Derby was cruel and unusual

When conditions for astronauts are not right, the flight is another day. Not so for jockeys and horses running on mud during The Kentucky Derby on May 3. At the end of the race, pictures showed horses that were squinting and obviously in pain with every inch of their coats drenched in wet, wet dirt. This was a cruel and unusual visual.

Fortunately, none of the horses were bumped by competitors creating a wreck with human or horses getting broken bones or other disastrous results.

The owner of the winning horse received millions of dollars. No amount of money received is worth it on a dangerous track. I am a former chief fundraiser in 1996-2009 for starving wild horses between Dolores and Telluride that became sustainable with additional grazing rights. I am pained to see healthy, athletic horses treated horribly for the almighty buck – no pun intended.

– Sally Florence, Durango