Filly Eight Belles is 2nd, but suffers fatal injury

Eight Belles finished second in Saturday's Kentucky Derby, but any celebration turned to grief and sorrow when the filly collapsed with two broken ankles and had to be euthanized.

[Intrepid]

Another beautiful horse killed by man's greed...There is absolutely no need for any horse racing or dog racing in this world. Circuses either. Folks should be just as outraged over horse racing as they are about dog fighting.. it's the same. Greedy, greedy, unethical people making money on the backs of animals... These people are no better than the other scumbags in the world that exploit animals.. because no matter how fancy the trappings, it's still exploitation.

[leo from shanghai]

michael vick should have got into horse racing instead of dogfighting!

[Donna]

My heart goes out to Ms Eight Belles, the horse with the champions' heart. If you ask me, she won that race, not big brown. I hope there wasn't any foul play of any kind, to make that horse get hurt like that. Poor little filly ran her heart out today, and it cost her dearly. She will always be remembered as the Champion she was. I will remember her. I wish to give my heart felt condolences to her owners, they lost a great horse today, and I am sure she will sorely be missed. May God bless her soul. Yes, animals have souls too.

[BONNYOSHEA]

Intrepid wrote:

Another beautiful horse killed by man's greed...There is absolutely no need for any horse racing or dog racing in this world. Circuses either. Folks should be just as outraged over horse racing as they are about dog fighting.. it's the same. Greedy, greedy, unethical people making money on the backs of animals... These people are no better than the other scumbags in the world that exploit animals.. because no matter how fancy the trappings, it's still exploitation.

what the hell are you talking about ??? A horse could break its ankles running across a pasture by itself !!!dont be such an arse !!!!

[strut2k]

Eight Belles on Saturday.

Hillary Clinton on Tuesday. Bad week for fillies.

Will Hillary get taken to the glue factory too?

[Three Generations Later]

Intrepid wrote:

Another beautiful horse killed by man's greed...There is absolutely no need for any horse racing or dog racing in this world. Circuses either. Folks should be just as outraged over horse racing as they are about dog fighting.. it's the same. Greedy, greedy, unethical people making money on the backs of animals... These people are no better than the other scumbags in the world that exploit animals.. because no matter how fancy the trappings, it's still exploitation.

Yer a Peta head!

[Real Democrat]

This reminds me of Barbaro who suffered a serious injury, but he was treated for many subsequent months. He was eventually euthanized in Jan of 2007. It is very sad.

[Country girl]

BONNYOSHEA wrote:

<quoted text>what the hell are you talking about ??? A horse could break its ankles running across a pasture by itself !!!dont be such an arse !!!!

How many horses do you all have? Even combined? not enough to know your arse from a hole in the ground!thuobreds have tiny bones and it was a SLOPPY track welcome to the world of raceing!!This horse lived a better life than most of us!Look up horse slaughter PETA peoplelook at the real sh%$t get off the track...Horse breeder lover of horses! I am! but shut the f@#!k up You make so many people sick go f#@#@ing home !! STAY out of our lives !!!!!

[Equine]

Intrepid wrote:

Another beautiful horse killed by man's greed...There is absolutely no need for any horse racing or dog racing in this world. Circuses either. Folks should be just as outraged over horse racing as they are about dog fighting.. it's the same. Greedy, greedy, unethical people making money on the backs of animals... These people are no better than the other scumbags in the world that exploit animals.. because no matter how fancy the trappings, it's still exploitation.

You need to get a clue. Thousands of horses are going to auction every day in this country. GOOD horses, trained horses, former family pets. And most of them are being bought up by meat buyers. Why? Because no one can afford to keep their horses anymore because the price of gas is driving up the price of hay, the price of wheat, the price of corn, the price of the vet, the price of the farrier, the price of everything. Our economy is spiraling out of control and lots of perfectly wonderful animals are going to meet a gruesome end because of it while we waste gas and moan about the price of groceries.

Belles at least died doing what she was supposed to do. All in all, it's better than riding in a packed trailer of exhausted, thirsty, hungry animals for 18 hours to a meat packing plant to be butchered, don't you think?

[Equine]

Real Democrat wrote:

This reminds me of Barbaro who suffered a serious injury, but he was treated for many subsequent months. He was eventually euthanized in Jan of 2007. It is very sad.

What was sad was that they made him suffer for so long before they put him down. Want to know why they went to all that trouble?$$$ They wanted him to breed and a thoroughbred breeding has to be from a live cover, not frozen sperm. IOW: he had to mount a mare to breed it. Without his back leg, he couldn't do that. They kept him alive for $$ purposes. Anyone with a heart would have let him go long before.

This mare needed to be put down and they did it ASAP. Yes, it's sad that her race ended like that but that's what happens in racing sometimes. Check out what happens to the back yard horses that people are getting rid of in droves these days and maybe you won't feel so personally bereft for a horse who died doing what she was designed to do.

