Re: [RC] WC Freiheit The Real Winner Not Mack - Dabney Finch
Whoa there boy.
Unless I'm missing something, I just don't see how
being sold to Hal Hall (just ask anyone who knows him--Hal's a gentleman who
cares deeply and responsibly for his horses, and who has many years of
successful endurance experience behind him), rather than being trailered
thousands of miles back across the country after doing Tevis, could be
considered "cruel."
And, taking a horse in a 100 4 weeks after
winning another one is perfectly fine, so long as the horse is sufficiently
rested and otherwise good to go (and Hal would know that,
too).
Your attitude seems oddly irrational/emotional to
me. Maybe you're anthropomorphizing? (sp?) As in, your own feelings
would (understandably) be hurt if you did a marvelous feat like that for
someone and then they "dumped" you?
But, Black Beauty nothwithstanding, horses just don't
think like that --they're more like cats: while they will readily bond with a
human, they can get over it rather readily (generally) if their owner
happens to change.
Subject: Re: [RC] WC Freiheit The Real
Winner Not Mack
Hello Diane, Thank you for the background on Fred (WC Freiheit). We all knew that Fred had to be a terrific athlete with
years of conditioning to accomplish the tremendous feat of winning the OD and
Tevis in one year. The very sad and very callous part done by Mack himself
after Fred gave his all is of public record which required no "cocking" just
pulling the trigger. =-O Don Huston
At 12:37 PM 1/5/2006
Thursday, you wrote:
Wow... talk about going off
half-cocked! How can anyone not personally familiar with this
horse's history possibly claim that MMS callously sacrificed this horse for
his own ego?
Bear in mind, the AERC records are missing early
incompletes. Steve Hanson rode Freiheit as a 5 yr old and completed
4 50's that year, 3 of them Top Tens, and then as a 6 yr old another 5
50's, ALL Top Tens, none in more than 6 hours, then at 7, a 50 and a 100,
both first place, and at eight a final 50, first place. He
then sold this horse to MMS having ridden him a total of 650 miles, HARD,
and when the horse was still in it's growing years.
In 1992,
Matthew rode his new 8 yr old on 2 rides and Top Tenned both.
The following year he rode him on 1 50 finishing 22nd. As a 10 yr
old, Matthew did an easy 50 (24th) and then Top Tenned 2 100's.
Then at 11, he did 3 100's, Top Tenning the first and then winning the
Old Dominion and the Tevis. This for a total of 850 miles on an
8-11 year old. MMS then sold the horse to Hal Hall in 1995 who rode
him on one ride 4 weeks later. Then nothing till 1999 when he shows
up in the records being ridden by James Oury (who pulled all 3 of his
1999 rides).
From these AERC records, it would seem that Mr Hanson
rode this horse pretty hard for his formative years and that Mr Hall
and/or Mr Oury was unable to keep the horse sound. But without
knowing what actually happened to the horse, except to say that Mr Hanson
probably overrode him, one cannot possibly accuse MMS, Mr Hall or Mr
Oury of destroying this horse.
As to selling the horse directly
after winning Tevis, I would guess MMS was offered a VERY substantial
price and thus had the choice of trailering him home some 3000+ miles or
selling him. I'd say selling him must have looked pretty
attractive, especially since it appears MMS had several other ponies at
home to work with.
Don Huston wrote:
My God, what an egotistical
"it's all me" attitude! Of course MATTHEW MADE IT HAPPEN and he destroyed
the horse in the process. Who the hell thinks Mack won! Not me. The horse
won. No horse, no win. Mack just happened to be callous enough to let the
horse sacrifice itself for his ego and then dump it. Instead of retiring
the horse for a while and giving the horse the benefit of all his
veterinary skills while letting it recover from such a tremendous feat he
sells it to another egomaniac who continues to race it 6 weeks after
Tevis. A very crappy way to treat the real champion of Tevis &
OD! Don Huston At 09:47 AM 1/5/2006 Thursday, you wrote:
*The horse wasn,t that
amazing, it,s the rider that is amazing. Matthew made it happen, with
alot of planning, work, & determination and of course luck. The
horse never did anything impressive before or since. jvm*
