s horse.

It is all so sad, really. I think that some are trying to make excuses for his behavior, so suggesting that he has had brain trauma or suffers from the onset of dementia is not an insult, it is a way to forgive him. I have moved in this direction today, as I stop to ponder why this man has such intense anger toward those who do what he used to do and can no longer do. Look at who he always targets.

I really have begun to feel sorry for him and for those close to him.

[Christa_P]

@vineyridge

As I’ve pointed out humans can break bones in the foot from a bad step because I’ve done it. The difference is that breaking a human foot bone won’t be catastrophic, while breaking the analogous bone in the horse can be. I’ve also sheared a DIP tendon in a finger from sticking it in between the cushions of a couch. Both completely without any pre-existing issues. If these sorts of injuries happen to humans, there is no reason to expect they can be prevented in horses.

The point to go with this though it that it is easier for it to happen when you’re tired, either mentally of physically. A simple misstep where you catch yourself and move on when your alert and rested might turn into a serious sprain or break when your tired and less able to catch yourself. The same with the horses at the end of the course.

[lep]

KellyS, in one of DE’s original post, he referred to this being a business now and mentioned cogs in a wheel (not sure if he was referring to the horses as the cogs or the riders). So, he definitely brought up the business aspect. I agree with everything else you said.

As for the poster who said it’s not as important to learn the physiology of catastrophic breakdowns as it is to study speed and terrain changes, etc., I say, how can you separate those? If traveling at x speed downhill puts more stress on a leg than traveling at y speed uphill, isn’t the physiology aspect just as important as the speed and terrain issues?

[Christa_P]

@Winding Down

It is all so sad, really. I think that some are trying to make excuses for his behavior, so suggesting that he has had brain trauma or suffers from the onset of dementia is not an insult, it is a way to forgive him. I have moved in this direction today, as I stop to ponder why this man has such intense anger toward those who do what he used to do and can no longer do. Look at who he always targets.

I really have begun to feel sorry for him and for those close to him.

He targets them because they are the ones that can help make the changes and instead they don’t seem to be really trying. He has tried to encourage change but it seems like talking to a wall.

I stated on another thread I said I can’t watch upper level eventing. Every time one of these 3 or 4 star events gets mentioned I wonder how many serious injuries or deaths will happen - not IF they will happen - it’s how many. The riders are playing Russian roulette on these courses and the horses don’t have the option of not pulling the trigger.

Denny did post a list with some ideas to look at. I would be a good place to at least start the discussion.

From Denny Emerson’s FB page - Note the red underlined part, he has tried
Here is the list:

Some safety ideas that I shared with USEA, but that got ignored. They never even acknowledged my emails. I do not say these are wise, or doable, but I share them as a starting point for discussion—

1. In the American Endurance Riding Conference, ANY horse death triggers a full inquiry, with potential penalties for abusive riding.
2. Other organizations have called in outside help, such as what did YOU car racers do to cut down on accidents, what did YOU ski racers do, that sort of thing.
3. Consider “penalizing” a rotational fall. Such as, the moment one happens, apparent rider injury or not, that rider gets instantly “set down” for a certain number of days. Two rotationals within a certain time fram, a longer set down period. Show the riders the sport is SERIOUS about rotationals. Make riders advocates for safer riding by hitting them where it hurts, their incomes.
4. After a fatality., horse or human, or possibly even after a rotational fall, have a hearing with the course designer. Have the course designers be held accountable if so deemed appropriate.
5. Consider that the speeds we use today are the same speeds we used 50–60 years ago, when courses were more natural and flowing, and XC time was more doable. Maybe, with all the technical questions of today, we should experiment with slower speeds. Or a return to more “galloping” courses.
6. Have a mandatory pre XC rider meeting, far enough before. Get their ideas. Change fences they seriously feel are bad fences.
7. Consider more mandatory use of ground lines.
   So, seven possible places to start. There have to be many others. When you talk to those in power, so often they just brush you aside, tell you they have it covered. Be unbrushable!

[HeyJealousy]

I don’t think this has been posted by anyone else yet. I find this says the way I feel much more eloquently than I could attempt to verbalize it.
https://ayankeeinparis.com/2017/10/30/mind-your-manners/

[chism]

Everone’s entitled to their opinion, you, me… Denny… but this… BS. Crackerjack died because he was competing in an event. To say that it had nothing to do with the Sport is disingenuous.
edit…did not use quote function properly. - from HeyJealousy’s link .

This horse did not “succumb” to the sport as Denny would like you to believe. He had a catastrophic injury to a forelimb that researchers have been attempting to preemptively diagnose for the last decade. It was unrelated to a jump, and honestly had nothing to do with “The Sport.” It could have happened in a field, or even in the dressage arena.

[poltroon]

Perhaps there was some prior damage to the bone even through attrition, but how could anyone know until after the fact?

One question I think that wants asking in the global sense is, did the horse start cross-country with microfractures or tears that we might have been able to detect, did he get them halfway round the course, or did they happen in the instant he stepped on the harder ground?

In this case it’s likely not possible to know.

But let’s say money is no object, what would we do as a sport to look for these injuries beforehand? Is there a world where in addition to the jog we x-ray or ultrasound or bone-scan these horses? We don’t do it now because of the expense and the time involved, but is it possible with newer tech that we could do some of this diagnostic imaging? What is the cost? What if we did it even once for the purposes of a study, what might we find?

I love eventing. I love horses. I have no doubt that every advanced rider and their connections treats these horses as best they can - after all, even if you didn’t love them, it’s not like you can order up a new one from Amazon.com. I have no doubts that Crackerjack’s team loved him and valued him for his own happy self besides. But, maybe we’re wrong about what is best for the horses, in terms of conditioning, Maybe we can change the courses. Maybe we can get better diagnostics.

I love eventing and I love watching it, but I don’t like fearing that a competitor - horse or human - will die or be gravely injured.

[mkevent]

Just a smurf adding my .02…

I have been a fan of Denny’s columns because I read them with the impression that he is trying to help others avoid the mistakes he made in the past. His “photo essays” on how he learned to change his leg position over fences after decades of riding with a swinging lower leg is just an example. If he were just a has-been trying to relive the glory days why would he bother to post so many blogs giving specific mini lessons addressing how to improve? I see that as a “pay it forward” because I’m sure the time and effort it takes to write all those blogs doesn’t translate into much money or fame.

I don’t agree with the name calling on the internet and the timing was very poor. Maybe his frustration hit a point where there was no turning back. He should have handled that differently.

Consider for a moment how older people are treated in our culture. Here is a man who has BTDT and wants to improve the sport using his experience and his mistakes. He freely admits his mistakes. Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to listen. We cannot deny that there are too many deaths of both horse and riders. Maybe his attempts to speak with the ULRs has been met with resistance or he was ignored there as well.

Kelly S. makes excellent points. This is no longer an amateurs sport.

And money changes everything.