http://www.pedigreequery.com/ruffian
If you click on the names of her sire and dam, you can see what they looked like. There's also 2 shots of Ruffian.
She was a great horse, and I love that site.
Here's a photo of the monument at Belmont Park:
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=912
Glad you posted the link to All Pedigrees. Both of my horses pedigrees are on there. I really like that site to look up pedigrees and see the photos of horses that are available. I have seen lots of photos of Ruffian, but not until the ones on All Pedigree of her sire and dam. I have read what everyone has written on here, know their opinions and now am adding mine.
Now for me jumping on the soapbox. I have always been familiar with Ruffian, you know, the whole filly against the colts thing. She was a great filly, among the greatest of the fillies in horse racing history. There are others though, that added their names to horse racing history. It started with Regret, then Ruffian, Genuine Risk and Winning Colors, to name a few. These fillies were all great, we horse people, and maybe some not so horsey people will remember them. But I won't compare horses from different eras. Yes, I do have my opinions about if they had ever met or raced against each other, but that can never happen. So it isn't fair to the each of the horses to compare. Let's just leave it that they were all great.
Being a horse person, (I own two right now, one Thoroughbred and one American Paint Horse,) and who had an aunt and uncle in Thoroughbred racing back in the 60's through 80's. I can better understand why Ruffian broke down after seeing the photos of her parents. Knowing what I do know about bloodlines, genetics, (I am in the medical proffession) and horse racing, it is most likely genetics that caused her to breakdown.
That and the fact that because of the money involved. I agree with someone else who said, the fact is, they do start training too early in Thoroughbreds. And it is because of most of the big money stakes races are for 3 year olds. Usually they don't even wait for a colt or filly's knees to close, before they start their training. Bad idea from the start, but it isn't going to change. At least giving them another year would help. But genetics are still going to play a part, so in some cases it isn't going to help to let the horse wait for training.
My Thoroughbred is a good example, he has those long pasterns, and they got him, as soon as he was foaled. He is sub-luxated, (Coon footed) in the hind legs. The best way to describe it is, instead of them being at diagonal line to his cannon bone, they are horizontal. However, I waited until he was 4 before training him, and left him a stallion until he was 5 years old, to let his bones mature. In his case it worked, he is now 22 years old and is as sound now as he was at 5 years. He has done everything except jump, and was a stall horse for most of his life. I kept him exercised everyday over cavalettis to strenghten those hind legs. But Ruffian didn't have that chance, since she was a filly.
Back to Ruffian, she got those legs from her sire. Yes, longer pasterns do make a horse faster, to some extent. I can tell by looking at that old photo of Reviewer's legs. They are not good. Too thin, long and small boned. I mean her sire broke his foreleg a bunch of times, and his hind a couple of times too. And guess what? They kept racing him after he healed. What are they thinking???? Money... Plain and simple, he isn't sound, lets make as much as we can off of him while we can. The same for Ruffian, if she had been my aunt and uncle's horse, they would have retired her after the first crack appeared. But most Thoroughbred breeders don't do that. So Ruffian was pretty much doomed to some kind of injury with those legs. The other thing that seems to be genetic, her dam, Shenanigans had to be euthanized after thrashing while coming out of surgery. Her sire Reviewer had to be euthanized after thrashing while coming out of surgery. Genetically speaking, with both parents having the same impulse to thrash while coming out of surgery, she would would do it also, and she did.
Now I am getting down off my soapbox, and this is just my opinion. You don't have to agree with me, but could you please be nice about it if you don't...... :)
Gibbs:...Commodore?
Norrington: No, not anymore, weren't you listening?
hey. most horses who break down has no history of leg injuries in their family. what caused ruffian break down was the how she left the gate is what caused it nothing else cause she threw all her weight on her right leg and weakened it. it wasnt from her pedigree. and the thing you said bout her mom thrashing isnt true. her mom slipped and fell when the vet led her out of the recovery stall. which could happen to any horse. you need to read more into the whole story bout ruffian and her pedigree.
