Death of a Racehorse

by Kimberly Pena  

        

          Death of a Racehorse written by W.C. Heinz, is an article about the injury and euthanization of Air Lift, “son of Bold Venture, full brother of Assault.” In the article he describes the moment when one of the spectators noticed that the horse has broken his leg during the race. Medics and veterinarians attend the horse and wait for confirmation so they can make the decision on whether or not to "destroy" the horse. After receiving confirmation, the horse is killed in front of a silent crowd, as if it were another race. 

         

          When reading the article, the details and the things Heniz focuses on, shows really the lack of compassion people had for this horse. It was as if it were another race and it is just normal to kill animals in that manner and in front of a crowded event. The way the article was written was just fascinating and I do not know in what possible way could the story have been told any better. I feel as if Heinz understood the moment more than those who were there. It was an animal being used to showcase and gets killed because he fractured his leg during a race and yet no one seemed to care but him. The ending, "Then the heavens opened, the rain pouring down, the lightning flashing, and they rushed for the cover of the stables, leaving alone on his side near the pile of bricks, the rain running off his hide, dead an hour and a quarter after his first start, Air Lift, son of Bold Venture, full brother of Assault," was just a great piece of writing and perfectly written to grasp the moment.