A Take on a Filly's Courage

Anyone who watched the Kentucky Derby yesterday has to feel both saddened and amazed -- saddened, of course, by the death of the filly, Eight Belles, and amazed by the power of the winner, Big Brown. As a long time very ambivalent fan of horseracing and a lover of Thoroughbreds, I can't help seeing what happened as a kind of paradigm of "Thoroughbredness", if you want to call it that.

I have a friend who trains a jumper who is a relative of Eight Belles, a son of her grandsire, Unbridled. When my friend got the horse, a woman he knows, a steward at Santa Anita, told him to watch out, because Unbridleds tend to be both unsound and fearless, and my friend has found this to be the case. Where most horses have at least some caution, my friend's horse will try anything -- his mental toughness and competitiveness always takes over, no matter what the circumstances. This is what we saw in Eight Belles -- she was more resolute and competitive than was good for her, and she literally ran herself to death. When the race was finished, every part of her was exhausted, including, I am sure, the support apparatus of ligaments and tendons that were keeping her bones together. She probably stumbled and broke one ankle, then stepped hard on the other and broke that one. Then she fell.

But Big Brown was the other half of the equation. Big Brown looks to be a truly exceptional horse -- exceptionally strong and exceptionally competitive, possibly the Secretariat of our day. When the filly decided she wasn't going to give up, she risked herself more than she would have with a lesser horse -- and in general, male horses are stronger than female horses, which is why so few fillies run in the Derby.

Some people think there should be no horse racing. Certainly, horse racing as a spectator sport is staggering under the weight of these recent horrors -- Barbaro, and then this. But, as I've written elsewhere, without horse racing, there would be no Thoroughbreds as we know them, and there is nothing like them. The Thoroughbreds I have bred and trained and now ride, modest specimens all, are athletic, game, and eager, full of energy and intelligence. Beautiful, too.

It is not racing per se that is cruel, it is American racing as it has been, on dirt tracks at continuous high speeds, for lots of money. Horses in Europe, who run on the turf, and only exert themselves all out at the end of fairly long races, do not break down as frequently as American horses on American tracks. American horses bred like European horses, who run in races on the grass, also break down less. American horses have been expected to start racing early and to go fast from the post to the wire, because the people in the grandstands can see the whole race and like plenty of speed. Fortunately, American racing authorities are finally waking up to the industry-wide damage that a high injury-rate does, and American racetracks are in the process of changing their racing surfaces from dirt to something called "polytrack" that is easier on the horses and rather similar to turf. Although horsemen do complain because the surface is unfamiliar, a friend of a friend I know at Hollywood Park told my friend recently that her job has changed -- and her job is doing the paperwork on horses injured at the track. She says that she does 75-80% less paperwork now -- that is the difference, for the better, in the injury rate in Southern California since they switched to polytrack. Churchill Downs is still dirt. The difference in the surface means that breeders have to breed a different style of horse, too -- a sturdier horses with a different action, like European horses.

It is possible, though, that Eight Belles would have run herself to death on any surface. We all know people who cannot admit defeat, and horses can be the same. We all know people who simply defy their own weaknesses and go on. I see Eight Belles' death as heroic in that sense -- stubborn and foolish, shocking and tragic, but not, in the end, an accident. I think the filly's courage deserves respect, not pity.

Originally published in the New York Times' "The Rail" Blog.

Comments

[wildflowermaven]

Anyone here who is questioning Jane's knowledge and love of horses should read her book Horse Heaven, a great read that covers all the various actors in thoroughbred racing. Its obvious her sympathies are with the horses.
I heard today that both Barbaro and Eight Belles were related to Native Dancer, and that Native Dancer progeny tend towards weak ankles. Not that all the foals are unsound, but much more than other lines. I definitely think breeding preferences are creating the problems we are seeing, thoroughbreds were created to be running machines, and the emphasis is more and more on speed, perhaps at the expense of durability.
A good book that delves a bit into the dangers of breeding to improve a single trait (such as speed) is Animals in Translation by Temple Grandin. I recommend it for anyone interested in how breeding of horses, cows, chickens, dogs etc., are affecting the health of animals today.

[darcy]

How can an intelligent person like you, Jane Smiley, support the cruel sport of horseracing? How would YOU like to be enslaved and then forced to run races for the amusement of uncaring apes?

I'm appalled that horseracing continues to be legal.

[SeriousBlack]

Horseracing is no better than cockfighting, dogfighting, bullfighting and the confinement and abuse of animals by circuses. Even zoos are on the line as far as I'm concerned (not that zoos, in contrast to the other situations, are by their very nature bad; it is only the largest, most well-funded zoos that expend the effort and care for the animals not to be effectively abused, while in thousands of other smaller zoos that is what ends up happening).

And all you "horse people" can spare me your protests about how "noble" a sport it is. Right. As if the horses themselves would choose to abuse themselves like that in nature. Not buying it.

[Rule Of Law]

If she hadn't been forced to race for money, she would still be alive today. Animal abuse, plain and simple.

