Kauto Star – Retirement for a King
Since Kauto Star’s dressage
display on the opening night of equestrian elite Olympia, his performance has
been subject to mass uproar in the racing community and beyond. Understandably,
the champion racehorse was unlike any we have seen before, and is often considered
bridesmaid only to the mighty Arkle. Many people believe the subject has been reported
as merely an unnecessary moral panic, as no other ex-racehorse has received
such attention. However, Kauto Star was not your ordinary racehorse, so it
would be difficult to apply ordinary logic. The issue of retired racehorses is
building momentum in a sport plagued with fragility; surely an issue of this
proportion deserves mass attention? Having watched Kauto Star avidly for years
as a racing fan, I can understand how people simply want him to be happy.
Laura Collett is a
professional eventer at the peak of her career, having been taught by the best
and won numerous accolades within the sphere. It is undeniable that Kauto Star
is treated like royalty at her base in Lambourn, so welfare concerns are
clearly deluded pledges in vain in this scenario. Many racehorses are being
mistreated after unsuccessful careers, is this not more important? Are the
majority of writers negating this, or simply over exaggerating?
Many retired racehorses make
the transition to dressage, and I for one am pleased that Kauto Star is still
learning. For an intelligent horse, he deserves to be stimulated and he still
has a lot of potential in a second career. Many people have criticised the lacklustre,
somewhat ugly display at Olympia, yet it would be ludicrous to judge a decision
so important on a single performance. In the racing world if Paul Nicholls had
adopted the same attitude I’m sure Kauto Star wouldn’t have been half the
success he is now. It was viewed as unfortunate yet acceptable for Kauto to
take heavy falls when racing, yet a single sub-par dressage display is
forbidden?
The entire spectacle would
have been incredibly daunting and I’m sure Kauto Star will progress having had
the experience. It has been said that Clive Smith is solely interested in
monetary rewards, as a tilt at the Olympics in 2016 was mentioned in the
fledgling stages of the transition– was this media exaggerations or does Smith
want more from a horse that has bought him so much? Or could he simply be
avoiding injury for his racing great, as dressage involves a different set of
muscles than racing and jumping at speed? Many people believe Kauto Star ‘tied
up’ (cramps of the hindquarter muscles), or looked lame, hence causing his
irresponsive display, in which case his discomfort was not typical, and his
performance can be forgiven. Another point to consider is Kauto has performed
beautifully at various other venues recently without any protesters, could he
simply be a substandard dressage horse, and is that okay? Or with extensive
training could he be destined for the top?
The other side of the
argument reveals that Laura Collett is hugely talented and has another project
owned by Clive Smith, the promising Pamero 4, who has already completed
successfully and displays undeniable adoration for the job. As such a high
profile figure, would Kauto Star receive more time and attention with someone
else? Many other people, including Paul Nicholls and his team at Dicheat,
believe they could give him 100% of their time and care. Is this not what he
deserves? Kauto Star’s Olympia display showed his blatant disinterest towards
his work, which has spurred such debate – the main concern should be the
happiness of the horse, and could it only take this one occasion to show the
public that he’s not in love with his new career?
Following the champions exit
from Nicholls’s yard in 2012, the Somerset trainer subsequently fell out with
owner Clive Smith because Kauto was taken way before anticipated. As shown
recently on Channel 4 Racing’s website, each horse is different and can adapt
to a range of new careers, fellow stable-mates and racing giants Big Buck’s and
Denman now participate in hunting and team chasing, and many of those who spent
time with Kauto thought this would be ideal considering his love for love for racing.
EX-RACEHORSES IN NEW
CAREERS>>>
If Laura Collett, one of the
best out there, cannot get Kauto Star to show his best, who can?
Finally, after reading
Jonathan Powell’s book “Kauto Star and Denman” it was interesting to discover
after coming over to the UK from France, his first groom Sonja Warburton
described him as “scared of his own shadow” and “frightened of everything”. She
stated “It was a long time before he trusted me or anyone else.” Apparently it
took him months to settle and he would dart into the corner of his box at the
sight of head lad Clifford Baker. This is obviously understandable and horses
adapt, as for instance, Clifford Baker subsequently became one of the main
figures in Kauto Star’s life. Yet horses are sensitive creatures, and if it is
Kauto Star’s instinct to be nervous, is this something that could reappear in
new surroundings or situations?
Collect reportedly said that
the horse suffered from “stage fright” at Olympia. Yet he performed in front of
thousands at most of the major racing festivals, including when submerged into
a swarming mass of people after his bigger wins in the 5 King Georges and 2
Cheltenham Gold Cups. Is this similar to demonstrating at Olympia or is the
spectacle entirely different?
When it comes down to it,
Clive Smith owns Kauto Star. The public hold him in deep affection, and for a
treasured amount of time on the track, he was “our” horse. But this is simply
no longer, and we cannot control his whereabouts. Yes, it is sad to see him
manipulated forcefully in the dressage ring, and it is understandable that we
feel protective of our hero, but was this simply a blip on his otherwise
budding dressage career? Or is it an indicator of what is to come for Kauto
Star, an ultimately lethargic life beyond racing?
This video has very recently
been released, and indicates that Kauto Star will continue with his routine
that has served him so well. I think it would be unreasonable for me to suggest what Kauto Star should do with his life, as I am not familiar with the horse. I just hope that those who are keep his needs at the forefront of their minds at all times, as he owes no one anything and has already represented RoR with tremendous zest.
Please let me know your
thoughts on the entire issue. Tweet me at: @mp_horseracing
