Kentucky 2007: Nijinsky's Grave

Here is the grave of Nijinsky, the Canadian born racer who is the last English Triple Crown winner! He was born in 1967 and passed in April 1992 from laminitis. He is noted as an "imposing, musuclar horse with anything but a gentle nature." He was purchased by an American who sent him to Ireland where he was the 2 year-old Champion in both England and Ireland. Thirty-six years passed between Bahram, another famous English Triple Crown winner and then Nijinsky's wins! And we have not had another since!

After winning his Triple Crown, he lost the Prix d l'Arc de Triomphe at the Hippodrome de Longchamp in Paris to a horse named Sassafras! I mean, really! Sassafras!. After another place and a final record of 13: 11-2-0, he was sent to spend the rest of his life siring majestic babies at Claiborne Farms! The Sun, a British newspaper, voted him "Horse of the Millenium" and he even had a movie devoted to him narrated by Orson Welles, he was so important!

He is the only sire in thoroughbred history to have colts who won the Kentucky Derby (Ferdinand) and Epsom Derby (Golden Fleece) in the same year! What's sad is that his kid Ferdinand was sent to the slaughterhouse by his Japanese owners when they decided his babies were just not fabulous enough.

My girls are related to him most immediately through Nearctic, Mahmoud, Bull Lea, Blue Larkspur, Menow, and Man 'O War. Nijinsky's parents are Northern Dancer and Flaming Page, and so he has Omaha (a Triple Crown Winner) and Omaha's dad, Gallant Fox (another Triple Crown winner) in his pedigree!

You can read more about this Canadian bred fabulous horse at the following links, and you can even see youtube footage of him winning the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes and the St. Leger!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nijinsky_II
or
http://www.canadianhorseracinghalloffame.com/thoroughbred/1976/Nijinsky_II.asp
or
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triple_Crown_of_Thoroughbred_Racing
or
http://www.thoroughbredtimes.com/stallion-directory/reference.aspx?doc=northerndancer
or
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NmO6WttLCqQ
or
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I70rZCoHGQg

The Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation

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:

http://www.trfinc.org/index.php

You can read about the champion Exceller at his National Racing Museum Hall of Fame website link at:

http://www.racingmuseum.org/hall/horse.asp?ID=339

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.