Friday, October 28, 2011

Man' O War: Lovin' the old footage

I remember reading everything I could about this grand horse when I was younger. Was surprised to stumble on this footage of the Big Red the retiree...





14 comments:

  1. Thanks for sharing- I love the old footage as well.
    Thoroughbreds seemd so much beefier back then, as opposed to the greyhound-like physiques they have today.

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  2. That is WONDERFUL, thanks so much for sharing! :-) Will's pride in him certainly showed.

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  3. Boy, you can really see how TBs have changed....

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  4. A real hunk o' horsecake. He was really confident.

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  5. wait, wasn't secritarit "big red" or did they share the nic-name??!!

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  6. What a gorgeous hunk of horse! They really don't make 'em like that anymore... And in such great condition even at 24!

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  7. Seconded, xeyedmary-
    all endurance and "beef" has been bred out of them, so when I see a good old fashioned tbred body ( like my beefcake) my heart goes pitter patter. Fortunately we haven't bred the big hearts out of them!

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  8. Goodness, what a handsome boy! I think that's the first time I've ever seen him not racing... thanks for sharing!

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  9. Beautiful! He sure was built, wasn't he?

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  10. Thanks so much for sharing! I too was a huge fan of his as a child! When I was at WEG and took a TB horse farm tour they said that most of the farm where he lived has been turned into a housing development. There is a plaque near the road marking where the great horse(and great farm) used to be.

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  11. @ Nikki: Yes, both Man O' War and Secretariat were nicknamed "Big Red." They shared the same blazing chestnuts coats and amazing "presence," in addition to racing prowess. The Secretariat movie somewhat overly-emphasized this nickname, though; his groom, Eddie Sweat, actually just called him "Red." I don't have a problem with them sharing the name, though, as it's certainly appropriate in both cases.

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  12. I realize I am way after the fact on this post but... WOW. Especially at 24! I love that big body on a TB, and I can say that, like oneyedjack, I have and love those big beefy TBs! Man O' War is just off my man's papers, and his registered name is an homage to Big Red (Portuguesemano'war). Just a small brush with the greatness, but this video made me proud nonetheless! Thanks for sharing, this is super cool!

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