Barbaro To Be Buried In Kentucky

[JoDog]

A year to the day after 2006 Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro died of complications during recovering from radical leg surgery, his owners announced that his cremated remains will rest at the Kentucky Derby Museum in Louisville.

http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/horse/columns/story?columnist=moran_paul&id=3220623

It is the thoroughbred equvalent to a state funeral and burial. He deserves no less. RIP Barbaro--a year gone, and I'm still tearing up.

[RedStateShame]

1. Most Kentuckians can only wish to have as good medical care as a horse received.

Just something to consider...

[Orrex]

2. Not just Kentuckians

Of course, of course.

[tuckessee]

3. Too bad they cremated him.

Future archaeologists are going to be quite disappointed with our burial practices.

[Warpy]

6. I'm sure plenty of his semen lives on

in cryocontainers in labs.

[JoDog]

8. No, it does not

In order for an horse to be qualified to race in North America and Europe, the foal must be produced the old fashioned way--no artificial insemination allowed. Because Barbaro broke one of his back legs, the chances of him being able to mount a mare without causing himself additional injury were slim to none. As far as using his sperm to artificially inseminate mares with foals that would not be registered to race, that is unlikely. The foals would not even be considered thoroghbreds and could not be sold as such. And none of their offspring could ever race, either.

And thank you for adding a snarky, uneducated comment to a thread that I started so fellow horseracing fans could have the update on a day when many of us are trolling political sites and not paying attention to sports.

[jakefrep]

10. Umm, no.

Generally speaking, artifical insemination is not allowed for breeding of racehorses.

[MADem]

4. That headline made me think--damn, he must stink by now! But I see he was cremated.

He was a lovely horse. Shame, and all that. A sad story. I felt sorry for his pain. I imagine his treatment process produced some advances in veterinary medicine, though, so hopefully there was a purpose behind his suffering.

That said, I do agree with those who wish people could get as good care, no matter where they live--from Africa to China, from Chile to Iceland, from North America to Yap. Wouldn't it be nice if medical treatments for all of us creatures on this big blue marble didn't depend on "the almighty dollar?"

[JoDog]

5. You're absolutely right

we all should get the care that Barbaro did. And frankly, the only reason even he got such an extreme effort was because his owners are well heeled and spared no expense to try to save him. It was an effort of love--the horse's value as even a breeding prospect was destroyed by the injury. Had he lived, they were not going to make any money off of him.

And yes, the process that was used to treat him did advance vet medicine's knowledge of what can be done with such severe leg injuries. As the surgeon that treated him said: "We couldn't save Barbaro, but thanks to him we may save the next horse." Also, the Barbaro Fund at the University of Pennsylvania has raised a lot of money towards research of laminitis, the condition that ultimately doomed him. So a little good may yet come out of it.

[TwilightGardener]

7. Aw. Poor Barbaro. That horse broke my heart.

[JoDog]

9. Mine too

:cry: