Sports Remind Us of the Nobility Within Us

This one's for you, Larry B:

"Barbaro Memorial dedicated outside Churchill Downs"

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Barbaro is back home at the track where he became a legend.

Actually, I think it's a statue of him. His Wikipedia entry suggests that he (his cremains) are actually just nearby.

A bronze statue honoring the 2006 Kentucky Derby winner was unveiled on Sunday morning at Churchill Downs, nearly three years after the colt became an icon following a breakdown at the Preakness.

Flags were flown. Brass bands played.

Sculptor Alexa King designed the 1,500-pound statue, which shows Barbaro in midstride with jockey Edgar Prado aboard as the two pulled away from the rest of the 20-horse field.

I wonder why they included the weight of the statue in the article. I mean, who cares? Well, come to think of it, I could ask that same question about the article as a whole.

The horse broke down during the Preakness and spent the next eight months battling for his life. His struggles brought renewed attention to track safety and breeding practices.

His struggles brought renewed vitriol from Larry B (warning: link goes to pre-punctuation Larry B). The link is worth your time.

Owners Roy and Gretchen Jackson attended the ceremony as did hundreds of fans who were moved by the horse's battle for survival.

I think I am going back to amend my very first article here at FJayM to include more thoughts on the moving spectacle of horse racing, which reminds us of how truly noble and moving all sports are, including ones where people get on top of animals and whip the shit out of them until they run around a track.

Sports are just beautiful.