I think a lot of people were critical of his choice of using Curlin for her first foal but he wanted a foal by his champion out of his champion. If they had waited until Curlin was proven it might never had happened. I hope he sets the world on fire.
[QUOTE=foundationmare;7436870]
There is part of me that would love to see her continue in “a job”. Maybe she would kick ass in the hunter ring, or as a dressage mount. Why not? She is accustomed to routine and she is not a hothouse flower. She could be an amazing ambassador for ottbs! Her post racing value now should not preclude her usefulness outside the breeding shed.[/QUOTE]
Agree 1000% ^
[QUOTE=Laurierace;7442323]
I think a lot of people were critical of his choice of using Curlin for her first foal but he wanted a foal by his champion out of his champion. If they had waited until Curlin was proven it might never had happened. I hope he sets the world on fire.[/QUOTE]
This
I still think that the Jockey Club could consider making SPECIAL EXCEPTIONS to their breeding requirements for such a situation as Rachel Alexandra.
That way they can keep their rules to protect the farms’ interests but allow for flexibility under EXTRAORDINARY CIRCUMSTANCES for EXCEPTIONAL HORSES.
Cases could be appealed and ruled on a ONE TIME basis so it does not set a precedent for the industry.
And how and who determines what an “exception” horse is???
Fraught with problems when you start making exceptions/special cases… IMO.
[QUOTE=FatDinah;7443021]
I still think that the Jockey Club could consider making SPECIAL EXCEPTIONS to their breeding requirements for such a situation as Rachel Alexandra.
That way they can keep their rules to protect the farms’ interests but allow for flexibility under EXTRAORDINARY CIRCUMSTANCES for EXCEPTIONAL HORSES.
Cases could be appealed and ruled on a ONE TIME basis so it does not set a precedent for the industry.[/QUOTE]
Or respect mother nature’s decision.
if you want to respect Mother Nature’s decision, wouldn’t that have meant not providing veterinary care and letting her die after the foaling complications? In nature, that is the result of a mare that has difficulty foaling.
The Jockey Club could decide however it wants, such as creating a board of experts and industry representatives to hear and decide appeals.
The Jockey Club and racetrack officials make subjective decisions all the time, ranging from whether a horse interfered with another one in a race to banning trainers for life because of violations.
I think everything horse-related or not functions better if there is an avenue for subjective common sense.
It’s like a zero tolerance policy in a school: If a kid unknowingly brings a gun to school in the truck of his car that his dad or someone left in there, should he be expelled for a year and charged with a criminal felony because that’s the rule and there’s no subjectivity? Or should there be an avenue for a neutral qualified board to levy a lesser penalty?
[QUOTE=FatDinah;7443141]
if you want to respect Mother Nature’s decision, wouldn’t that have meant not providing veterinary care and letting her die after the foaling complications? In nature, that is the result of a mare that has difficulty foaling.[/QUOTE]
:rolleyes: Yes - that is exactly what I meant by letting mother nature take it course.
I don’t agree with allowing case by case exceptions. Either everyone can do it or no one.
I don’t mean to sound snobbish or critical …
But …
here is part of me that would love to see her continue in “a job”. Maybe she would kick ass in the hunter ring, or as a dressage mount.
Dressage, Eventing. Even a World-Class Open Jumper. Maybe, yes.
A hunter??? HER? :eek:
Please! That’s like saying “let’s make her a W/P horse! Let’s register her as an appendix with the AQHA and breed her for halter & barrel racers!!”
I’m very to sorry: I know I am inadvertently insulting some people; but RA is above that nonsense/garbage. Would you make Cigar or Secretariat (were he sterile as well) into a HUS??
That is just an insult to a great athlete and frankly offensive to me.
:sadsmile:
I don’t see anything offensiv about riding a champion racehorse at all, whether its someone doing a new discipline or just exercising them on the farm. I think its good and healthy for horses to get exercise.
In all likelihood, she wont/wouldn’t have produced a good racehorse anyhow.
If you open the door even on a limited, exceptional circs basis, you will get sued. Probably multiple times. There are many people who think they have “exceptional circs” in all sorts of areas of life. I don’t see any way to say, “It’s a closed door unless you can give the right kind of knock, which we will decide when we hear it.” It’s either closed or open, and any kind of in between answer will be deliberately challenged by many until the door is battered completely down.
