Horse Racing. I’ve always had a distant interest in this. I think this is largely in part to my Mom. In fact, I know it is. This time of year, she always made it a point to watch the Kentucky Derby. She also tuned into the Preakness, and the Belmont Stakes, but with less vigor. I don’t know why she loved these races as much as she did. I wished I would have asked her. Too late for those questions now.
But this part of her, is one of the things of my childhood that has stuck.
These days, I still keep a faint eye on the sport of Horse Racing. Although, there is a lot I don’t like about it. Of course, it certainly has been in the headlines lately, what with the controversy at the Derby — the disqualification of the first horse over the line.
There has been a lot of bad press, due to the onslaught of deaths of these fine and glorious animals, at the expense of the sport. And then there is the thing about the jockeys whipping the horses. I find that completely sad.
On Saturday, the Horse-Watching-World watched the Preakness. The winner was a horse named War of Will. Two weeks ago, at Churchill Downs, War of Will lost a chance at victory. He was the horse that got snubbed with the tangling of Maximum Security (the horse that won, and was disqualified).
So now, redemption.
But the best part of the race wasn’t in the Winner’s Circle. Nope. The magic happened when a jockey fell off his horse right out of the gate. The jockey was okey-dokey, rest assured. But that horse. That wonderful horse. That guy ran the whole race and gave the rest of the field a run for its money.
The horse’s name is Bodexpress. He totally rocked. I am not sure in what place he actually finished. Officially, he is listed as DNF. Did Not Finish. Which is a complete hunk of blooey bunk.
That horse crossed the line. He kicked butt without a jockey. That good colt sped up and passed a few competitors near the finish line. But that wasn’t all. He kept going. Some kind of a personal victory lap, I think. Yes, he ran the entire track again before finally deciding the race was complete.
Now here is my grand idea. Horse racing should be run without jockeys. Just load those beauties into the gate, and let them go on their own. I bet it would be so much better. A free for all.
I’m sure the little fellas in those snazzy outfits would object. Yet, I think it would be a great adjustment to the sport.
Those horses are large. Great, big, in so many ways. And. Believe it or not, those horses talk amongst themselves, before, during, and after the race. You can see it if you watch closely. That’s why ponies can never compete. They are always a little horse.
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“Fame you’ll be famous, as famous as can be, with everyone watching you win on TV, Except when they don’t because sometimes they won’t..”
― Dr. Seuss, Oh, The Places You’ll Go!
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A quitter never wins-and-a winner never quits.”
― Napoleon Hill
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“The real glory is being knocked to your knees and then coming back. That’s real glory. Thats the essence of it.”
― Vince Lombardi
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