Barbaro's Legacy Lives In His Brother

By: Jack Renaud
Topics: Sneak Preview

Jack Renaud is a CBS News producer based in New York. He's attended 12 Kentucky Derbies, but is still waiting patiently to witness his first Triple Crown.

(AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

No one has an answer. Not his trainer, not his owners, not his legion of fans.

No one can tell you exactly why Barbaro, America's tragic Super Horse, affected so many people, so deeply. The mere fact that his baby brother Nicanor (pictured above, being walked by exercise rider Pam Ritter at Palm Meadows in Boynton Beach, Fla.) is about to come to the racetrack for the first time has people in the horse world whispering. No one is saying "Nic" will be nearly as good as his big brother (was Jim Belushi really ever as funny as his brother John?). Well, if even if he's half as good, that will really be something.

But Barbaro's biggest legacy goes beyond the racetrack. Thousands and thousands of fans have joined an ad-hoc online community called "The FOB's," or Fans of Barbaro. The group began when Barbaro was recovering – they were texting and blogging about every medical update. Some were more than a little obsessive. But they slowly evolved into something much more. FOB's are now a real political force, fighting to end horse slaughter and working against horse abuse. They lobby in Washington for anti-slaughter legislation. And they have amazingly raised more than $1 million to buy horses otherwise bound for slaughter houses.

They've saved 2,700 horses at last count. These rescued horses are sent to retirement farms or adopted out.

Barbaro was euthanized two years ago today. Win or lose, you can't help but imagine that he'd be proud of baby brother – and prouder still of all the good work being done in his name.

Watch the Evening News tonight to see our report on Nicano and the legacy of Barbaro.

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by ject1 January 30, 2009 1:37 AM EST: On the second anniversary of Barbaro''''s death it was heartwarming that CBS recalled Barbaro''''s tragic story and his wonderful legacy living on in his name thru his brothers and in people trying to help horses. This is just my opinion, but I think people rooted for and loved Barbaro because he was gorgeous, extremely talented, an innocent, uncorrupt animal with none of the bad qualities humans have, and who through no fault of his own ended up fighting for his life with the strength and resiliency that no horse or animal should ever have to endure. He did everything people asked of him and more even to the end.; Reply to this comment


by tradesecrets--2008 January 30, 2009 1:03 AM EST: Please, no more broken horses!
The FOB''s do great work. I''m sure the horse racing fans will be interested in Nicanor, but NO MORE video of broken Barbaro. It''s like watching animal 9/11. I change the channel.; Reply to this comment


by supersleuth5 January 29, 2009 10:22 PM EST: Thanks for Nicanor''s story and keeping Barbaro''s legacy alive; it was a great story; I appreciated the coverage of the FOBs and their rescue efforts.
Deborah McCullough, FOB; Reply to this comment


by skeezix06 January 29, 2009 9:59 PM EST: Seriously? I used to love watching the Triple Crown but I stopped watching horse races after they put Barbaro down. I''ll stick to finding a buying a riding horse. Less heartbreak and more control over it''s destiny.; Reply to this comment