Balanced Breeze Euthanized

Casual-Breeze.jpg
Published: December 16, 2008 03:08 pm EST

Harry Rutherford has told Trot Insider that 14-year-old Balanced Image broodmare Balanced Breeze, dam of the great Casual Breeze, had to be euthanized Tuesday, December 16.

In addition to Casual Breeze, Balanced Breeze produced seven other offspring, including Muscleextrodinair (4, $240,901, 1:53.4).

VIP, a soon to be three-year colt by Muscles Yankee; Baileys Breeze, an Angus Hall filly who will turn two in 2009; and Barack, a Yankee Glide colt that will have earned yearling status once the calendar flips, are the youngest of Balanced Breeze's progeny.

"Balanced Breeze was always gimpy since she was a baby," Rutherford, of Cool Creek Farm, told Trot Insider. "She had been kicked in the first rib and eventually had calcium drip into her left shoulder socket because of that. Due to that, she wasn't able to race, but produced Casual Breeze when we bred her, thus began her legacy."

Rutherford explained that Balanced Breeze -- who was carefully grouped with three other mares in a two-acre paddock at Cool Creek -- did not immediately come to the feed bucket this morning. Rutherford said the mare was around the corner and in obvious pain.

"She wouldn't come to the feeder. She was in extreme pain and breathing hard," said Rutherford, who said that the issue was in the same front shoulder in which has ailed all her life.

Rutherford explained that a vet came to examine the mare and gave her a shot of banamine. Balanced Breeze did not respond kindly when the vet tried to inspect her. In trying to put up a fight, Balanced Breeze eventually lost her footing and fell over. Upon inspection, it was obvious to Rutherford and the vet that the mare had been suffering from a break and had to be put down.

"We raised her and had her all her life. She was part of the family -- she really was."

Rutherford, who owned the mare along with Diane Ingham, told Trot Insider that he cannot figure out what led to the injury, as there was no ice in Balanced Breeze's paddock, which she shared with rather mild-mannered mates.

Please join Standardbred Canada in offering condolences to the connections of Balanced Breeze.

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