Departures 2010

Yep Rory:

Changingoftheguard, the horse bought by David Hayes to win a Melbourne Cup, has died.
The four-year-old was having a gelding operation at Lindsay Park on Wednesday afternoon."He suffered a ruptured bowel during the operation and didn't survive. He was put down for humane reasons," Hayes said.

"That has never happened at Lindsay Park before and we've had hundreds, even thousands, done." "Sometimes a horse can injure a leg when getting up after an operation but not this."
Click to expand...
 
It's refreshing to be able to use 'Departures' to report on where some horses are now: a friend of mine was one of the four owners of KINGS OF LEO (a strange name for a filly!) who wasn't an entire disgrace, having had a win and a couple of places. She's been found a very nice home by trainer Jim Boyle, and is now starting to take up dressage reins, and is enjoying her non-racing life. She'd become a bit squirly at the gate, and the small partnership didn't want to go hurdling with her, so she'll be working on her extended trots and collected canters instead.
 
Heard about Alph the other day - real star over the years for Roger Teal and it was nice to see that his last run was a winning one.
 
I was going home when I realised his race was about to get under way (at Lingfield), so turned round and watched the old boy (13) make hay with the field. He was kept to the outside in really soggy going and I went back to the winner's enclosure to applaud him. Rangy, bony withers, no oil painting, but a gentleman's expression. I heard that Roger gave a wake for him at their local pub - I emailed a few days back to say how very, very sorry I was to learn he'd died, and the yard appreciated how many people had said the same. I always made a point to watch whenever he was on tv, and am so pleased I went back to see his last run, and win.
 
I saw Roger Teal yesterday at Lingers, where he'd just enjoyed a winner. Was very pleased about the e-mail and people's liking for the old boy. Said he was just cantering on the gallops, went out of Roger's line of sight, and then heard a shout. Broke a leg, just like that.
 
Last edited:
Tye, my old GSD
Did well to reach 13.5yrs but his legs just went all together this morning & we knew that was the end
 
Aldaniti said:
Tye, my old GSD
Did well to reach 13.5yrs but his legs just went all together this morning & we knew that was the end
Click to expand...

:( Sorry to hear about your loss Aldaniti. My old Belgium was 14 in Nov and, although still pretty active, is getting weaker on her backend,hopefully she'll keep going a bit longer though.
 
We lost around 195 Horses in Training (UK and Ireland) in 2010 as a result of fatalities in action, on the gallops, or to illness or other accidents. That's not the full amount, because some will have been injured on-course and been put down later, so their passing won't be reported by the racing Press.

I think it's good we tribute the animals which are, after all, the reason for this and so many other forums, the providers of thousands of jobs and billions of any currency in betting, but it's also important to be able to counter the hostile attacks on racing by certain organisations which see it on a par with bull-fighting and other activities involving the deliberate death of animals. Behind the scenes, vast amounts of research (often funded, in fact, by the Levy) goes into racehorse welfare and health issues, such as stem cell research, ulcers, stress disorders, nutrition, to name but a few. We do not 'slaughter hundreds' of horses every year to make a Roman holiday. We have many faults, one of which that still worries me being overproduction of foals, but we are not butchers. I hope our little tally, while respecting and often mourning the loss of some of the more outstanding stars, helps to put some of the accusations levelled at us into a better perspective.

There are around 18,000 racehorses in training in the UK and Ireland right now, so that is thousands and thousands of runs (on the Flat and in NH) all through the year. From the records we ourselves monitor, the percentage of fatality is probably about right for any demographic, expressed in dispassionate terms. Whether the horse is well known to us, or a debuting youngster, their loss is (or should be) always regretted, but it is not on the epic and brutal scale so often claimed by the enemies of racing.

And, for what it's worth, I just found my stats for 2006's fatalities: 223 known; 2008 - 211 known. Perhaps we are getting a little safer, after all?
 
Last edited:
Nicely put Kri.

Just to add my commiserations to all who lost their charge's and their 'stars' over the last year. Unfortunately,my friends lost Dermey Bowler (Tim Vaughans) at Ffos Las last week when he fatally struck into himself. Only found out today but this was his first run for them which is a proper downer.
 
Was just listening on the radio; another old favourite gone? At a course that he loved so much as well.
 
Oh, good lord - two? Just heard about JOE. I'll start us off another Retirements & Departures for 2011 - was rather hoping it wouldn't kick off on the first day, though.
 
Back
Top