Tuesday, January 30, 2007

Derby Winner Barbaro Euthanized: 'Difficult for Him To Go On Without Pain' | bloodhorse.com


Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro was euthanized Monday after complications from his breakdown at the Preakness last May.

"We just reached a point where it was going to be difficult for him to go on without pain," co-owner Roy Jackson said. "It was the right decision, it was the right thing to do. We said all along if there was a situation where it would become more difficult for him then it would be time."

Owners Roy and Gretchen Jackson were with Barbaro on Monday morning, with the owners making the decision in consultation with chief surgeon Dean Richardson.

It was a series of complications, including laminitis in the left rear hoof and a recent abscess in the right rear hoof, that proved to be too much for the gallant colt, whose breakdown brought an outpouring of support across the country.

"I would say thank you for everything, and all your thoughts and prayers over the last eight months or so," Jackson said to Barbaro's fans.

On May 20, Barbaro was rushed to the New Bolton Center, about 30 miles southwest of Philadelphia in Kennett Square, hours after shattering his right hind leg just a few strides into the Preakness Stakes. The bay colt underwent a five-hour operation that fused two joints, recovering from an injury most horses never survive. Barbaro lived for eight more months, though he never again walked with a normal gait.

http://news.bloodhorse.com/viewstory.asp?id=37319

Barbaro's Life Ended Peacefully

The battle for Barbaro's life ended peacefully, according to Dr. Dean Richardson, who spoke during a press conference at the University of Pennsylvania's New Bolton Center Monday afternoon, just hours after Roy and Gretchen Jackson's colt had been euthanized.

http://news.bloodhorse.com/viewstory.asp?id=37327

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