shareI only posted what I know. I thought it may help some people that aren't familiar with horses to understand why the concussion and pounding of racing can do to a horse's leg. I am an assistant for a large animal veterinarian. I had to read up on genetics to become one. I don't care what anyone says, genetics play a big part in any living creature's physical character. In large animal veterinarian medicine, as soon as Barbaro broke down, all the stories came to light again about Ruffian. Veterinary medicine and genetics is what I know. And I have 7 years of college to back it up. I had to read up on her and several other horses that have had break downs or leg problems. And not just Thoroughbreds either. I have to for what I do. Yes, she did step hard, but if she had been another horse with different gentics, she may not have broke down. Find some old video of her racing, her pasterns were very long. That is a weakness in any horse, not just Thoroughbreds. And runiing puts the most pressure on the leading foreleg, think about how much a horse weighs and all the pounds per square inch that comes down on those tiny legs. With pasterns that long, that is a lot of pressure at the fetlock and pastern joints. Ruffian over extended her flexor tendons and muscles every time she ran. Her sesamoid bones were rammed into the ground, which also causes stress on the navicular and coffin bones of the hoof. Even her tariner was concerned with her legs. And she had alreadsy had a hairline crack in a hind leg before she ever broke down. Genetics are genetics, she got the pasterns from her sire. Her dam didn't have those long pasterns. As for thrashing, if one of her parents did it, she has a 50% chance that she would too. I can back these facts up with resources as to where I got my information.
Gibbs:...Commodore?
Norrington: No, not anymore, weren't you listening?
Ruffian's pasterns set her up for her eventual injury.
The only solution, the only real one, is to actively breed for soundness, but since 1975, the breed has gone far the other direction. Horses race shorter, race less often, and nearly all of them now do it with (legal) pharmaceutical assistance.
Ruffian won the CCA Oaks when it was still run at 1 1/2 miles. How long it it now? Has it been trucated to 1 1/8 miles yet?
Until there is compelling motivation, the fragility of the TB will only continue. I am convinced that some of that fragility is rooted in how these animals are managed and "trained" (or not trained), but some of it is due to the change in genetics. Racing has no memory of its past anymore, and reading accounts of what was done with horses 100 years ago in terms of number of starts and frequency of starts is eye-opening.
I agree 100% qatmom.
Gibbs:...Commodore?
Norrington: No, not anymore, weren't you listening?
Regarding how she broke down, I was guessing that when she had that injury early in the movie, they didn't take it seriously enough, and so she was allowed to run too hard throughout her career, which finally made the inevitable happen.
share....Regarding how she broke down, I was guessing that when she had that injury early in the movie, they didn't take it seriously enough, and so she was allowed to run too hard throughout her career, which finally made the inevitable happen....
Baloney with garlic.
Frank Whiteley was an old-fashioned trainer, hands-on, not one of these characters with 200 horses (how can anyone keep track of the condition of 800 legs???) in their charge spread out all over the country. You'd better believe any injury was taken seriously.
The Janneys were not market breeders. They bred and raced their own stock, including Ruffian's dam, Shenanigans. Shenanigans was a good 2 y o on the track, but they retired her after that year because of doubts about her soundness.
Horses with over-long pasterns are predisposed to slamming their sesamoid bones down into a racetrack when stressed. That's what happened to Ruffian, no more, no less, no neglect, no conspiracy, no incompetence.
Horses with over-long pasterns are predisposed to slamming their sesamoid bones down into a racetrack when stressed. That's what happened to Ruffian, no more, no less, no neglect, no conspiracy, no incompetence.
Responding to "Baloney with Garlic": Of course it quickly became clear how Whiteley cared for that horse and wouldn't have let it happen. So that theory went out the window.
shareOkay people, let's be accurate for those reading this board who know NOTHING of thoroughbreds, thoroughbred pedigrees or American racing in general. First off, the notion that Ruffian broke down due to her pedigree was harped on many many years ago on the Reines-de-course website. It suggests Reviewer should never have been allowed to sire anything and that the entire family in general should never have existed. That having been put out there as an opinion, now it's my turn. This is a line that proudly has bred and brought to us the FINEST racehorses ever. As a breeder, trainer and owner I actively seek out Reviewer lines in the backgrounds of my horses (since his progeny has for the majority passed out of existence). I have a look alike of Ruffian standing in my own backyard..the first horse I ever rescued from slaughter at a track. Why? Non surgical sesamoid fracture from a starting gate training accident. They wrote her off on the insurance and put her in the meat barn to be shipped to Canada. That lovely mare today is hale, hearty, sound and happy here on my farm. Rose was the perfect reminder of Ruffian and has all her charm and good looks. (So those of you with the resources, time, money and commitment (not to mention a good and experienced mentor) by all means adopt a racehorse from the numerous racehorse rescue sites. Just do your homework first and be realistic in your expectations). Moving on...
