It's probably not a surprise to hear that many horses are slaughtered each year, in the U.S. and elsewhere. Something that will convince you that all horses are at risk is the fact that in the very recent past, two very famous, historically significant horses were sent to slaughter. Exceller, born in 1973, and voted by Blood Horse as the #96 race horse of the 20th century, ended up in a slaughterhouse in Sweden on April 7,1997. His owner decided it was not worth paying to support him in his dotage. In his lifetime, Exceller earned $1,674,587, raced 33 times, won 15, placed 5, and showed 6. He was inducted into the Racing Hall of Fame in 1999, and was the only horse to beat 2 Triple Crown winners. In the U.S. Jockey Club Gold Cup, which he won, he came back from 22 lengths behind to beat both Seattle Slew and Affirmed. He also won the Prix Royal, Oak, French St. Leger, Grand Prix de Paris, the Coronation Cup, and the Hollywood Gold Cup. More recently, Ferdinand, who won the Kentucky Derby the year that Violet's daddy, Groomstick, was born in 1986, ended up in a Japanese slaughterhouse in 2002. He raced 29 times, won 8, placed 9, and showed 6, earning a total of $3,777,978. Along with the Kentucky Derby, he won the Breeders Cup, Malibu Stakes, and Santa Catalina Stakes, and was voted 1987 Horse of the Year. He was living at Claiborne Farms until he was sold to a Japanese breeder in 1995. Of course, Violet and Hailee are related to these fallen champions. They are related to Exceller through Nasrullah, Nearco, and Dark Star pedigrees, among others. They are related to Ferdinand through Whisk Broom, Nearco, Dark Star, Peter Pan, Broomstick, Bull Lea, and Blue Larkspur lines. If you're looking to support a good cause with your charitable donations, Violet, Hailee, and I encourage you to check out the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation at the following link:
You can read about the champion Exceller at his National Racing Museum Hall of Fame website link at:
In the photo is Cooter Creek. I found her on the TRF adoption network. She's a 26 year old girl, looking for an adoption. She's an example of one of the creatures that looks to us to care.