http://www.racingpost.com/news/live.sd?event_id=5439624&category=0 HIGH CHAPARRAL, winner of the Derby in 2002, has died at the age of 15. The six-time Group 1 winner, who provided his trainer Aidan O'Brien with a second Derby success when he defeated stablemate Hawk Wing, was put down at Fethard Equine Hospital during exploratory colic surgery due to a perforated intestine. The son of Sadler's Wells won almost £3.5million in prize-money in a 13-race career. Since his retirement, High Chaparral has stood at Coolmore Stud where his most notable offspring include So You Think, It's A Dundeel and Toronado. Coolmore said: "High Chaparral has been euthanised at Fethard Equine Hospital during exploratory colic surgery due to a perforated intestine." High Chaparral completed the Epsom-Curragh Derby double in 2002 and landed the Breeders' Cup Turf in 2002 and again the following year when he dead-heated with Johar at Santa Anita. The winner of ten of his races, High Chaparral's other Group 1 victories were achieved in the Racing Post Trophy at Doncaster in 2001 and the Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown in 2003. He twice finished third in the Prix de L'Arc de Triomphe and met with the only other defeat of his career when second on his debut at Punchestown. So You Think won five Group 1 races in Australia, including the Cox Plate in 2009 and 2010, before joining O'Brien for whom he was successful in five Group 1 events including the Coral-Eclipse Stakes, the Irish Champion Stakes and the Prince of Wales's Stakes. Toronado's victoies include the Sussex Stakes and Queen Anne Stakes, while It's A Dundeel has won six Group 1 races in Australia. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [video=youtube;rL-wvV6t2ZM]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rL-wvV6t2ZM[/video] A horse who won two Derbies, was twice 3rd in an Arc, twice won the Breeders Cup turf, and produced two high class animals in Toronado and So You Think. A real champion and one of the flats few 'proper' horses. R.I.P
That as a cracking race. Falbrav was some horse and HC got up on the line. Super horse. So young to die but lucky to have been euthanised in the circumstances. RIP Colic is a nightmare (horses can't be sick).
Explain it to me fellas? I'm happy to be the prat who asks for the nitty gritty as I'm not sure why he was euthanised or why colic is such a crippling issue.
Was going to ask the same question. Why is it a euthanasing issue for some but others recover and even get back to the racecourse. Pique Sous for example.
It depends how bad it is. The problem is, horses can't be sick. This article gives a reasonable idea. I can tell you it is a horrible experience trying to keep a horse from going down when they have colic. They are bloody heavy.
One thing the article doesn't mention is that getting down and rolling is more likely to result in a twisted gut.
Incidentally for anyone who has horses my wife swears by a book Manual of Equine Practice By Reuben J Rose and David R Hodgson. It's her Bible
