Eight Belles

What a nightmare

Track personnel try to hold down Eight Belles after the 134th Kentucky Derby Saturday, May 3, 2008, at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky. Eight Belles was euthanized after breaking both front ankles following a second-place finish in the Kentucky Derby. (AP Photo/Brian Bohannon)

This photo has notes. Move your mouse over the photo to see them.

To take full advantage of Flickr, you should use a JavaScript-enabled browser and
install the latest version of the Macromedia Flash Player.

Comments

Banamine says:

At least she will not suffer and will never remember her greatest day in racing with todays euthanized meds.

RIP...
www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=4422996037
Posted 20 months ago. ( permalink )

pegfrench6 says:

This is the saddest picture I have ever seen. We should be celebrating her brilliant race . She was a true champion.
Posted 20 months ago. ( permalink )

virginiadonkey says:

Tragic moment; amazing capture.
Posted 20 months ago. ( permalink )

Charlotte-Ann Photography says:

What a tragedy :(
Posted 20 months ago. ( permalink )

JIBPHOTOGRAPHY says:

SO SAD!!!! She made it to the big show... and she impressed all.
Posted 20 months ago. ( permalink )

Little Miss Lena says:

This was a horrifying time, any idea why it happened? Just a bad step? Its terrable that it was both her front ankles, she was so amazing! She showed those colts!
Posted 20 months ago. ( permalink )

Jim B L says:

That is tough to look at. :(

--
Found in a search. (?)
Posted 20 months ago. ( permalink )

Banamine says:

This was sent to me by a good friend" The derby yesterday- I watched it over and over, and I think I saw the moment Eight Belles was injured. In the homestretch, after Big Brown passed her, her head suddenly jerks sharply to the right, and she starts to fade right, a little at a time. Tragic- she was possibly the equal of the great Ruffian..."
Posted 20 months ago. ( permalink )

Ceece {Courtney Paris Photography} says:

what a sad day.

--
Found in a search. (?)
Posted 20 months ago. ( permalink )

kristingrueteredhs says:

i heard that several horses were euthanized that die at the same track because of broken legs. there's an investigation going on to see if it was the condition of the track.
Posted 20 months ago. ( permalink )

Kerri-Jo says:

people need to stop looking at the track surface -which may be the end cause but is certainly not the main ones.

racing babies before they are physiologically mature and the type of training that builds great musculature and respiratory systems before bones and tendons/ligaments are built up

horse racing is about the tote and not the horse
Posted 20 months ago. ( permalink )

Ceece {Courtney Paris Photography} says:

there was only one horse Euthanized that day. It has not happened at a Derby in a very, very long time.

--
Seen in my recent comments. (?)
Posted 20 months ago. ( permalink )

crime scene says:

The trainer feels the jerking head during the race was not the moment of injury, and that she exhibited this behaviour before in other races. Maybe.

clearly though, after the race she starts favouring one front leg then switches leads and the other leg crumples under her. It was awful from then on, the poor creature.

As you can see from the picture above, both legs are clearly not right...there should be more leg showing on the right and on the left, the pastern has clearly collapsed. I hope she was in more shock than pain before she was euthanized.

I am not in favour of the current breeding and racing practices, treating horses like expendable commodities. It is completely unethical and inhuman.

thanks for posting, to remind us how we should NOT be towards our fellow creatures.
Posted 20 months ago. ( permalink )

Capitol149 says:

Such a beautiful filly---so sad.
Posted 18 months ago. ( permalink )

Elusive Elegance says:

Yikes. I didn't actually see the filly . This is the first picture I have seen of it.
Posted 16 months ago. ( permalink )

AuCaDoTeddy says:

Heart wrenching and tragic.

Kerri-Jo and Crime Scene are right on the mark with their comments.

Mans selfishness knows no bounds.
Posted 16 months ago. ( permalink )

redponygary says:

I've been waiting for THIS one! That person you see with the tan jacket on is NOT a track affiliate. He is a very good friend of mine from Boston, Mass. His name is John "Southie" Whidden. He was standing just outside the rail at the spot where she went down, so instinctively "JUMPED OVER "the rail and ran out to help her. He saw that it was her RF CANNON AND LF Pastern AND LF ANKLE !!! Look at that pic AGAIN...seconds before that shot, She was down and Southe got to her before ANYONE else, so grabbed her left ear and Tried to KEEP her down. She WAS instantly in shock (didn't Feel it), but as the CANNON bone had already COMPOUNDED through the skin, he knew he had to keep her from doing more harm by thrashing to get back up and KEEP RUNNING!! Then, the dumb-ass outrider comes galloping over and starts giving Southie lip! Well, if your from this neck of the woods, you DON'T give SOUTHIE "mouth", see, cuz that's HIS job! Anyway, it was LESS than 3 minutes from the time she went under the wire,only Filly in the race, a SOLID second, beat by only 4 3/4 lengths, Unbridled's baby Grandaughter, Yes,another SUPER Filly, and just under 3 three minutes she was GONE. :( I've watched the "front-view, slo-mo's" a million times, I was a RIDER and INSTRUCTOR of RIDING for my first 30 years with Thoroughbreds (3-Day). The RIDER in this case DEFINITELY was maybe more than 80% at FAULT. The "Chemicals"(more than likely) steroids probably played a role also in weakening internal organs (bones),etc.A SHAME,but it looks like yet another 100% HUMAN____-UP!!
Posted 14 months ago. ( permalink )

crime scene says:

Thank you redponygary - I'm still angry about the waste of a perfectly good living being.
Posted 13 months ago. ( permalink )

mylittleoonapie says:

Kerrie-Jo has a point there, most 2yro are raced before they are actually 2, so it's a bit unfair :( but then it still happens to the older guys aswell :(.
Posted 13 months ago. ( permalink )

Would you like to comment?

[?]

	Banamine's photostream
		162 uploads

This photo also belongs to:

	Thoroughbred Horse Racing (Pool)
		0

6 people call this photo a favorite

Additional Information

Some rights reserved Anyone can see this photo

Taken on May 4, 2008
Viewed 1,797 times

Add to your map

Yay location removed

...

(Some formats are OK.)

Or, remove it from the map.

Go to the map

You	Sign in \| Create Your Free Account
Explore	Places \| Last 7 Days \| This Month \| Popular Tags \| The Commons \| Creative Commons \| Search
Help	Community Guidelines \| The Help Forum \| FAQ \| Sitemap \| Get Help

Eight Belles

Comments

Banamine says:

pegfrench6 says:

virginiadonkey says:

Charlotte-Ann Photography says:

JIBPHOTOGRAPHY says:

Little Miss Lena says:

Jim B L says:

Banamine says:

Ceece {Courtney Paris Photography} says:

kristingrueteredhs says:

Kerri-Jo says:

Ceece {Courtney Paris Photography} says:

crime scene says:

Capitol149 says:

Elusive Elegance says:

AuCaDoTeddy says:

redponygary says:

crime scene says:

mylittleoonapie says:

Would you like to comment?

Banamine's photostream

Thoroughbred Horse Racing (Pool)

Tags

Additional Information