![]() | |||
Having a lovely time with The in-folks treated us to a day at Arlington Park yesterday. I've never been to a horseracing track before. It was huge. And very white. We were inside--thank God, it's hotter in Illinois than it is in Georgia, which is just wrong--sat in shaded air conditioned splendor overlooking the track for the whole afternoon, nibbling on brie and chocolate cake. Very decadent. Nine races in all. The horses were beautiful. There was some excitement in the final race. In the jostling to the finish line, a horse went down, throwing his jockey and knocking another one off his mount. The second rider got to his feet, very shaken, but walked off the track without needing assistance. But the first jockey went down in a throng of horses, and while I know that they'll do their best not to trample a person, there was really no way for them to not step on him. He went rolling under their hooves and when the horses were past, he wasn't moving. I wonder if he got kicked in the head. The ambulance guys came running and immediately went to work on him. The track didn't give any details about his status. I still have no idea if he's okay, or even alive. I plan to do some Googling to see if I can find a news article about it. A sobering finish to the day. [Edit: Just found this article on the accident. Jockey and horse are still being evaluated and their injuries treated, but at least I know the jockey isn't dead.] I also wonder about how the horses are treated. They looked incredibly well cared for--they were sleek and spirited. But there's also a listing on the program to indicate whether the horse is on Lasix, which is apparently some sort of drug. And, of course, it was very hot. I do tend to think the horses probably have a decent time of it. At the very least because they're worth so much money. If people are going to make the financial investment into racing, they really can't afford to abuse, neglect, or starve their horses. I hope. Writing Stuff 34-day reprint SALE of audio rights to "The Life and Time of Penguin" to Escape Pod. "Penguin" is going to be made into a podcast! I'm so jazzed. I'm a total Escape Pod junkie. Ever since I discovered these folks, I've been jonsing to have one of my stories turned into an mp3 reading. And even better, Stephen Eley, the editor, is going to try to get a little girl to read the part of the, err, little girl. *happy dancing*
|
|||
Previous Entry · Write something · Share · Next Entry |
On July 18th, 2005 08:59 pm (UTC), (Anonymous) commented: Er....welll...gonna cheese people off as I'm so good at doing. I worked as an exercise rider and off-track jockey for several years. Yes, there are people who care about their animals. But it's a business. Big business. And much like greyhound racing there is abuse, primarily in the throwaway attitude of most owners. A horse is only good for a few years, after that, if its lucky it gets a second career as a riding horse. (Race horses BTW are not riding horses--they need loads of retraining. But they can be awesome athletes off the track.) Many perfectly good horses are sent to slaughter after they've outlived their usefulness. They end up at a "killer" auctions, are packed in cattle trucks (too small for horses), and shipped for 10-12 hours to a meat plant in Canada or Mexico. (I think there are also plants in Texas.) I'm not trying to make you guilty or anything, because as a vegetarian, you're a better person than I am. Seriously. I'm not being condescending. (I've tried, I'm just so f-ing weak, keep eating meat.) But, personally, I don't do horse or dog tracks anymore. 'Tho I used to have lots of fun betting, too. I just know too much about the industry. Prayers for the jockey. Twelve hundred pounds of animal stomping on you does very hurty things. Pat Kirby |
(Deleted comment) I'm only reading my flist sporadically while I'm with the in-laws, so I just hopped over to "another post in another place" and replied. #$&^%!#@ I'm too old. Not by a lot, but enough to disqualify me from even the hope of begging for an invite. WAH!! I'm too fucking old! I think I'll go cry in a corner for a while now . . . Oh, Eugie, you need to learn some of the most basic rules of adding candles to your cake. The most important of which, at the moment, is Rule #7: You're not too old; the anthology is too young. Repeat is after me, slowly. I am not too old; the anthology is too young. Okay? Good. :) And many, many, many congratulations on the Escape Pod sale!! That is too cool! I need to hop over there and look at the website more closely; I have the link somewhere, but I've never really taken the time to go through and read all about it. Too much life getting in the way! :) (Deleted comment) |