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In response to the death of Eight Belles at the Kentucky Derby, I've heard from some readers who believe horse racing should be banned, and others who believe there's nothing cruel about the sport at all. I find neither side convincing.
But I do think some middle ground can be found in a suggestion that was made on ESPN First Take this morning by ESPN's lead horse racing analyst, Randy Moss: Ban the whip.
"I think that's a great idea," Moss said of taking the whip out of jockeys' hands. "It is a longstanding tradition in thoroughbred racing and it's a tradition that is unnecessary."
Moss (who is not related to the New England Patriots' wide receiver) said the whip "gives the wrong picture to the people watching horse racing" -- it makes the sport look cruel, and it gives the impression that it's necessary to whip a horse to get it to run.
I think Moss is exactly right. Horse racing isn't going to be banned, and I don't think it should be. But I do think the people who run the sport should take steps to address the legitimate concerns from those who say it's cruel. Banning the whip would be a simple and important step.
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