[montanarose]

Well, to be perfectly cynical, since Eight Belles was bred for the specific purpose of "rac[ing] for money," she wouldn't have been alive in the first place, let alone today.

[peaceandfreedom]

And to be perfectly realistic about it, a 3 year old is not in Any way mature! Their bone platelets have not fully fused and since most breeding these days is done by corporate breeders whose only interest is speed, not soundness, you are putting horses on the field that already have two strikes against them.

In any other form of equine sport, the horses are at least 5 years old. But in order to turn a quick profit, since the driving force behind thoroughbred racing is gambling--or as they prefer to call it, Wagering--These horses are criminally abused. The great racer of the twenties, Man O War, was not allowed by his owners to race in the Kentucky Derby to get the third leg of the Triple Crown. Even then they knew that a young horse shouldn't be pushed to do a mile and a quarter, and so refused to enter him. Today, the economics make that sort of ethics and honesty impossible.

[hollyo]

The prerace comments mentioned that Eight Belles had ONLY raced on artifical
turf and never on the hard dirt tracks. I felt a streak of dread pass through me.
I suspect her ligaments, muscles and bones were not adapted to the hard surface.

She was a wonderful horse and this is a true tragedy of greed and animal abuse.

[VillyVal]

The horse did not choose to race. She was bred to race, just as dogs and roosters can be bred to fight. She was sacrificed for human amusement. You may anthropomorphize some weird form of "choice" into her death, but horses are not choosing moral agents when they work themselves to death or keep walking through the desert until they drop.

Once "tamed" or "domesticated," horses no longer choose. If they did, we wouldn't have that old saying about beating a dead horse. If human beings did not intervene, the species would be extinct. You can't get more thoroughly bred than that.

[banjomike]

Very good post, Jane!
It should be pointed out, though, that Eight Belles' didn't break down during the race. She broke down pulling up after the race was over, which indicates to me that she may have been stopped too suddenly, or that the track was too soft and snagged her.

Very little has been written in regards to Eight Belles' breakdown about the conditions of dirt tracks across the country, but many are too soft, and I'm glad you made mention of that fact. Many of the old tracks that were once turf have been plowed up, and have no bottom. Turf requires expensive maintenance and grooming, and the racing industry is in general decline. The artificial turf you mention is a cheaper alternative to the real thing.

I noticed a couple of replies that mention breeder's 'greed', and can't help but wonder why someone would think any breeder is greedy. The costs of breeding, training, and upkeep are enormous, and the chances of winning a big race infintisimable. How can any owner be greedy under these circumstances?

[westtexasboy]

Having had a daughter in Pony Club -- training ground for dressage and equestrian sports -- let me say first that the relationships between horses and riders have a long, complicated history. The physical contact between seat, leg and horse is intimate and when sustained a pair can become quite attached. My daughter started riding at age ten and continued through high school, literally growing up and maturing on horseback. She mucked, groomed, saddled, bathed her mounts, cleaned tack with toothbrush and saddle soap. She trained before and after school during the coldest and the hottest weather that the Midwest can impose -- a swing of 100 degrees. She learned to get organized, to come back from a loss and to win. Relationships characterized by respect, dependence and admiration grew between her and the horses she rode. She was made more noble by their nobility. She got the very best from the best side of that world. How does one put a price on such an education? With that said, no defense exists for the darkest side of the horse world. The blogosphere is full of horror stories, cruelties, torture and death. But the triumphs of my daughter and her mounts, of her colleagues and their families, make more poignant the tears we shed for the tragedies of petty selfishness and greedy business. BTW, we still own Thirsty, who taught her so much; he is, at 33, retired, grazing in a field of good grass with his buddies.

[BlueAsh]

By saying, "We all know people who cannot admit defeat, and horses can be the same," you seem, to me, to suggest a broader interpretation of the sad event beyond horses and the horse-racing industry. You seem to be making an analogy between that particular horse and human events.

With that in mind, I'd like to take on a different angle:

Eight Belles was beautiful. Her death was tragic and says volumes about the inhumanity of the horse-racing industry.

But saying people should "respect" the filly seems to be odd, the same way calling crime victims "heroes" is odd to me. Which part of the filly do we respect? Her beauty--product of the thoroughbred industry? Her death--thanks to the same industry?

We may mourn the loss of her life, but let's not forget that her life was inseparable from the very industry that led her to her death.

In the case of the horse, she had little choice--couldn't have "admitted" defeat if she had wanted to. The same can't be said about humans.

[banjomike]

Horses break down every day in pastures everywhere, racing each other, or just being horses. If anything, Remember that Eight Belles finished the race- she took second place! It was only when she was pulled up that she broke down, and I suspect the condition of the track was the culprit.

The horse racing industry in not inhumane- the costs of racing are much too high to treat a horse badly- but it is risky by it's nature. Racing in no way compares to dog fighting or other truly inhumane 'sports', where only the winner is still alive at the end of competition.

The crops used by the jockeys aren't inhumane or dangerous to the horse. They don't produce anything greater than a sting when used at their hardest, and the sting is only a cue. (Otherwise, riding crops wouldn't be the choice of thousands of masochists.)

