Tribute to Barbaro, Kentucky Derby Winner Euthanized … A Horses Struggle Showed Our Humanity, Rest in Peace

 Tribute to Barbaro … The Horse, the Champion that brought out the best in our humanity

How we face adversity, whether if we win or lose is how we are remembered.

Barbaro, the horse who reminded us what it meant to be human

Usually its a horses victories and accomplishments that draws our attention to them. The media over-hyping a young thoroughbred or its un-defeated record. Never has the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat been played out in horse racing as Barbaro’s eight month struggle to survive. It captured the hearts and minds of many who have never watched horse racing because it symbolized a greater picture. It was not Barbaro’s invincibility that captured people’s hearts, it was his vulnerability. People prayed for Barbaro to recover. Alas, the fight became too much to bear for both horse and humans Monday morning when Barbaro was humanely euthanized.

Barbaro’s struggle to mend itself and the positive and negative setbacks along the way was a metaphor for our own person struggles in everyday life whether it be with work, family or our own person tragedies that we deal with. Barbaro brought forth something to us that horse racing and sports could never do and was the reason why so many followed and cared that he get well. Barbaro brought forth our humanity.

There have been many articles written that have stated he will be remember as the 2006 Kentucky Derby winner and potential Triple crown winner. The truth of the matter is Barbaro’s career ending injury in The Preakness made him more endeared than any Triple Crown winner could have ever been. His struggle and recent death gave Barbaro a human quality not seen even by present day baseball, football and basketball athletes.

Scholarship Started in Barbaro’s Name

Major events in Barbaro’s racing life, recovery Time line

It is being discussed that Barbaro’s final resting place may be the sight of his greatest victory, Churchill Downs.

The fight that Barbaro and those that tended to him could teach us all a lesson. No matter how dominating one may be, it all could end in a fleeting moment. The struggle to survive and the problems we face and how we face them define us. How we face adversity, whether if we win or lose is how we are remembered. Barbaro reminded us of that very special quality. Rest in Peace.