It is hard to believe that today marks the two year anniversary of Barbaro's passing. In some ways, it feels like yesterday; in others, it feels like we have made remarkable strides since The 2006 Kentucky Derby winner left this earth.
On a personal level, it sometimes feels like I have been covering this story for a lifetime! I have amassed a file cabinet filled with clippings and academic papers and a book shelf filled to overflowing with books about horses, animals, thoroughbred racing, veterinary medicine and the history of heroes in America. On good days, I know exactly where something is that I need; on bad days, I spend hours looking for one quote that I cannot find.
But the important thing is that I am making progress on putting this story together and am very grateful for the time that I spent exploring it from various perspectives. All of my academic inquiry has taught me that the story can only be partially explained from any single academic perspective. It really needs to be examined across disciplines, using the tools and research from many of them, to make true sense of the story's appeal and longevity.
It is a little like some from Column A and some from Column B, but without knowing what was in each of those columns, I think I would have come to too superficial an explanation.
I watched an episode of Top Chef the other night in which the participants visited a farm where all the ingredients for the meals that they were to cook were raised--including the meat portion. It was important to do honor to the animals whose lives were sacrificed for the meal by butchering the meat with respect and honor and preparing it carefully and tenderly.
I hope I am providing a similar honor to Barbaro by exploring the nuances of his life, slowly, carefully and with a healthy respect for what he has come to mean to so many people.
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