Funny Hats Day

Today was all about the Kentucky Derby. It was like a horse holiday. It was also the Gold Cup near where I live. So horses everywhere.

We drove to Charles Town (that's West Virginia) so my husband could place his bets. It's a beautiful drive and I enjoyed it. Even if me and my son just sat in the car for an hour waiting in the parking lot.

By the time we got back, the Kentucky Derby was just about to start. It was pretty exciting, except for the end. I'm sure most people know by that now that Eight Bells broke her ankles and had to be euthanized on the track.

It upset me so much! I'm such a sap when it comes to animals. I thought of my friend Jen, who I know gets even more upset than I do.

I think it upsets me so much because animals don't know why they are in pain. They are running because humans told them to.

The worst part was watching the celebration of the winners. It just seemed wrong somehow. If a person was to die during a race, I'm sure they would be more respectful than that. But then again, maybe they didn't know. I hope so anyway. It would be awful to think they had so little respect for the animals that earn them so much money.

Anyway... I'll get off my soapbox now. It was a beautiful day. I'll just remember that part.

Oh, and in case you were wondering, my husband did win. Not a lot. He thinks he just broke even. But hey, winning is winning.

Edited to add: I was reading more articles on Eight Bells, and they mentioned that where she fell down was further down the track and many people didn't know what was happening. That, coupled with the thrill of winning, could explain why the winner's didn't know, so that makes me feel better. But poor girl. I'm still upset by this.