Rachel’s genes are not lost. She has a colt and a filly.
I don’t think it is offensive either but I do think it is unnecessary. It implies she hasn’t done enough and needs to earn her keep, which couldn’t be further from the truth.
[QUOTE=Laurierace;7443476]
I don’t think it is offensive either but I do think it is unnecessary. It implies she hasn’t done enough and needs to earn her keep, which couldn’t be further from the truth.[/QUOTE]
Seriously ! There are some horses that aren’t happy to be retired (Lava Man is an example), but it doesn’t sound like she’s terribly unhappy at all. So let her be fat & happy and hang out with her mare friends.
[QUOTE=FatDinah;7443021]
I still think that the Jockey Club could consider making SPECIAL EXCEPTIONS to their breeding requirements for such a situation as Rachel Alexandra.
That way they can keep their rules to protect the farms’ interests but allow for flexibility under EXTRAORDINARY CIRCUMSTANCES for EXCEPTIONAL HORSES.
Cases could be appealed and ruled on a ONE TIME basis so it does not set a precedent for the industry.[/QUOTE]
Disagree.
What makes RA’s genes so “special” and worth saving? She was an awesome racehorse, no doubt. But historically, super awesome racehorses rarely reproduce themselves. Breeding is a crapshoot entirely, the best genes don’t always get replicated and there’s no way to know for sure. She, and Lotta Kim, have had birthing problems. Why run the risk of creating more mares with reproductive difficulty?
In cattle, reproductive efficiency is incredibly important; cows are culled if they don’t get pregnant or if they have trouble calving. Certain bulls are “heifer bulls” because they produce smaller birth weights. High-dollar heifers are sold with pelvic “prepurchase exams” to be certified easy-calvers. It’s a big deal to that industry.
I’ve heard several KY vets lament the fact that reproduction is rarely considered in breeding TB mares. Of course they make a LOT of money on those hard-to-get in foal mares…but I was told (as I’m holding a tail of a high-dollar maiden for the 5th ovulation check of the year) that this critter didn’t deserve to get pregnant and pass on her poor breeding genes. Some mares-- even really, really expensive ones-- just aren’t useful in the shed.
RA more than earned her retirement. Let her get furry and fat with her girlfriends and be a horse.
[QUOTE=Howlin’Wolf;7443284]
But …
Dressage, Eventing. Even a World-Class Open Jumper. Maybe, yes.
A hunter??? HER? :eek:
Please! That’s like saying “let’s make her a W/P horse! Let’s register her as an appendix with the AQHA and breed her for halter & barrel racers!!”
I’m very to sorry: I know I am inadvertently insulting some people; but RA is above that nonsense/garbage. Would you make Cigar or Secretariat (were he sterile as well) into a HUS??
That is just an insult to a great athlete and frankly offensive to me.
:sadsmile:[/QUOTE]
i guess it was insulting to five time Horse of the Year Kelso to show in the jumpers.
That’s just what I was going to type as well…he did great with his ‘second job’ as well!
If I were RA’s owners, I think I’d do just what Mrs DuPont more or less did w/ Kelso - tack her up and make her my riding horse.
Maybe she wouldn’t like it, maybe she’d be too hot to be fun, who knows, but it would be fun to find out.
I dont believe that he was actually a show jumper; he did go foxhunting, and there is a photo of him doing a jumping demonstration. Michael Plumb rode him in “appearances” at Madison Sq Garden http://marylandthoroughbred.com/cms/index.php/news-events/news/180-archives-private-groom-to-world-s-leading-money-winner-kelso
If she was miserable being retired, I’d say they should at least consider having someone come to the farm to ride her. Would she need to show? Of course not, but if she enjoys it, well she earned it.
But if she enjoys her retirement? Really, there’s nothing wrong with her hanging out and living the life of Riley that she so earned. I just really hope they don’t breed her again and take that risk, I understand the pressure to breed her, however, to lose her would be devastating for all involved.
Field hunter maybe. She could join McDynamo (multiple Eclipse Award winning steeplechase horse).
2 tempe, great links!
