Curlin: The Next Chapter

Jess Jackson wrote a great piece for Bloodhorse.com about Curlin's pending retirement and what the great horse has come to mean to him and his family. "To me, Curlin is so much more than one of the greats," he writes. "He has also become a bonded and trusting friend."

One of the aspects that I am researching for my thesis--to be finally written this coming semester!!--is the human-horse bond. Surprisingly there is little written about it, especially when you compare it to the human-dog or cat bond, about which there are volumes. Yet I believe that Mr. Jackson has captured perfectly the bond that develops between a horse and its owner, even when that horse is theoretically "working" for that owner.

In fact, Jackson himself notes, "Many a horse owner has undoubtedly experienced what we have: a personal relationship of affection and trust between Curlin, myself, my family, and every member of our team. We gained his trust and he has been eager to satisfy; he has been loyal."

Two interesting points. One, the concept of loyalty, on the part of the horse, has to be earned and two, affection, on the part of the horse, is distinctly separate from trust. Both of these are clearly related to the fact that a horse is big and potentially dangerous--a fact which makes earning both its respect and trust critical to earning its affection.

It is also fascinating to hear Jackson mention that Curlin "ran for the fans, for the sport, for his own pleasure of competition, and, I believe, to express his loyalty and desire to please."

This assessment, to me, is a bit more subjective and probably harder to judge. But it is also a common sentiment among owners of successful thoroughbreds. Most claim that their horses run for the sheer love of running and that they love to compete. How they know this remains unquantifiable.

The end of Jackson's piece expresses his hopes for the future of the sport. "We hope thoroughbred owners will form their own racing league and appoint a commissioner, join with tracks to market races for older horses, and work together to increase their stake of gaming revenue to allow tracks and horse owners to prosper. Otherwise, I fear thoroughbred racing will continue to decline."

Let's all hope that Mr. Jackson remains a significant force within the sport and that Curlin rewards him with lots of healthy, talented and successful offspring.