Obviously PETA is despicable but does it really change anything? Why are we celebrating that PETA might have staged the photo? Anyone pay attention to Mountaineer at all and some of the nonsense going on there? I’m no Pat Cummings fan but he sums it up pretty well here.
https://www.paulickreport.com/news/t...ide-nightmare/
Frankly, PETA has an even bigger voice now because of the disaster at Santa Anita this winter that was handled about as poorly as a situation can be handled. Hollendorfer still can’t run horses in his name in New York or at any TSG track. You couldn’t walk into Saratoga this summer without being met by protestors. The CHRB covering up Justify’s positive, regardless of how inconsequential it was. Should I go on? Sure most horses are treated well, but too many are not. Where is the outrage from the industry leaders (whoever they might be) to take a stand?
When is the time to acknowledge things have been getting worse? I’m not sure putting our guard up works anymore. There is a lot of good in the game but pretending the bad doesn’t exist seems shortsighted. I don’t have many answers but I also don’t make a living in the sport. I just love it and have for over half of my life. I participate in it with my hard earned money but even I am beginning to wonder at what cost? Whenever anything bad is brought up, the answer can’t be “but we do this good.” It has to be “we can and will do better,” and then doing better.
Kudos to Santa Anita for doing better, but it took a monumental crisis for it to happen. Sorry for the ramble but if a lifer like myself questions his own participation sometimes, what does that say about others? Those of you that know me know how I feel about racing. I just want it to be better. The horses and all who participate deserve it.