This is a MOVIE. It was never intended to be the end-all, do-all, be-all word for word portrayal of her or her career. Enjoy it as what it is and rejoice in the fact the sport and the horses are getting national exposure! Second, (and it just has to be said) not all owners run their horses for MONEY. Some wonderful recent examples.. Roy and Gretchen Jackson (Barbaro), the Chapmans (Smarty Jones) or the Phipp's family (Pine Island). There is a GENUINE, DEEP and ABIDING love of the horses in these people and so many many others. It is unfair to characterize the Janney's in the group of people running their horse for money. They had plenty of that already! They appropriately laid Ruffian up with the best of treatment possible when the hairline fracture in her rear leg was discovered and did not bring her back until she was ready. Ruffian fractured because, like Barbaro- she was powerful. She was so full of energy, determination and a competitive nature that it became her undoing. Almost all of the horses who fracture on the track (Barbaro, Pine Island, Go for Wand, Charismatic) continue to run on the injured limb. Ruffian did no different, she just went farther and faster..a testament to her will to win. Ruffian tore up the track with the depth and length of her stride. Want a real life modern example? Check out any photo of this year's Belmont stakes..look at the track and look at the hoofprints (depth and distance) left by Curlin vs. those left by Rags to Riches. These horses can move a lot of dirt!
Finally, the people who surrounded Ruffian and cared for her are haunted to this day. If they had done it for the money as was callously and unfairly suggested, then her memory would not be as painful as it is. We who saw that race or were part of it have never forgotten it..a terrible reminder of the risk taken each and every time a horse is saddled for a race. We are truly shadowed by her memory and accomplishments. We are also priveleged, as she lives on in our hearts as the "Queen of the fillies". We will never forget you Ruffian. RIP.
Very well put!!
And from someone who was standing track side when Curlin and Rags to Riches went by, I can attest to the amount dirt she moved...and I have the pictures to prove it!!
[deleted]
ROTFLMAO- "this is the sport of millionaires"..(btw that's how millionaires is spelled)....
I have EIGHT thoroughbreds in my backyard..I make LESS than 20k per year. They aren't junkers either..one is by Our Emblem, two are by Deputy Minister, one is by Polish Navy, one is the son of a Breeder's Cup winner, etc.,etc...
Moving on in your ridiculous PETA style post..
Gretchen Jackson was going to make a fortune breeding Barbaro--HA HA..
Gretchen Jackson already has a fortune. She also has 2 full brothers to Barbaro. She doesn't need or want money or fame, preferring to donate both her fortune and her time to charity. Try reading once in a while before spitting out ridiculous, unfounded accusations. Oh and by the way, none of her horses is a fragile, skinny, inbred piece of crap. They are beautifully bred, meticulously cared for and gloriously huge animals who are so powerful and graceful all at once. The thoroughbred is not what you make it out to be. RESPONSIBLE people who know what they are doing don't breed the TB's you describe. And the sport won't die..we in the sport are recognizing and responding in the call to action..the new Safety reporting systems, polytracks, new therapies and interventions..you name it.
It's people like you who THINK they know something that try to come in and wreck the sport for everyone else. Instead of protesting Eight Belles or Barbaro why don't you go after the real villans?? (Like Big Brown's trainers and owners? Running a horse on fiberglass feet for the sake of the Triple Crown..there is animal cruelty people!!)
Go hug a tree and save a bunny until you educate yourself.
My friends own, breed and race Thoroughbreds. And they live in a modest house in the country and have 9-5 regular jobs. The racing people seen on TV represent 10% of the sport. Most owners seldom make a profit. I was once part of a racing partnership and even when my two horses won I never got a penny back.
shareemt8134 I would like to see pics of your mare if you don't mind... Another Ruffian is always welcome... But I can't agree with you with that part about Reviewer... Like someone said, nature take her own course, his bloodline is almost gone... And that it's how shoud be...
Ruffian had the best trener she can ever got... One of things that always impressioned me about her is that she was never beat... They didn't use a whip.... Imagine how fast she could go ih they pushed her... And that was because of Frank... He take care about his horses...
I completly agree with luvje0rdie and Paint2ways...
P.S. I'm really sorry about gramatic and spelling mestakes...
geat pics, thanks for the link.
share