Is it our fault?

[my miss storm cat]

The angels thread isn't my thread but I do what I can to keep it up to date. Same with retirements.

I want to give them one last mention cause these horses... some of them literally race themselves to death.

It's a small thing.

The jockeys, on the other hand, get occassional applause on this and other forums for a great ride or act but they're more likely to be slammed.

I'm guilty of this... most of us are.

It's the nature of the game.

Most of us do appreciate them though even if we're not overly vocal.

A lot of us have our favorites or our favorites to complain about as the case may be.

So I was thinking about all this and how some of the ones who have problems with booze and drugs... how some of us repeatedly say they should be given another chance and another chance and another and others insist they should be punished, banned, whatever.

... and all of a sudden I wondered about the age thing.

Michael Baze was a baby. So many of them are sooooo young...

Is that ever questioned... if there should be some kind of age requirement, I mean?

Us bleeding hearts who feel so pained for so many reasons in so many ways... are we completely missing the bigger picture here?

I don't want to turn this thread into a series of me-isms but I understand the whole drug thing... I once had a very intense relationship with pain killers. I understand what it's like not to feel normal unless you get that refill...

Some of these kids are so young and the trouble they get into can be a reflection of what is wrong in their lives... the underlying reason for the drugs...

So as much as I love Talamo and Omar, are we allowing something to continue unquestioned that we should stop and think about?

I don't think there should be 20 starters in the Derby. I wish they'd limit it to 14 or so.

Having had the same thought for years now I'm a little embarrassed that I've given no regard to the athletes who risk their lives every day in terms of are some of them just too young to have such pressure...

So what do you guys think? Should there be some kinda age requirement? If there is one, should it be looked at and, possibly changed?

What changes, if any, need to be considered?

Should there be some kind of mentorship program so these young jockeys can at least have someone to talk to that they can relate to?

That might be cool for the retired jocks, especially those who have had trouble, to be available to them...

Oh hell I don't know. It just seems like something needs to happen.

Pressure, fame, weight, injuries, competition... if they're so young and troubled who do they really have to turn to?

What do we do? How do we help?