My heart broke when I saw the video showing the chuck wagon crash at the Calgary Stampede last night that took the lives of three horses and injured a fourth.
Slow motion video appears to show the left lead horse suddenly dragging a hind leg just before it crashed. Even as its ability to run was compromised, it kept running until it collapsed into the other lead horse, creating the disaster that followed.
As the expected debate rages on about the cultural history of the Calgary Stampede versus the people who are screaming about abuse to animals, a different thought comes to my mind.
These horses died doing what they love – working as a team, driving hard and striving for “the win”.
They died doing what they were created to do.
And so while the debate rages on, I can only think of this …..
I hope, when my end-of-days has arrived, that it could be said that I went in the same way – working side by side with the people I love and respect, driving hard and still striving for “the win”.
Doing the things that I was created to do.
How about you?
When I think of this, I think that maybe, just maybe, that’s the real question that we need to find an answer to.
What do you think?
In service and servanthood,
Harry
The other day on the way downtown I noticed protesters for animal rights on the sidewalk near the Stampede Grounds. Being from a farming background I was a bit dismayed to see them there with their placards that proclaimed abuses. I had exactly the same thoughts that you shared Harry.
ReplyDeleteI wondered if those people ever actually owned a horse? Horses love to run. They love to run for their people. Anyone who has ever had a horse that allowed that horse to be entered into any kind of race or competition knows the heart of that animal to compete. They get a spark in their eye and a lift to their step at the mere smell of competition. To deny a race animal the platform of a race is a worse fate than death.
Of course we are all appalled when an accident occurs, but the reality of life on the farm is that animals live and animals die just like people do in life.
I too would rather die doing something that I love.
Amen - thanks for sharing, Kerry!
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