Darlan Fatal fall at Doncaster :(

TeamChaser said:
As an aside, remember all the coverage on TV after Fabrice Muamba suffered that awful heart attack? A guy I went to school with (I'm 37) collapsed and died last weekend whilst playing football for his local team whilst his partner and 5 month old daughter looked on. I don't imagine outside of my locality there has been much "hand wringing" at that either but obviously he will be deeply mourned by those who love him. Being critical of those expressing the genuine symapthy they feel is unnecessary
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I don't think it is acceptable to compare the loss felt by people for a human with the death of any animal kept for sport, and only in absolutely exceptional cases for a pet.

Neither is it right, IMO to compare Fabrice Muamba's situation. He chose of his own free will to engage in a sport that turned out to be nearly fatal for him.
 
Wagtail said:
And why is it worse because a horse is famous or promising? The only thing that is worse is that the human connections will be robbed of some glory. Other than that, it is no worse for the horse that is famous, than the horse that is not.
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So very sad that racing has lost a promising horse, but I do agree with the sentiments above and those of Cptrayes.
 
~Now let me think~~~~~~~

There was someone, a while back now who had a horse, a competition horse from memory, put down. They came on to this forum and wailed long and loud at their distress.

I wasn't the only one to offer my condolences. Feelings which were heart felt, I'd add. That same person now seems to think that as in the case of the horse of the moment, it wasn't their horse, so it doesn't matter. That same person seems to argue that if you race horses then you're going to put them at risk. That same person may care to consider their own "use" of horses. Should that same person have the temerity to come on to this forum, bemoaning the loss of another of their own horses, then I for one will resist the temptation to be churlish, and along with others will offer my condolences.

Now let me think, I wonder who that was. :confused:

Alec.
 
The bigger stars win human hearts because of their grit, their determination, their will to win and that oh so rare burst of sheer talent. You may be drawn to them because they won you money, may have looked at you at the side of the paddock, have presence or look pretty. Admiration. That is what humans see in these stars of the turf.

It's human nature the idolise and adore those we see as great - we have worshiped gods for long enough. Why not a horse? Why can complete random strangers with one common factor not mourn those they admire - horse, human, dog, snake, whatever. Sometimes its just nice to know that you are not alone and many others thought great things of your charge.

From someone who has collected the bridle from a much loved, much cherished horse it was kind of comforting in a way to know that I was not alone in mourning a friend.

The one saving grace in this whole sorry saga is that Darlan knew nothing from the moment his neck hit the ground.

R.I.P. Darlan - free to race against the stars.
 
JP McManus has hundreds of horses in training all over England and Ireland and many are not of the highest quality. He is sad if any of them lose their lives. While some get sold to make way for the new intake, others live their lives out in luxury at his stud in Ireland. He is not a glory hunter - seldom interviewed or quoted in the press and never pushes himself forward - and is graceful in defeat as well as victory. He also quietly does a lot for charity and creates a lot of employment. Not the kind of person who would talk badly of others in public either ....
 
Alec Swan said:
There was someone, a while back now who had a horse, a competition horse from memory, put down. They came on to this forum and wailed long and loud at their distress.
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Well that wasn't me Alec. In the case of a horse I had put down last year, I asked for help in diagnosis, which I got. I received overwhelming support from the forum when he went, mainly because I was banned for using language that a button pusher found offensive when I was accused of putting him down for my benefit and not his. I thanked people for that support when I got back on the forum.

"Wailed long and loud" is incorrect and I challenge you to find evidence of me doing so.

His death was also from a congenital defect, a birth defect, and of no connection with the use to which I put him. He was born with the risk, I did not deliberately expose him to it.

