Jones will return to the foal every eight hours and stay for an hour or two each time, even in the middle of the night. The veterinarian works mainly at Country Life and nearby Murmur Farm. He examines mares, determines whether they're pregnant, predicts when they should be bred and treats injuries and illnesses. Some of the diseases are as complex as those in humans, he says. But that's where the similarity ends.
Statistics confirm how elusive success can be.
Some mares don't get pregnant. Others lose their fetuses before the 341-day gestation ends. Few were stronger than Cigar. Like most gifted athletes, he had a presence about him, an aura that was obvious from the start. Cigar was a month old when he kicked Josh's wife, Ellen, as she led him into a field.