PETA - Big Brown

[zippyneedsawin]

PETA is like the little kid who screams at the top of his/her lungs just to be heard. Shows just how significant they are too. The more stupid stuff they do, the less anyone takes them seriously.

[Kasept]

October 14, 2008

Michael Iavarone, Co-President/Co-CEO
Richard J. Schiavo, Co-President/Co-CEO
International Equine Acquisitions Holdings, Inc.
595 Stewart Ave., Suite 810
Garden City, NY 11530

1 page via fax

Dear Messrs. Iavarone and Schiavo,

On behalf of PETA’s two million members and supporters, I am writing to extend our condolences on Big Brown’s injuries, which are reportedly serious enough to be career ending, and to ask you to take a very difficult step. For the good of future generations of thoroughbreds, we ask you not to stand Big Brown at stud. Rather than pass on the traits of a horse who has been plagued by injuries throughout his brief career, we ask that you geld and retire Big Brown.

Following the breakdown and death of Eight Belles, questions that had been confined to racing insiders became public: What has happened to thoroughbreds? Why are more than 700 horses suffering catastrophic injuries resulting in deaths on the race track every year? Some of the problems are attributed to breeding. Stallions with the fewest starts, whose careers are cut short by injury or fear of injury, are more likely to be bred than horses with longer racing careers. Logical people are questioning why unsound horses are being bred.

One of the issues is that the use of legal drugs such as phenylbutazone has contributed to keeping unsound horses competing and thus covering up weaknesses. But as important, the desire for speed appears to have trumped common sense. Numerous media outlets reported that all 20 of the horses who competed in this year’s Kentucky Derby had genes from Native Dancer—a winning horse who likely passed along a tendency toward unsoundness along with his speed.

Native Dancer, too, was retired for leg injuries. Like Native Dancer, Big Brown’s ascendency has been marred by ongoing leg and hoof problems, including a quarter crack in his hoof just before the Belmont Stakes. Will you set aside your own desire for profit and do what’s right for the horses? These animals have brought you fame and fortune. Perhaps now you could find it in your hearts to do them a favor.

Best regards,

Kathy Guillermo
Director of Research

[Payson Dave]

Holy Mother of God!!

[mes5107]

Not as nasty a tone as I'm used to from Peta, but I thought that they were against castration of animals.

[sumitas]

With all due respect to Big Brown, he is a talented and gutsy horse, I do understand the viewpoint of the letter . Soundness is sacrificed for a short and speedy career insofar as breeding goes .

[ateamstupid]

Seriously, I know PETA = bad!!! BAD PETA!!! but haven't many of you been saying basically the same thing this year? How it's a shame that a horse with such bad feet is going to be passing his genes on to hundreds of new thoroughbreds?

[alysheba4]

Originally Posted by ateamstupid

Seriously, I know PETA = bad!!! BAD PETA!!! but haven't many of you been saying basically the same thing this year? How it's a shame that a horse with such bad feet is going to be passing his genes on to hundreds of new thoroughbreds?

.......yeah, but this stuff has been going on so long not much you can do........kinda like the illegal alien situation in cali

[DogsUp]

PETA is now on Victorino's case for liking Spam:
http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/blog/big...urn=mlb,115113

[Cannon Shell]

Originally Posted by ateamstupid

Seriously, I know PETA = bad!!! BAD PETA!!! but haven't many of you been saying basically the same thing this year? How it's a shame that a horse with such bad feet is going to be passing his genes on to hundreds of new thoroughbreds?

yeah like Danzig and Mr P

[Scav]

The only thing that PETA can bitch about in horse racing is when Cannon finally lets me get on a thoroughbred.....

[ateamstupid]

Originally Posted by Cannon Shell

yeah like Danzig and Mr P

I'm not saying that I agree or disagree with them, I just find it funny that people who have been saying the same basic thing about Big Brown are reacting so negatively to this.

[Danzig]

Originally Posted by Cannon Shell

yeah like Danzig and Mr P

hey, i didn't....
oh, the horse. j/k, i knew who you meant.

and danzig sired the most stakes winners on the continent, and with small books. it's a crapshoot for sure.

personally, i wouldn't breed to big brown because boundary didn't do a whole lot in his brief career at stud, and big brown wasn't a top 3 yo.. he's just the top this year...too many horses out there with better pedigrees and more talent.