How eloquently offensive you can be when you choose, Alec dear :)
 
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I'm with Alec S on this one... CP I'm surprised by your response to this. Your insensitivity is reminiscent of how Suzi whatever her name is responded when you said about your big horse being put down. :( I don't know you but I really feel a bit let down by your response it feels like you have set your response to get people's backs up! It clearly wasn't the place was it :(
 
This thread is moving along at a fairly predictable rate, those who think racing is wicked and those with a more rational view. I believe somewhere in The Tack Room there is a thread about a livery yard where a young ex racehorse was PTS after suffering a broken leg in the field, possibly kicked by his field mate. A horrid accident and Im sure his poor owner is distraught... but it was an accident, the horse was doing what horses do, grazing with his mate. No one is suggesting that he shouldnt have been turned out in order to protect him from danger. Whether we like it or not, and I love NH racing, racehorses are bred to race, its what they do! The one positive is that Darlan was fatally injured, his death was instant and he would have known nothing about it. I didnt enjoy what I saw today on the TV, it cast a shadow over a good afternoons racing, but I have to accept that if I watch horses racing at speed I am going to see horses injured and horses die.
 
It was an awful fall, but at least it was instant.

No one has commented on how sad it was for the horse who broke a leg (by the look of things) in the handicap chase a couple of races on...so cpt and wagtail and so on have a point. The lad or lass who did the horse that died an hour later are just as devatated but he wasn't famous, or promising.

I did think it (Darlan) was an avoidable fall, but I couldn't be a jump jockey so who am I to criticise.
 
robthecob said:
I'm with Alec S on this one... CP I'm surprised by your response to this. Your insensitivity is reminiscent of how Suzi whatever her name is responded when you said about your big horse being put down. :(
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You think so?

You think that SusieT saying directly to me, on the day before my horse was shot in front of my own eyes in my own yard, that I was putting him down for my own convenience and not for his sake, is as bad as me saying to some anonymous posters on a forum "why all the handwringing about a horse that you do not even know?"

If you think that, you have a completely different value set to my own.
 
Totally agree with Cptrayes.
It is foul how many think of the talented horse exploited to run when he /she falls, or sustains an injury when there are thousands upon thousands of more in pain and whos to care. Personally to me the horse which takes most fright from a flapping jockey makes no difference. Be it any horse, what it has achieved is simply extra novelty.
 
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Very sad and my sympathies go to all of his connections and his lad/lass who knew him best of all.

Alec, your last post was very true and well said. I despair of anyone being so tactless at a time like this, they wouldn't have liked it if we had said the same to them at their sad time.
 
For goodness sake all the OP & the majority of the posters of this thread wanted to do was to pay tribute to a horse that lost its life today doing the thing he was bred for. Regardless of the fact that he was a racehorse & the sport has a lot of risk, he was loved by a lot of people connected to him & also to racing fans, to whom many thought may be something special as he was a champion hurdle contender.
What is that saying, if you havent got something nice to say, dont say it at all??
 
I think although the circumstances are very different the sentiments are the same... Both yours and Suzi's insensitive comments fit under the "if you don't have anything nice to say comment don't say anything at all" if you don't believe in that then I don't deny that we have very different values..
 
Clodagh said:
No one has commented on how sad it was for the horse who broke a leg (by the look of things) in the handicap chase a couple of races on...so cpt and wagtail and so on have a point. The lad or lass who did the horse that died an hour later are just as devatated but he wasn't famous, or promising.
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TBF, I didn't know anything about either fall until I saw this thread and your post was the first to mention another horse but I certainly offer my condolences to his connections too, I'm not one to only want to know the famous. :)
 
What is that saying, if you havent got something nice to say, dont say it at all??


Exactly, a poor horse has died.
 
Why does every single post about racing always desend into arguements....time and place. If you feel that strongly that other people are not seeing the bigger picture, make a NEW thread and we can all discuss it on there if we so wish. For those who did, or did not know this horse, allow people a place to offer condolences without making them feel belittled doing so.

The death of any horse is a tragidy, My friends mare died at 5 years old being lunges, one minute we sent out for the first 2 minutes to warm up, kicked the fence and snapped her pastern off. Didnt stand a chance.

RIP Darlan.
 
