Congratulations on your completion, Richard. I was
so cold that I went for dinner right after Valerie came in.
No, I didn't do the ride, but I was there at the
vet check as everyone came in, and some (certainly not all) of what I saw was
disturbing.
The vets were doing a great job (I never meant to
imply otherwise) and most of the horses seemed okay, but those that didn't
really made an impression on me as a first-time spectator.
As far as the times: they may not have been that
fast in the current context of racing, but given the high percentage of pulls in
the 100, perhaps some riders should have slowed down a bit. Lameness can be a
result of fatigue as well, right?