[AeWingnut]

Originally Posted by Kasept

October 14, 2008

Michael Iavarone, Co-President/Co-CEO
Richard J. Schiavo, Co-President/Co-CEO
International Equine Acquisitions Holdings, Inc.
595 Stewart Ave., Suite 810
Garden City, NY 11530

1 page via fax

Dear Messrs. Iavarone and Schiavo,

On behalf of PETA’s two members and supporters, I am writing to extend our condolences on Big Brown’s injuries, which are reportedly serious enough to be career ending, and to ask you to take a very difficult step. For the good of future generations of thoroughbreds, we ask you not to stand Big Brown at stud. Rather than pass on the traits of a horse who has been plagued by injuries throughout his brief career, we ask that you geld and retire Big Brown.

Following the breakdown and death of Eight Belles, questions that had been confined to racing insiders became public: What has happened to thoroughbreds? Why are more than 700 horses suffering catastrophic injuries resulting in deaths on the race track every year? Some of the problems are attributed to breeding. Stallions with the fewest starts, whose careers are cut short by injury or fear of injury, are more likely to be bred than horses with longer racing careers. Logical people are questioning why unsound horses are being bred.

One of the issues is that the use of legal drugs such as phenylbutazone has contributed to keeping unsound horses competing and thus covering up weaknesses. But as important, the desire for speed appears to have trumped common sense. Numerous media outlets reported that all 20 of the horses who competed in this year’s Kentucky Derby had genes from Native Dancer—a winning horse who likely passed along a tendency toward unsoundness along with his speed.

Native Dancer, too, was retired for leg injuries. Like Native Dancer, Big Brown’s ascendency has been marred by ongoing leg and hoof problems, including a quarter crack in his hoof just before the Belmont Stakes. Will you set aside your own desire for profit and do what’s right for the horses? These animals have brought you fame and fortune. Perhaps now you could find it in your hearts to do them a favor.

Best regards,

Kathy Guillermo
Director of Research

I really wonder if they have 2 million members and supporters. I think we need to question the 700 horses suffering catastrophic breakdowns.
(is that world wide including countries like Mexico and Uraguay)

I don't think IEAH will/ should castrate Big Brown. I just hope that people won't take their mares to him and people won't buy his bad feet progeny

[Danzig]

Originally Posted by AeWingnut

I really wonder if they have 2 million members and supporters. I think we need to question the 700 horses suffering catastrophic breakdowns.
(is that world wide including countries like Mexico and Uraguay)

I don't think IEAH will/ should castrate Big Brown. I just hope that people won't take their mares to him and people won't buy his bad feet progeny

wonder if their insurance would pay on the fertility insurance if they did this and filed a claim?! i'm betting no.

[DogsUp]

Originally Posted by DaHoss9698

In all seriousness they bring up a good point that has been argued in many places. Why the industry continues to breed to unsound horses. However, like most wackos, the way they go about their message alienates anyone who would agree with them because they are so thoughtless in their delivery.

I thought the same exact thing. They aren't totally offbase here.

[Bobby Fischer]

Good to know PETA would support and sponsor horse racing if certain breeding practices were followed.

[Bobby Fischer]

Brown was sound enough to be the star of the 3yo division.

If some of his offspring have soft feet and can't race - they aren't gonna make it to breeding. These things have a way of working themselves out.

[ateamstupid]

Originally Posted by Bobby Fischer

Brown was sound enough to be the star of the 3yo division.

If some of his offspring have soft feet and can't race - they aren't gonna make it to breeding. These things have a way of working themselves out.

How does this make sense? If Big Brown made it to breeding, why couldn't his offspring if they were good enough?

[Payson Dave]

I may be in the minority here... but imho BB is a more legitimate candidate for stud duty than at least half the stud population out there right now.....unless I missed something his retirement is not due to soundness issues but rather due to an injury that was sustained during training....and while it has been pretty well documented that he has had feet problems, I'm of the opinion that there are few if any horses that don't have some type of issues during there racing career.... I don't think he will necessarilly become a notably great sire but I don't agree that he will be negatively impacting the breed as compared to many many of the sires that are out there at this time.

[Linny]

Look at the pics of his feet. He has more patch than foot. His feet are dreadful. His sire has bad feet too.