Vale Jimmy...

I've known for a number of weeks that this would be the outcome for "Jimmy", which is the nickname given to Black Caviar's unnamed and record breaking $5 million half brother.  I feel sad on a number of fronts.  This colt feels close to my heart.  I am now good friends with his breeder Rick Jamieson, and he is feeling the loss keenly.  But for me, it runs much deeper than just my friendship with Rick.  I first met the colt in April 2012.  There were so many promises..  Heartbreaking??  I suspect not just for me personally, but also for all involved in this colt.  I've taken a large number of defining images of his Famous Sister, Black Caviar, and all Helsinge, and all of her subsequent progeny.  A sample is below.  I'll let the images do the talking.

"Jimmy's" demise will be tainted by rumour and deep suspicions, because of the collapse of BC3 and Bill Vlahos.  Not knowing the truth will be like pretending to trust the person who lied to you and covered their tracks.  And as far as I'm concerned, you only reason you won't want to know all of the truth is because you are either incurably stupid or you just don't care enough to want to know the truth.  Most of us have questions we want to ask, and we want to talk about the issue.  Normal people, with normal emotions, don't just push major issues under the carpet and never speak of them.  That's not right, and it doesn't do anyone any good in the long term, and grows like a festering poison.  And this could be similar for the racing and breeding industry, if the questions that need to be answered are not discussed and are  not answered.

I should hasten to point out that anyone with a degree of horse sense and knowledge, who is also smart enough, would know that "Jimmy" being put down was the only course of action for a horse with his stage of laminitis.  The pedal bones, if they rotate and and drop close enough to the sole of the foot, usually mean that the horse has no chance of survival if they cannot grow the hoof back in time to keep the pedal bones dropping through.  I have no doubt that the horse was put down on humane grounds, and not to claim the insurance money.  It still doesn't explain the mysterious spider bite in the first place though and I guess that is the question that everyone will want answering.

All Too Hard as a yearling.  Sold for $1.025m.

All Too Hard wins the 2013 Futurity

All Too Hard defeats Pierro in the 2012 Caulfield Guineas

Belle Couture the week before Christmas.

 

The Great One.   The Famous Pony, Black Caviar

 

James Brocklebank..  BC3

Craig Cameron.  BC3

Helsinge.  Blue Chip.  Blue Hen.

Rick Jamieson.  I don't think there is another set of images of him with the champion he bred, Black Caviar, than these.

Rick and Helsinge.  An idyllic visit.  April 2012, when I first met Rick, Helsinge and "Jimmy"

Rick posing with "Jimmy" with me before the colt's subsequent sale.  I wish someone else had bought him

$5 million...

A young "Jimmy" with the Famous Mother, Helsinge.  April 2012.  My heart breaks.

"Jimmy" runs with Helsinge.  19 April 2012, just before he was weaned.  Rick kept the colt on the mare because I was coming.  I will always be thankful of this.  It took some talking to get him to agree to me coming.  He said he saw a photo of me and changed his mind.  We are now good friends, and I feel his pain acutely.  Today is a bad day...

"Jimmy" and Helsinge.  A happy day..

"Jimmy" - Rick let me photograph him properly before he sold.

When he's photographed properly, he was a strikingly beautiful colt.  I've seem some terrible ones of him, including his 'official' images prior to his sale.

A quick photo with Rick at the Inglis Cocktail Party

"Jimmy" in the sale ring, selling for $5m

Supersire..  "My Boy" Redoute's Choice.

 

Questions.... Bill Vlahos

 

Helsinge.  25 October 2013.

 

Black Caviar's full sister.  22 March 2013

And again, 25 October 2013

Cute as a button...  All Too Hard's full sister.  25 October 2013