animal mistreatment?

Over the weekend for the first time I checked out the 134th Kentucky Derby on TV and it caught my eye since I caught the beginning of this event and how much hype they put before this race which the race itself only lasts about 2 minutes, but draws about 158,000 people to Louisville, Kentucky.

The pre-race consisted of a few hours of interviews with owners, trainers of the horses, vets, the riders and their background. I felt the other half, which are the women, tend to get drawn by the attendance of celebrities and women with their eccentric Derby hats which actually brought a lil pizazz seeing all types of hats from Victorian, designer, cloche, tea, and other ridiculous hats.



Now in my opinion after seeing the race I didn't find it at all chic or classy. I do understand that thoroughbreds are born and raised to race and compete but what happened to this filly horse "Eight Belles" I can not bear to watch the chilling scene.

Eight Belles had to be euthanized on the track immediately after the race and they kept on showing it over and over again and I am not trying to pick on racing since this happens in other sports such racing and even the sport of boxing or ultimate fighting. But for some reason after watching a young filly die less than 5 minutes after the race of her life, it can be disturbing. She must have been running on those broken legs which eventually just gave out and they had to do it to take away the pain immediately.

Exercising horses is good for the horses and this is what the folks in horse racing defend on since there's a breeding and training process and only a few horses are considered top potential. There is nothing offensive about the idea of horse raising but I can't imagine the many practices that go on behind the scenes can be quite disturbing and they would never show that in the lime light.

Animal Mistreatment? You be the judge.



photo by David Black