CH Mare Verema Euthanized
Nov 5, 2013 22:47:48 GMT -5
Post by Evelyn on Nov 5, 2013 22:47:48 GMT -5
This is so sad and once again proves how heartbreaking Horse Racing can be. She was a beautiful mare and a Champion.
RIP Verema
Melbourne Cup heartbreak as French stayer Verema put down
Bt Stathi Paxinos
Sydney Morning Herald
As pictures of a jubilant Gai Waterhouse and connections of Melbourne Cup winner Fiorente were being shown by Channel 7 in the moments after the race was run and won, the Twitterverse was abuzz with one of the sad – some say ugly – sides of the racing business.
The word Verema was quickly trending on Twitter with people asking for news about the French mare.
Verema had snapped its cannon bone, a large bone in its lower leg, at around the 2000-metre mark of the race.
As pictures of a jubilant Gai Waterhouse and connections of Melbourne Cup winner Fiorente were being shown by Channel 7 in the moments after the race was run and won, the Twitterverse was abuzz with one of the sad – some say ugly – sides of the racing business.
The word Verema was quickly trending on Twitter with people asking for news about the French mare.
Verema had snapped its cannon bone, a large bone in its lower leg, at around the 2000-metre mark of the race.
Soon the tell-tale green blinds were put around the stricken horse and it was euthanised as thousands of fans cheered on the winning party receiving the coveted Cup on the main stage.
It brought back memories of the 1979 Melbourne Cup when favourite Dulcify was put down after breaking its pelvis. Singapore-trained horse Three Crowns was put down after shattering a leg in the 1998 Melbourne Cup when, after doing much of the early running, it was swamped by the pack in the final stages.
Verema, owned by one of the world's most influential men, the Aga Khan, was regarded as a chance with trainer Alain de Royer-Dupre regarding her as having comparable talent to 2010 Melbourne Cup winner Americain
It will now have an autopsy at the Melbourne University veterinary clinic.
Soon tweets such as "RIP you beautiful girl", "how could you not choke up, just a little" and even this from former Olympian Tamsyn Lewis Manou, "So sad to hear about Verema ...Wish broken bones in horses could be fixed, or better warning signs so don't race. So awful poor horse ... #RIP".
Others rallied against horse racing itself while some took aim at Channel 7, saying it took too long for the horse's death to be acknowledged.
"Would be nice if Channel 7 showed some respect. Horses are athletes too" and "This is so bad the poor thing, they are promoting the race so much but you don't hear them talking about poor verema" were among the angry tweets.
A well-placed source said the racing commentary team, on learning Verema had been destroyed, immediately had a discussion on how best to address the issue and at no time was their intention to gloss over or lessen the gravity of the tragic event.
A consensus between presenters Bruce McAvaney, Francesca Cumani and Richard Freedman – who were broadcasting live from the mounting yard at Flemington – and their producers, was reached to not use the term ‘‘shot’’ or ‘‘euthanised’’ on air partly in consideration that the news may cause distress to children watching the coverage.
McAvaney announced that “Verema has tragically broken down”, words that had been chosen to convey to the adult audience she had been euthanised.
McAvaney did not acknowledge the incident until almost 45 minutes after the race was run but it is understood while the commentary was aware Verema had pulled up halfway during the race in some distress, there was no confirmation of Verema’s fate, or full details of her injury, until after the conclusion Melbourne Cup presentation.
Verema's breakdown came two years after the high of a Melbourne Cup win for French jockey Christophe Lemaire, who rode Dunaden in 2011 and went into Tuesday’s race confident he could repeat the result.
‘‘It’s just bad luck,’’ Lemaire said.
‘‘There were no signs before the race something like that would happen.
‘‘She was on the bridle travelling well alongside the future winner, we were in a good position, but these kinds of things just happen.’’
While Lemaire was ‘‘very sad’’, Verema’s strapper was inconsolable after the Cup.
‘‘She was a good mare. I won a couple of Group races with her in France,’’ Lemaire said.
‘‘You come here dreaming about winning the race, not having this happen halfway round.’’
Racing Victoria’s international recruitment manager Leigh Jordan said Verema's owners, which were making their first attempt at the Melbourne Cup, were naturally upset about the loss but also were aware of the potential dangers of horse racing.
Racing Victoria's head of veterinary and equine welfare, Dr Brian Stewart, said: "This was an unfortunate accident that happens infrequently in racing and our sympathies are extended at this time to the Aga Khan, Alain de Royer-Dupre and the connections of Verema".
The Coalition for the Protection of Racehorses called for the death to be acknowledged during the Cup festivities by a "minute's silence".
"It is a sad day for racing when a horse is killed in the most competitive race of the country," said Ward Young.
"It shows that sometimes these horses are pushed beyond their physical limits, and it is a high price to pay."
