Rich Strike's Outrider

[moses]

Originally Posted by freddymo

I doubt he was doing anything wrong, and it's Sonny Leon (no disrespect), not Smith or JV, telling him to get the **** out of my face. None of this is the point. It does not matter if Mr. Horse Whisperer was doing anything egregious. Horse racing needed a message to a national audience. That message ALWAYS has to be, and we hear it daily from typical horse people. The horse comes first. Sometimes the horse cooperates, and we can get you that interview. Other times have to scrap it because it's in the animal's best interest.

I think fans and people in the industry are too sensitive to the “image” that is portrayed of horse racing. I don’t think this situation is a big deal to 90% of people. I’m not sure how many people even noticed. The casual gambler has already moved on. I know quite a few people who are animal lovers. I haven’t heard anything from them. People within the industry seem to be making more of a fuss about this than anyone else.

That’s not to say the industry shouldn’t want a positive public image, but I think it would be more productive to focus on aftercare and getting harmful drugs out of the sport and other things of that sort. One guy getting rough with a horse is explainable. An industry basically failing to protect horses and care for them after their racing careers is something that can’t really be explained or defended.

Yes, the sport doesn’t need negative press. But the reason it can’t handle negative press is because it’s failed to take care of the big stuff that remain a black eye on the sport. Hopefully we are headed in the right direction with that though.