For Whom the "Belle" Tolls

I love animals. I had many in my youth, including two horses. Riding a horse is magnificent. To be able to experience firsthand the power and speed of one of these animals is exhilarating. Watching them run is the next best thing. I have long admired the strength and grace of the thoroughbred racehorse, looking forward each year to the Kentucky Derby.

This year, of course, the Derby ended with a tragedy that is becoming far too commonplace in horse racing. When Eight Belles finished second only to suddenly break both legs in such a calamitous fashion that euthanisation was the only option, every racing fan's mind went immediately to Barbaro, who met a similar fate just two years ago. How can these animals be so frail that their legs can not hold up under the very activity they were born to do? Has the sport become so much about the big money and prestige involved that there is no true love of the animal left? With horses being bred for speed at the expense of every other valuable quality, horse racing is quickly becoming an exploitative spectacle instead of the celebration of an inspiring animal that may be tamed but remains always wild in spirit.

Belle's death tolls a warning for this sport. Let us hope it will be heeded before tragedy becomes the new legacy of the racehorse.