Home Current News News Archive Shop/Advertise Ridecamp Classified Events Learn/AERC
Endurance.Net Home Ridecamp Archives
ridecamp@endurance.net
[Archives Index]   [Date Index]   [Thread Index]   [Author Index]   [Subject Index]

Re: [RC] WC Freiheit The Real Winner Not Mack - Don Huston

Hello Diane,
Thank you for the background on Fred (WC Freiheit). We all knew that Fred had to be a terrific athlete with years of conditioning to accomplish the tremendous feat of winning the OD and Tevis in one year. The very sad and very callous part done by Mack himself after Fred gave his all is of public record which required no "cocking" just pulling the trigger. =-O
Don Huston

At 12:37 PM 1/5/2006 Thursday, you wrote:
Wow... talk about going off half-cocked!  How can anyone not personally familiar with
this horse's history possibly claim that MMS callously sacrificed this horse for his
own ego?

Bear in mind, the AERC records are missing early incompletes.  Steve Hanson
rode Freiheit as a 5 yr old and completed 4 50's that year, 3 of them Top Tens, and
then as a 6 yr old another 5 50's, ALL Top Tens, none in more than 6 hours, then at
7, a 50 and a 100, both first place, and at eight a final 50, first place.  He then
sold this horse to MMS having ridden him a total of 650 miles, HARD, and when the
horse was still in it's growing years.

In 1992, Matthew rode his new 8 yr old on 2 rides and Top Tenned both.  The
following year he rode him on 1 50 finishing 22nd.  As a 10 yr old, Matthew did an
easy 50 (24th) and then Top Tenned 2 100's.  Then at 11, he did 3 100's, Top Tenning
the first and then winning the Old Dominion and the Tevis.  This for a total of 850
miles on an 8-11 year old.  MMS then sold the horse to Hal Hall in 1995 who rode him
on one ride 4 weeks later.  Then nothing till 1999 when he shows up in the records
being ridden by James Oury (who pulled all 3 of his 1999 rides).

From these AERC records, it would seem that Mr Hanson rode this horse pretty hard
for his formative years and that Mr Hall and/or Mr Oury was unable to keep the horse
sound.  But without knowing what actually happened to the horse, except to say that
Mr Hanson probably overrode him, one cannot possibly accuse MMS, Mr Hall or Mr Oury
of destroying this horse.

As to selling the horse directly after winning Tevis, I would guess MMS was offered a
VERY substantial price and thus had the choice of trailering him home some 3000+
miles or selling him.  I'd say selling him must have looked pretty attractive,
especially since it appears MMS had several other ponies at home to work with.


Don Huston wrote:
My God, what an egotistical "it's all me" attitude! Of course MATTHEW MADE IT HAPPEN and he destroyed the horse in the process. Who the hell thinks Mack won! Not me. The horse won. No horse, no win. Mack just happened to be callous enough to let the horse sacrifice itself for his ego and then dump it. Instead of retiring the horse for a while and giving the horse the benefit of all his veterinary skills while letting it recover from such a tremendous feat he sells it to another egomaniac who continues to race it 6 weeks after Tevis. A very crappy way to treat the real champion of Tevis & OD!
Don Huston
At 09:47 AM 1/5/2006 Thursday, you wrote:

*The horse wasn,t that amazing, it,s the rider that is amazing. Matthew made it happen, with alot of planning, work, & determination and of course luck. The horse never did anything impressive before or since. jvm*



=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net.
Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp
Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp

Ride Long and Ride Safe!!

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Replies
[RC] WC Freiheit, Normanjudyv
[RC] WC Freiheit The Real Winner Not Mack, Don Huston
Re: [RC] WC Freiheit The Real Winner Not Mack, Diane Trefethen