The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1922-06-06
old ROSEBUD, HERO
OF RACING HEROES,
ENDS LONG AGONY
BY FRANK c. MENkE

DIN
And then a shot was heard
The tumult of applause was for Nor
vich, wonder horse of today; a thun-
derous. deserved ovation for a winner
Of the Kentucky Derby.
Its echo hardly had died away when
q man pressed a gun to the head of
Old Rosebud-and the Kentucky Der
by winner of eight years ago became
cold in death.
And so was turf romance entwined
with grim tragedy
Old Rosebud is dead
A sob comes to the throat of every
man who loves an honest, game and
courageous race horse; a tear comes
to the eye with the memory that Old
Rosebud, hero of racing horses, never
again will bring a multitude to its
feet with cataract of applause for
his racing greatness.
What pathos was involved in the
final hours of his eleven years!
The turf has known horses which
earned more than Old Rosebud;
horses which hung up faster marks.
But it never has known race horse
which suffered such ,excruciating ag-
ony through the years as old Rosebud
and still went to the Hottest heights
IN the racing world.
Made Fast Time.
The gallant gelding won the derby
of 1914 in 2: O3 2-5-the fastest time
ever Travelled In the racing classic.
He broke down shortly afterwards, was
away from the races two years, came
back in LELAND became handicap
king of that year.
He broke down afterward. came
back, met, and whipped the greatest
horses in the land-and again broke
down The unsound leg was repaired
and old Rosebud once again returned
to earn new plaudits of the racing
stable legions.
Old Rosebud, in the racing years
that were his, earned beyond $4,000
earned 1t in the days when the $4,000
Derby of today was worth but $4,000
and all the other purses were pro
portionately small.
The wonderful race horse with Dig
heart as big as his body, came oacE
to the races this year, run twice ano
then broke down again in training
Veterinarians examined the leg, shooH
their heads and then said TO Frank
D Weir the trainer or owner or Olo
Rosebud from his yearling days.
There is no hope; the leg is gone
beyond repair"
Elk him up so that he can go back
to the farm and use it for the rest
of his natural days-and name your
own price for your service" Wen
pleaded
For two DAYS and two nights everS
human effort was made to save OLD
Rosebud, but in vain. And through
all those long, dreary hours, Old Rose
bud, without a whimper, suffered ter
rifle agony Unable to use one leg, ne
was forced to stand on the other three
ard. towards the end they began to
buckle under him from the weight Of
his body.
ut is hopeless; nothing can be
done but destroy him." was the yer
dict
Bids Horse Farewell
1t was decided on the morning tha
Norwich ran an exhibition for thu
benefit of a New York crowd, to des
troy Old Rosebud then. But Weir
hoping against hope, worked on his
horse for hours after the veterinarian:
had gone. but at last he too came t
realize that it was only prolonginf
the misery of the great old race horse
TO try longer. He then gave order:
to destroy him.
But as they we're about to lead OIL
Rosebud from the stall for the las
time Weir halted them, called 70
sugar Jumps and apples and, with al
arm around the horse that he love-
as few men ever have loved
thoroughbred, fed them to Old Rose
bud.
A jockey came into the stall-th
boy who rode Old Rosebud for s
many years. The old horse saw hin
whinnied, started forward to receiv
again the pets and caresses agains
the sides which ever had been hi
portion from the boy-and fell forwar
against the sides of his stall as me-
mentarily forgetful of his battered les
he attempted to step upon it.
There wasn't dry eye in that littl
throng which stood around Old Rose
bud; there was no movement except b
those who fed to Old Rosebud the las
sugar Jumps of his lifetime, or pate
in last farewell, the glossy neck whic
for so many years had poked itse
foremost in the most gruelling racin
duels of America.
They led him out of his stall stunt
ling almost falling. again and again, a
he moved along on three legs, to
as gently and as mercifully as the
could.
Those who had loved and cherishe
Old Rosebud during his lifetime, pl
their arms around him once again
Rugged his head to their hearts-an
then, unable to bear the sight of
bullet crashing into the head of on
of turfdoms greatest idols, Wake
away.
The old horse whimpered at hein
left alone; tried to follow them TIL
veterinarian stepped forward, revc
yer flashed in the sunlight-and the
as a racing multitude was acclaimin
with a frenzy of delight the Kentuck
Derby winner of 1922. the derby Wi
/. ner of long gone days fell into
crumpled heap.
If ENTEp ANIMAL