[RC] the more money we come across, the more problems we see - oddfarm
Jonni wrote, "Now I am sure the owners of Eight Belles loved their horse...or at
least thought they did. And it is a tragic loss. But I wonder if this
incident will stop them from racing others."
Other posters have noted the young age,
compared track racing deaths to other equestrian venues or just
expressed sadness over this sad situation.
However, the real problem, and the main reason
this incident will NOT stop racing, is the fact that it is a spectator sport.
Make it exciting, and they will come. Print out the tickets and they will bet.
Sell some advertising... well you get it. If anyone should be "blamed" it should
be the people who watch year after year, paying an arm and a leg to get good
seats, buy hats, guzzle Mint Juleps and bet on who is going to win. Without the
spectators, where would the money come from? No reason to sponsor for
advertisement, no one would see it.
The people who watch any kind of sport, are not ignorant to the sport. For
instance, most people know that these horses are very young. The media
(especially now with the internet) can give every gory detail about the
injuries, why they happened, how they tried to fix them and what caused the
owners to put the horse down in the end. And yet, it still remains a popular
sport. 'Cause it's exciting and there is money to be made.
Let's not forget that this is NOT an isolated incident. True, horses may
not be dying at an "alarming rate". But all the stats in the world do not make a
death right. True, horses can die in the pasture just as easy, but that is out
of our control. That is not a good comparison. If that filly had not been raced,
under the control of the owner, trainer or whoever, she might have lived a long
and happy life and THEN died peacefully in the pasture.
Like Dr. Phil says, "You can't fix what you don't acknowledge." The people
who love to watch horse racing and bet on it, obviously don't think there is
anything wrong in the sport. The people who breed, buy, train, race and sell
horses in the racing business don't think there is anything wrong in the sport.
'Cause it's exciting and there is money to be made.
So, it will only stop when the money runs out.
Lisa Salas, The Odd fArm
We have no money to bet on other animals, we have to pay for all of
ours!!! I'll bet my horse runs a tab at the hospital before yours does!!!!
:Ooooonooooo
