Kentucky Derby Win
“Horse sense is the thing a horse has which keeps him from betting on people”. WC Fields
Last Saturday was a very exciting day in horse racing at Churchill Downs in Lexington, Kentucky, when a big handsome bay colt won the Kentucky Derby by 7 lengths. A brief stumble out of the starting gate did not deter this undeniable super athlete from pulling away from the field of 20 horses to win . Barbaro’s trainer is a former team silver medalist from the 1996 Olympic Games when he rode a talented show jumper called Rhum IV. It is like lightening striking twice to win two highly prestigious equine related awards in one lifetime. It is a strong testament to a true horseman that Michael is able to bring out the best in his equine partner, no matter what the discipline. This is the fourth year in a row that a “rookie” trainer won the Derby. Now, does Barbaro stand a chance at the Triple Crown? The second jewel of the crown is to be run on May 20, and everyone wonders if Barbaro will have enough gas left in the tank to take on some former contenders from the Derby along with several fresh horses. So far, a field of 9 is scheduled to break out of the gates of Pimlico a week from Saturday and Barbaro remains undefeated as he attempts to win the Preakness. We are all routing for Michael to pull it off and continue toward the goal of winning the highly sought after Triple Crown.
For those fans of the wild west, you can visit the Goshen County fairgrounds this weekend to witness a taste of the past. The Spirit of the American Cowboy (a non-profit organization dedicated to the support of equine, rodeo and agricultural activities in the Northeast),is sponsoring The Bareback and Saddle Bronc competition. This is the first qualifying event for the Iron Man Invitational which is the ultimate competition for bareback and saddle bronc riders. This weekend offers up to $4500 in cash prizes, not to mention the opportunity to win belt buckles, saddles and other gear. It takes a determined athlete to ride these bulls and bucking broncs, and in my opinion they must be a bit mad. After hours of practice on dummy bulls, bareback riding over jumps and working out to maintain top fitness, these cowboys hope to sit the bucking bulls and broncs for 8 seconds and then dismount as gracefully as possible, hopefully without being gorged. Try to make time to attend the Rodeo at the Goshen County Fairgrounds in Connecticut.