Dammit Big Brown...

[SixSquared]

So I'm just getting a moment to get the recap of the Belmont Stakes today... for those of you who don't know, in horse racing, there's the Triple Crown, which is basically THE three races to win - The Kentucky Derby, The Preakness, and the Belmont Stakes. Big Brown won the first two, and the horse racing world has been on FIRE talking about him being the 12th horse in history to win all three and be a triple crown horse. He would join the likes of Affirmed, Secretariat, Citation, Seattle Slew, War Admiral... some GREAT horses. Affirmed won the triple crown in 1978, and that was the last horse to do it. Everyone's been talking about how it's the 30th anniversary of Affirmed winning it, and Big Brown, who looks like Affirmed, was gonna do it..

Well... he unfortunately didn't...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fO0HhNTyIM8

*Something* happened in the last half mile and he came in.. last...

The horse that won? Da'Tara... #6 choice, 38:1 odds.

[TheGodfather]

I watched it as it happened just because I was home.

But overall, a bunch of skinny Mexicans beating the piss out of horses to make them run.

Yeah, what a sport that is

[SixSquared]

^^If only you knew.... if only...

[TheGodfather]

^^If only you knew.... if only...

...go on.

[Spectic Tank]

^^If only you knew.... if only...

What don't we understand?! They push some of them so hard they break their own legs. Yea, that sounds like a GREAT sport

[TheGodfather]

What don't we understand?! They push some of them so hard they break their own legs. Yea, that sounds like a GREAT sport

Yep. Same.

I'm not some PETA person, nor anything along those lines. But I am a person with a heart, and I like animals. And seeing a bunch of stupid midgets beat the piss out of them until they can't even stand.

How can one persecute Mike Vick and his "sport," yet find this "sport" to be compeltely ok. All animal racing just leads to the early death of animals and they are often put down and abused long before they should be.

Bull fighting, bullriding, horse racing, horse bucking, all that stuff is just different forms of animal abuse. How can someone with a heart say it isn't a big deal to beat the sh!t out of an animal on a regular basis, but because they are racing it's ok.

Let me get on your back and beat you with a whip and my fist and see how you like it. I saw the one guy yesterday, he was not just whipping the horse at one point, he was actually hitting him with his fist.

Pathetic.

[TIGERJC]

Yep. Same.

I'm not some PETA person, nor anything along those lines. But I am a person with a heart, and I like animals. And seeing a bunch of stupid midgets beat the piss out of them until they can't even stand.

How can one persecute Mike Vick and his "sport," yet find this "sport" to be compeltely ok. All animal racing just leads to the early death of animals and they are often put down and abused long before they should be.

Bull fighting, bullriding, horse racing, horse bucking, all that stuff is just different forms of animal abuse. How can someone with a heart say it isn't a big deal to beat the sh!t out of an animal on a regular basis, but because they are racing it's ok.

Let me get on your back and beat you with a whip and my fist and see how you like it. I saw the one guy yesterday, he was not just whipping the horse at one point, he was actually hitting him with his fist.

Pathetic.

I think those horses are lucky to be put down, most are not that lucky and are sold to slaughter houses when they break down. I rather them put the horses to sleep than send the horses to slaughter houses in Mexico (Worse than a Michael Vick style killing)

I am against horse/grey hound racing, those so called sports are no different from dog fighting

[quickdodge®]

There is a proper section for this. The WL is not it. Later, QD.

[The_ CaneCorso]

I agree

[SixSquared]

Early death of them? Racehorses retire from racing around age 5.. after that they are either sold to people who want them for personal use, or spend the rest of their life babymaking. I've ridden retired racehorses that are 22 years old... how is that a shortened life? Just because you don't hear about them after they retire doesn't mean they die.

If you're gonna say you're against horse racing, then you must be against all forms of equine sports... jumping, dressage, roping... hell it must piss you off just to see someone ride a horse.

There's "bad eggs" in every sport. Whether people cheat by using steroids, don't treat their horses well, whatever. But those people get weeded out.

As for horses breaking their legs, that's a result of bad breeding. Anytime that you are using a horse for a sport, be it jumping, western, whatever, there's a chance of injury. A poorly bred horse is a poorly bred horse. Had Barbaro been a show jumper instead of a racehorse, he more than likely still would have broken his ankle. The reason it's so "known about" with racing is because racing is the most publicized equine sport. Horses are like people.. they will go too far sometimes, and they will hurt themselves. Sometimes it's a true accident, where nothing could have prevented it, other times it's a result of overzealous breeding.

As for "beating" the horses... a proper jockey "swipe" with the crop really doesn't hurt. Take an envelope with some paper in it and swat your arm with the broad side. That's about what it feels like if the jockey is doing it properly. It looks a lot more vicious than it is, because they use a big overhanded sweep when they do it. In truth, when you "pop" a horse with a traditional crop it's more painful. The jockeys have been taught how to properly swipe, and how not to pop.

As far as horseracing and greyhound racing being "no different than dog fighting", how can you even compare the two? Dog fighting is two animals who have been taught to fear everything fight until one is dead. Horse racing is a horse doing what it does naturally.. running. There is no fear involved. I don't agree with greyhound racing, mainly because people treat dogs a lot worse than they treat horses, and because most racing greyhounds get put down when they retire because they can't be placed in homes after they retire.

There's bad people and good people in every sport, and the bad people always give the good people a bad name. But I can guarantee you that with horse racing, when it's done by good people, it is a sport, and a thrilling one at that.

[quickdodge®]

Who gives a goddamn? Later, QD.

[HyPer50]

Seems like every year there's a new Triple crown threat.... Barbaro was supposed to be it a few years ago wasn't he? Won the first 2, then broke his leg in the 3rd.

[Elbow]

My aunt and uncle's neighbor own a race horse that race in those.