Delicious_D said:
Why does every single post about racing always desend into arguements....time and place. If you feel that strongly that other people are not seeing the bigger picture, make a NEW thread and we can all discuss it on there if we so wish. For those who did, or did not know this horse, allow people a place to offer condolences without making them feel belittled doing so.

RIP Darlan.
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DD thank you for saying what i was about to.

Condolences to all Darlan connections :(
 
The other horse that died today was called Mujamead, Condolences to connections and although not as successful as Darlan Im sure they are just as devastated.

In regards to the other posters who have not been prepared to pay tribute to these horses but have just chosen to have a pop at racing I would say there is a time and a place and this isnt it.:(
 
Maesfen said:
Very sad and my sympathies go to all of his connections and his lad/lass who knew him best of all.

Alec, your last post was very true and well said. I despair of anyone being so tactless at a time like this, they wouldn't have liked it if we had said the same to them at their sad time.
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CPT _ Time & a place.

If you wanted to make comment on the inherent risks of racing starting your own thread may have been a better idea -it would have made an interesting topic if argued in a calm manner.
The connections may have come on here, & would have perhaps liked to have seen a few pages of people expressing their condolences, rather than the 'discussion' it turned in to. A little sensitivity wouldn't go amiss, even on a 'publc forum'

R I P beautiful Darlan, & heartfelt condolences to those connected with him.
 
Dobiegirl said:
The other horse that died today was called Mujamead, Condolences to connections and although not as successful as Darlan Im sure they are just as devastated.

In regards to the other posters who have not been prepared to pay tribute to these horses but have just chosen to have a pop at racing I would say there is a time and a place and this isnt it.:(
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Also dear old Desert Vision at Wolverhampton :( Placed in the top 3 for his last 7 starts, sadly his lad / lass will have an empty box tomorrow. Condolences to all their connections :(
 
Zebedee said:
If you wanted to make comment on the inherent risks of racing
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I didn't. I wanted to make a comment on the hypocrisy of bemoaning the death of one horse because it was attractive and won, when so many die. Three in one day today, I see now.

If there was a Rainbow Bridge thread acknowledging every racehorse that died in a race or was put down later for injuries sustained during a race, I would not have commented on this one.

It is the feeling that somehow the loss of this horse is worthy of comment when the rest aren't that raised my hackles.
 
Most of us didn't know that there were other fatal falls today. I've worked with racehorses and have been one of those lasses who has had to go home to an empty box. I also used to work in a bookies. These days I might watch the odd Saturday afternoons if I'm lucky, but don't you dare try an infer that anyone on here doesn't feel sympathy for each and every one of the connections of the horses who didn't make it today. However this thread was specifically about DARLAN, so it was hardly inappropriate for people to express their sympathies in relation to him, rather than those others was it?
 
It's Me Megan said:
Also dear old Desert Vision at Wolverhampton :( Placed in the top 3 for his last 7 starts, sadly his lad / lass will have an empty box tomorrow. Condolences to all their connections :(
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That's the thing that the anti racing brigade forget, is there is a lad or a lass who has lost one of their horses, I know that awful empty feeling and I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy.
Thoughts with everyone who has lost one today (including my friend who lost her dressage horse today) :(
 
cptrayes said:
I didn't. I wanted to make a comment on the hypocrisy of bemoaning the death of one horse because it was attractive and won, when so many die. Three in one day today, I see now.

If there was a Rainbow Bridge thread acknowledging every racehorse that died in a race or was put down later for injuries sustained during a race, I would not have commented on this one.

It is the feeling that somehow the loss of this horse is worthy of comment when the rest aren't that raised my hackles.
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Probably the reason this is 'worthy of comment' is that Darlan was more publicly known than the other two horses, the same way Call Again Cavalier was more 'worthy of comment' than some unknown novice eventer who lost his life, the same way that when Princess Diana was killed it was talked about for years whereas if it were you or I it would not be of interest to the media.

This horse was one of main contenders for the Champion Hurdle for God's sake, I mean, really, is it so hard to work out??

My sympathies go out to those poor horses lost today and to their connections who are no doubt devastated.
 
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