Balanced Breeze Euthanized
Published: December
16, 2008
Harry Rutherford has told Trot Insider that
14-year-old Balanced Image broodmare Balanced Breeze, dam of the great
Casual Breeze, had to be euthanized Tuesday, December 16.
In addition to
Casual Breeze, Balanced Breeze produced
seven other offspring, including Muscleextrodinair (4, $240,901,
1:53.4).
VIP, a soon to be three-year colt by Muscles Yankee;
Baileys Breeze, an Angus Hall filly who will turn two in 2009; and
Barack, a Yankee Glide colt that will have earned yearling status once
the calendar flips, are the youngest of Balanced Breeze's progeny.
"Balanced Breeze was always gimpy since she was a baby," Rutherford, of
Cool Creek Farm, told Trot Insider. "She had been kicked in the
first rib and eventually had calcium drip into her left shoulder socket
because of that. Due to that, she wasn't able to race, but produced Casual
Breeze when we bred her, thus began her legacy."
Rutherford explained that Balanced Breeze -- who was carefully grouped with
three other mares in a two-acre paddock at Cool Creek -- did not immediately
come to the feed bucket this morning. Rutherford said the mare was around
the corner and in obvious pain.
"She wouldn't come to the feeder. She was in extreme pain and breathing
hard," said Rutherford, who said that the issue was in the same front
shoulder in which has ailed all her life.
Rutherford explained that a vet came to examine the mare and gave her a
shot of banamine. Balanced Breeze did not respond kindly when the vet tried
to inspect her. In trying to put up a fight, Balanced Breeze eventually lost
her footing and fell over. Upon inspection, it was obvious to Rutherford and
the vet that the mare had been suffering from a break and had to be put
down.
"We raised her and had her all her life. She was part of the family --
she really was."
Rutherford, who owned the mare along with Diane Ingham, told Trot
Insider that he cannot figure out what led to the injury, as there was
no ice in Balanced Breeze's paddock, which she shared with rather
mild-mannered mates.
Please join Standardbred Canada in offering condolences to the
connections of Balanced Breeze. |