And horses are just like humans- some refuse to give up in a race, and some do. When a horse gives up, there is nothing a jockey can do about it physically. Some are extremely competitive and some aren't.

[ckdogs]

These horses love to run - but it is humans who decide when, and how, they run. Three year olds are babies. They are broken out, and racing at two! Their bones and tendons are not fully developed, and they are asked to take the pounding of training and racing, all out. Then, at three, come the "big" races. If it was all pushed up a year - start racing at 3, and big races at 4, many fewer horses would break down. It would cost the breeders more to support them for another year, which is the issue. We also don't see the many horses, who don't break down completely, but are so lame, they are unrideable, after a season of racing. Guess what happens to them?
I have no problem with racing, per se, but it should be done in a more appropriate manner - so the horses can survive.

[digoweli]

Have you noticed that Muskogee Oklahoma, (a town of 38,000 in population with a Median income that is the same as the per capita income of the nation and a good educational level as well) is choosing a mayor. (Muskogee is also the hometown of Senator Coburn from Oklahoma.) One candidate is a Democratic former mayor who pledges gradual growth and quality of life while the other is a 19 year old Freshman government major at the University of Oklahoma. One is an older man slightly overweight while the other is a young svelte, good talking slightly fey late adolescent who is not yet 20 years of age. His program is that he is bright, fast, and can learn on the job and will surround himself with good people and he is the former vice-President of the High School Young Republicans club.

"After all governing is not that hard, even a kid can do it." Or maybe this is an incompetency virus, that effects elections, horse races and God only knows what else, developed in an Army Lab at Fort Dietrich, Maryland. Well, it's as good an answer anything else. The truth is probably closer to the University of Chicago and German Immigrant philosopher Leo Strauss and the school that produced Neo-Conservatism, Neo-Classical Economics and the Uma Thurman Stalker. Digoweli

[gigglechick]

Very nice post, Jane. Thank you.

As I sat there stunned with tears running down my face on Saturday evening, with the images of Eight Belles crossing the finish line and flashbacks in my mind to Barbaro's Preakness injury, my aunt (also a horsewoman) called me - we'd spoken 2 hours before the race since we always talk on Derby Day.

She said "I was going to watch and about 45 minutes before, I turned it off because I felt something was going to happen" --- she then said "She was a good looking filly, but had no chest and her legs were toothpicks"

I love horse racing - mainly for the athleticism and beauty of the animals (I used to compete in 3 day events which is not a dainty sport either)

I do want to commend NBC for not airing the moment she went down - especially like the footage of Barbaro that was shown over and over. But there have been photos today that just made my stomach lurch. It made me sick.

I do not think that the sport of horse racing should be banned like some folks are asking for. The surface materials should be changed and there should be more preventative measures taken.

Coincidentally, Ruffian's trainer, Frank Whiteley Jr, passed away on Friday. Maybe he's up there welcoming Eight Belles ---- hopefully not for a Ruffian/Eight Belles match race though.

[Mango]

It's not about the horses; it's about greed. If it were about the horses then they would be much better cared for.

[liveandlearn]

i read one opinion that horses should not be raced when they are two year olds, and the kentucky derby should be run by four year olds. my own farm knowledge suggests the breeding is at fault. get some new bloodlines in there. but if the turf can help, let's get them to change the triple crown turf.

[hollywoodjaxx]

Problem is....a horse's bones aren't fully solidified until they're 5 years old. This allows them to grow to the amazing size they attain in maturity. At the age these horses are being raced the entire center of the leg bones is still a spongy mass. I've seen autopsy photos in respected equine publications illustrating this reality. What I find amazing is that more horses don't "break down" during these abusive races. Older thouroghbreds are prone to navicular and ringbone...painful arthritic conditions that lead to their eventual demise. If you took the betting out of this "Sport of Kings" this "sport" wouldn't exsist. It's a really sad situation but entirely forseeable.

[ErnestineBass]

When someone purchases a piece of "(live)stock" for $10 million or more, they need to see a return on that investment as soon as possible. These people could care less if their (heavily insured) "investment" has matured enough to pay off. Same Old S**t, Different Day.

The riche really are different. They're INHUMAN.

[ckdogs]

If you can afford the 10 million, you should be able to afford giving the horse the time to mature!

[rucognizant]

I painted thoroughbreds for a while...........................
I looked into the eyes of the elite owners................................and saw the state of the country as it is becoming back then! Hard cold eyes!

[MM5]

How horrible! I know little about horse racing and horses in general but did grow up overseas watching horse racing on TV on Saturdays when it was on. It always was exciting. Now my daughter is crazy about horses so we watch the Triple Crown races when we catch them. I am now completely turned off. Started with Barbaro, then heard about several horses injured in ONE day at the Breeder's Cup. One that was euthanized there was bred by the same people as who bred Barbaro.

I am seeing this sport for what it really is...at least to someone like me.

This article was just heart breaking. I just don't see why these animals should be treated this way especially after their owners made millions off them.

http://www.thestar.com/Sports/HorseRacing/article/420982