Ok, now…there are some people that just inspire you to be your best no matter what life piles on your plate. There are some animals too. I spent a few years of my life going to college while working and commuting in NYC. My goal was to become a veterinarian. There were no veterinary schools in NJ so my targets were the two closest…Cornell and the University of Pennsylvania. During my time of getting enough credits to get into Pre-Vet classes, I got pregnant. This alone was not a reason to stop going to school. Running to throw up every 5 minutes during lessons and lectures…that was enough of a reason to stop going to school. I couldn’t keep interrupting everyone else just to reach my goal, so I put it on hold.
So now you have a bit of a background on my secret goals…and yes, if the chance presents itself, I’m going back to school. I am also obsessed with horses, so naturally, my choice would have been to focus on large animals when I got to that point in my education. I had some pretty well defined goals and dreams. Some day soon I might just take them out of the shoebox that I stuffed them in when I chose to get married and give up my soul. (did I say I wasn’t gonna be bitter?)
Alright, on to the purpose of this post. I watch the Triple Crown every year. I love the energy of horse racing…I can feel the rush even when I’m watching from home. I’ve been watching since I was a kid, and I remember being totally distraught when I passed 5′ 0″ because I felt that my chances of becoming a jockey had just flown out the window. Well, at 5′ 7″, I’m surely never going to get to ride in a race…but I still connect with the whole thing. It’s wonderful. It’s inspiring…it’s like a small example of life. You rush out of the gate with a goal in mind and if you push yourself and if you keep on course…you are gonna finish the race. You will reach the goal. You might not win…but you finished! You accomplished it! And then…there are some horses that touch your heart, that make you feel like getting out and reaching a few of those finish lines a day. You watch their races and you walk away with a sense that anything in the world can be attained. All you need is the determination that they have shown for that few minutes on the track. All you need is a portion of their spirit and you could achieve anything you set out to do. Barbaro is one of those horses. After winning the Kentucky Derby, people were feeling that this, this horse…He was gonna break the long dry spell of Triple Crown Winners. He had what it takes to win all three races. He was going to inspire more people that he could ever imagine just by winning three horse races. People would stay home from work, run to the nearest sports bar if they did work, just to watch the races. People would be talking about Barbaro for a long time to come. At least this is what I was feeling…and I was right. Sort of. Barbaro did win the Derby. He started the Preakness. He got everyone’s nerves in a bunch by breaking from the gate early and alone. He had to be walked back, examined and reloaded. Then the whole field left the gate with the bell and….something went horribly, horribly wrong. Barbaro was pulled up by Prado and the entire crowd forgot that there was still a race going on. All eyes were on Barbaro as he limped on three legs, holding his hind leg up in a serious manner. He had shattered, not just broken, he SHATTERED 3 bones in his leg into 20+ pieces. For most horses, this would have been the end of their life. But thankfully, Barbaro’s owners, Gretchen and Roy Jackson saw a chance and decided to take it. If he wasn’t going to be in pain, they were willing to do whatever it took to save him. And thousands of fans are glad that they did.
I keep up with Barbaro on a regular basis. No, I don’t talk to the horse, but I check on his progress via the internet. There was a time when I was scared to see what was happening, especially when he developed laminitis. I checked the New Bolton Center’s website for their newsmagazine today and found Barbaro on the cover. The article was a good one, written from the point of view of the school so it’s not the typical fan article. This one was meant for the school to read, but it lets you in on how great a place it truly is. I’m so sorry that I missed the opportunity to study there. Who knows? Someday I still might.
New Bolton Center deserves some major thanks from everyone who has been inspired by Barbaro’s spirit and for letting us all in to watch as they saved a life, and gave us all a little bit of hope.
THANK YOU NEW BOLTON CENTER!!!
Oh! And while you are checking out the main site and progress on Barbaro, consider making a donation to the Barbaro fund. No, it’s not to pay for Barbaro’s care, but to help fund the hospital that has saved him from being destroyed and can help countless other animals with their skills.
Now that I’m feeling inspired to change the world…I’m gonna go get ready for a ballet recital. I’ll speak to you all later
No comments:
Post a Comment