Racehorse Bucks Her Jockey, Kentucky Highway gallops to endure barn fire

There’s the Kentucky Derby, and then there’s the crazy ride down the Kentucky highway that a 2 year old filly named Bold and Bossy did this weekend. She threw out her jockey during a race Saturday in Kentucky, then escaped the race park for a 30-minute gallop along a freeway and freeway before eventually being locked in a barn at night.

Then that barn caught fire, leaving Bold and Bossy with burns to their necks and other parts.

She is recovering now.

“By the grace of God she was not touched,” said Michael Ann Ewing, owner of the horse. “Thank goodness she was not injured or caused serious injury or death to anyone else.”

Bold and Bossy were found and given 30 liters of fluid to help him rehydrate after trotting along US 41 and Interstate-69. This location is just south of one of the many bends in the Ohio River that forms the Kentucky-Indiana border.

The horse was making its first run at Ellis Park in Henderson, Ky., Three hours from its training site, according to Kelsey Wallace, one of the trainers. During the race, she threw up jockey Miguel Mena and bolted onto a seawall and began to trot alongside vehicles on I-69.

It took a group of trainers, police officers, the local Sheriff’s Department, and other horse enthusiasts to finally stop Bold and Bossy after their daring and bossy escapade.

“The racing community is so great,” said Ewing. “The staff, coaches and assistants – people I didn’t even know – hopped in their trucks or golf carts and there was a massive search for her as soon as she went for a run.”

Bold and Bossy, who wore blinders so she could only see straight ahead, eventually tired, allowing the pursuers to surround her. A nearby training center allowed the horse to spend the night in a barn so that she could rest and be free from trauma for the day.

But that’s when the fire started.

“Kelsey wasn’t ready to spend the night, but she said she thought it would be best to keep Bossy there to set her up overnight before giving her more meds and getting her back.” , Ewing said. “She stayed with her until later that evening and they checked her over and over again before she finally made it to her hotel room. Then she called me at 5 in the morning to tell me the reception barn had burned down. “

An overnight fire in Ellis Park canceled races and training today. The runway reception barn was destroyed by fire early Sunday morning. According to Ellis Park, it appears all of the horses, believed to be 7, have been rescued.

🎥: Skylar Hunter pic.twitter.com/bl7EtaQxlz

– Jake Boswell (@JakeBoswellNews) August 22, 2021

Ewing said, “They’re assessing his lungs and injecting him more fluid and they’re going to assess the burns. It’s really hard to say how good they’re going to be. You could see dimpling under the cream,” Ewing said, adding that Bossy would be in an air-conditioned stall for a few days. … They’ll do whatever they can for her for a few days, then we’ll reassess and see what the game plan is. “

It looked like Bossy had lost a few hundred pounds, according to the Washington post, but she was still in a good mood despite her heartbreaking experience.

“I think she’s just exhausted,” Ewing said. “It’s no exaggeration, she looked like she had lost 200 pounds. She was still all folded up and sweet as a cake.”