The past two weeks have been rather eventful for Mr Changue, who was rescued from a scary fall into a sinkhole to not only be fit to race but actually win a race 12 days later and become an international celebrity.
Mr Changue was grazing in the backstretch at Fort Erie on July 11 when the ground gave way, creating a sinkhole which was caused by a broken water main.
Along with the help of the track's horsepeople and the Fort Erie Fire Department, the six-year-old stallion was able to removed from the sinkhole safely and unharmed.
“The safety of our horses is always a priority. We would like to thank our horse people, staff, and local fire department for assisting with the safe rescue of one of our equine athletes today,” said Tom Valiquette, chief operating and financial officer of the Fort Erie Live Racing Consortium.
Clearly no worse for wear despite the near-death experience, Mr Changue was dropped in the box to race on July 23 at Fort Erie on the undercard of the Prince Of Wales Stakes. Mr Changue was sent off at 7-2 in a $15,800 event for claiming horses, and he captured the 6-1/2 furlong dash to the delight of the crowd.
“It was a great highlight to our racing undercard on Prince of Wales day to see Mr Changue cross the finish line ahead of the pack,” Valiquette told Niagara This Week. “We are happy to see that he has not missed a beat, and is continuing to find the winner’s circle. The crowd cheered and applauded his success after the race. It’s nice to see that he has so many supporters.”
That list of supporters has grown by leaps and bounds since Tuesday, as the story of Mr Changue spread online and was eventually covered by outlets the likes of CNN, ESPN, TSN and USA Today.