[tarararboomdeay]

Ralph Nader says regulate big oil the same way gas, electricity, and telephone. This makes more sense than anyting said by others so far. NADER for PRESIDENT!

[horselover]

Intrepid wrote:

Another beautiful horse killed by man's greed...There is absolutely no need for any horse racing or dog racing in this world. Circuses either. Folks should be just as outraged over horse racing as they are about dog fighting.. it's the same. Greedy, greedy, unethical people making money on the backs of animals... These people are no better than the other scumbags in the world that exploit animals.. because no matter how fancy the trappings, it's still exploitation.

I take offense to everything you are saying above. I am in the thoroughbred business and I am by far not greedy (I live pay check to pay check) or unethical. Accidents happen. What about car racing and Dale Earnhart? Was he greedy, no he just loved the sport. I love horses, in fact I do not even go to the races and bet. I love to just watch the horses run as they are such beautiful creatures. Sure there are people out there who do not do the right thing (in what area of life does this not happen?) but for the thoroughbred owners that I know they are good people. Why would anyone put a horse like this at risk? If it was for money they could taken her to the breeding shed and had many foals and earned much more than what they did today. THEY LOVED HER AND THOUGHT SHE WAS SPECIAL!

[Agent 99]

Country girl wrote:

<quoted text>How many horses do you all have? Even combined? not enough to know your arse from a hole in the ground!thuobreds have tiny bones and it was a SLOPPY track welcome to the world of raceing!!This horse lived a better life than most of us!Look up horse slaughter PETA peoplelook at the real sh%$t get off the track...Horse breeder lover of horses! I am! but shut the f@#!k up You make so many people sick go f#@#@ing home !! STAY out of our lives !!!!!

If you were at all knowledgeable about horses, you would know how to spell THOROUGHBRED. You must be the stable boy. lol

[A1ACharles is All Knowing]

This is why I hate horse racing.

[animal lover]

we never really care about the love our animals gives us.....sure not with horses it's all about money and then let's get rid of them but in wich condition! they think, they hurt and they love just like us and many times they safe lives....but we human we like to kill

[the truth]

BONNYOSHEA wrote:

<quoted text>what the hell are you talking about ??? A horse could break its ankles running across a pasture by itself !!!dont be such an arse !!!!

You're the heartless POS!! I feel SORRY for your children. Now that you're done posting on here, why don't you go beat your children. Yes, horses may break their legs running across the pasture..this animal was not running across a pasture when she broke down---guess you missed THAT fact. You're too stupid to breed--keep your legs crossed!!

[Real Democrat]

Equine wrote:

<quoted text>
What was sad was that they made him suffer for so long before they put him down. Want to know why they went to all that trouble?$$$ They wanted him to breed and a thoroughbred breeding has to be from a live cover, not frozen sperm. IOW: he had to mount a mare to breed it. Without his back leg, he couldn't do that. They kept him alive for $$ purposes. Anyone with a heart would have let him go long before.
This mare needed to be put down and they did it ASAP. Yes, it's sad that her race ended like that but that's what happens in racing sometimes. Check out what happens to the back yard horses that people are getting rid of in droves these days and maybe you won't feel so personally bereft for a horse who died doing what she was designed to do.

Interesting...we discussed this at work a while ago and decided that they could easily collect his sperm to use later for breeding. Why does the breeding have to be done as such? Any practical reason to that considering today's possibilities? I'm asking because it seems that you know something about the subject. And I still think it's sad. Animal death and suffering of any kind, thoroughbred, mix, whatever, is still very sad.

[whitesabbath48]

this horse didnt die becuse they didnt care

[horselover]

animal lover wrote:

we never really care about the love our animals gives us.....sure not with horses it's all about money and then let's get rid of them but in wich condition! they think, they hurt and they love just like us and many times they safe lives....but we human we like to kill

Like I said before, I love my horses and if it was all about money I would not be living pay check to pay check. I buy suppliments for my horses (as most do) to build their bones. I broke my knee cap by just slipping and falling 30 years ago. Because that accident happened does that mean someone did not care for me?

[Mom]

Donna wrote:

My heart goes out to Ms Eight Belles, the horse with the champions' heart. If you ask me, she won that race, not big brown. I hope there wasn't any foul play of any kind, to make that horse get hurt like that. Poor little filly ran her heart out today, and it cost her dearly. She will always be remembered as the Champion she was. I will remember her. I wish to give my heart felt condolences to her owners, they lost a great horse today, and I am sure she will sorely be missed. May God bless her soul. Yes, animals have souls too.

Animals have souls? Do you have any BIBLICAL proof for this? or are you a self-proclaimed bleeding heart wiccan under the guise of satanism weirdo freak type?
SHE WAS AN ANIMAL.
A-N-I-M-A-L
There choice to euthanize is theirs. NOT YOURS.
ooOOooo let me add, I've been a PETA member for nearly a decade. Hm.. go figure.