With Patrick Bartley, AAP
Christophe Lemaire riding Verema walks out for the start of race 7 the Melbourne Cup.
Photo: Getty Imges
RIP Verema
Melbourne Cup heartbreak as French stayer Verema put down
Bt Stathi Paxinos
Sydney Morning Herald
As pictures of a jubilant Gai Waterhouse and connections of Melbourne Cup winner Fiorente were being shown by Channel 7 in the moments after the race was run and won, the Twitterverse was abuzz with one of the sad – some say ugly – sides of the racing business.
The word Verema was quickly trending on Twitter with people asking for news about the French mare.
Verema had snapped its cannon bone, a large bone in its lower leg, at around the 2000-metre mark of the race.
As pictures of a jubilant Gai Waterhouse and connections of Melbourne Cup winner Fiorente were being shown by Channel 7 in the moments after the race was run and won, the Twitterverse was abuzz with one of the sad – some say ugly – sides of the racing business.
The word Verema was quickly trending on Twitter with people asking for news about the French mare.
Verema had snapped its cannon bone, a large bone in its lower leg, at around the 2000-metre mark of the race.
Soon the tell-tale green blinds were put around the stricken horse and it was euthanised as thousands of fans cheered on the winning party receiving the coveted Cup on the main stage.
It brought back memories of the 1979 Melbourne Cup when favourite Dulcify was put down after breaking its pelvis. Singapore-trained horse Three Crowns was put down after shattering a leg in the 1998 Melbourne Cup when, after doing much of the early running, it was swamped by the pack in the final stages.
Verema, owned by one of the world's most influential men, the Aga Khan, was regarded as a chance with trainer Alain de Royer-Dupre regarding her as having comparable talent to 2010 Melbourne Cup winner Americain
It will now have an autopsy at the Melbourne University veterinary clinic.
Soon tweets such as "RIP you beautiful girl", "how could you not choke up, just a little" and even this from former Olympian Tamsyn Lewis Manou, "So sad to hear about Verema ...Wish broken bones in horses could be fixed, or better warning signs so don't race. So awful poor horse ... #RIP".
Others rallied against horse racing itself while some took aim at Channel 7, saying it took too long for the horse's death to be acknowledged.
"Would be nice if Channel 7 showed some respect. Horses are athletes too" and "This is so bad the poor thing, they are promoting the race so much but you don't hear them talking about poor verema" were among the angry tweets.
A well-placed source said the racing commentary team, on learning Verema had been destroyed, immediately had a discussion on how best to address the issue and at no time was their intention to gloss over or lessen the gravity of the tragic event.
A consensus between presenters Bruce McAvaney, Francesca Cumani and Richard Freedman – who were broadcasting live from the mounting yard at Flemington – and their producers, was reached to not use the term ‘‘shot’’ or ‘‘euthanised’’ on air partly in consideration that the news may cause distress to children watching the coverage.
McAvaney announced that “Verema has tragically broken down”, words that had been chosen to convey to the adult audience she had been euthanised.
McAvaney did not acknowledge the incident until almost 45 minutes after the race was run but it is understood while the commentary was aware Verema had pulled up halfway during the race in some distress, there was no confirmation of Verema’s fate, or full details of her injury, until after the conclusion Melbourne Cup presentation.
Verema's breakdown came two years after the high of a Melbourne Cup win for French jockey Christophe Lemaire, who rode Dunaden in 2011 and went into Tuesday’s race confident he could repeat the result.
‘‘It’s just bad luck,’’ Lemaire said.
‘‘There were no signs before the race something like that would happen.
‘‘She was on the bridle travelling well alongside the future winner, we were in a good position, but these kinds of things just happen.’’
While Lemaire was ‘‘very sad’’, Verema’s strapper was inconsolable after the Cup.
‘‘She was a good mare. I won a couple of Group races with her in France,’’ Lemaire said.
‘‘You come here dreaming about winning the race, not having this happen halfway round.’’
Racing Victoria’s international recruitment manager Leigh Jordan said Verema's owners, which were making their first attempt at the Melbourne Cup, were naturally upset about the loss but also were aware of the potential dangers of horse racing.
Racing Victoria's head of veterinary and equine welfare, Dr Brian Stewart, said: "This was an unfortunate accident that happens infrequently in racing and our sympathies are extended at this time to the Aga Khan, Alain de Royer-Dupre and the connections of Verema".
The Coalition for the Protection of Racehorses called for the death to be acknowledged during the Cup festivities by a "minute's silence".
"It is a sad day for racing when a horse is killed in the most competitive race of the country," said Ward Young.
"It shows that sometimes these horses are pushed beyond their physical limits, and it is a high price to pay."
With Patrick Bartley, AAP
Christophe Lemaire riding Verema walks out for the start of race 7 the Melbourne Cup.
Photo: Getty Imges
