Posted on 11/14/2006 4:48:42 AM PST by propertius
Just occasionally along comes a racehorse who makes his jockey appear like mere freight, an animal far more famous – to the non-racing fraternity at least – than the man riding on his back.
Arkle was like that, and Red Rum. And Dessie – Desert Orchid, the superlative steeplechaser – who died yesterday at the age of 27.
Weeping over the death of a racehorse is probably going too far, even for the anthropomorphic British. There was, however, genuine sadness at the news that a great character had passed away.
The winner of the 1989 Cheltenham Gold Cup, one of the most dramatic steeplechases seen, and four King George VI chases at Kempton Park, he died in his stable at Newmarket after a short illness.
David Elsworth, who trained Dessie throughout his career, said: "There was no stress. He departed from this world with dignity and no fuss. He did his dying in the same individual way that he did his living. It was time to go."
In true celebrity style, Dessie had his own fan club, and was popular at events long after his retirement in 1991, raising substantial sums for charity.
Distinguished from the rest of the field by his light grey coat, he looked like something from an Arabian Night.
His popularity resided not so much in his brilliance as in his gritty determination, seen to such effect at Cheltenham when he ploughed up the rain-soaked hill after three and a quarter pounding miles, splashed with mud, to steal the race from Yahoo.
There were 58,000 people there and the roar was deafening. In emotional impact it rivalled Red Rum's third Grand National and Bob Champion's Aintree win on Aldaniti.
After winning by a length and a half, his rider, Simon Sherwood, said: "I've never known a horse so brave. He hated every step of the way in the ground and dug as deep as he could possibly go."
Dessie received thousands of Christmas cards and presents. When in retirement he had an operation for colic, before which he was given a 20 per cent chance of survival, a get-well card from Australia was addressed to "Desert Orchid in his warm stable in England". It got there.
His first race, in a hurdle at Kempton in 1983, was almost his last. He fell heavily at the last, but managed to pick himself up.
He went on to win 34 races and clock up £650,000 in winnings. His final public appearance was on October 1 at an open day at the National Stud in Newmarket.
Midge Burridge, one of his owners, said: "He was always getting himself into scrapes – he was a menace as a young horse, jumping out of fields.
"He was always a lively character and terribly determined – that came out in his racing.
He never accepted defeat." Of his fan club, Miss Burridge said: "They all adored him. It is going to be terribly sad for them. Some of them are quite elderly people and I think they thought he was immortal."
Dessie's ashes will be scattered at Kempton, where he enjoyed much success. The course owners have already named a race after him, which will be run for the first time on December 27.
John McCririck, the racing pundit, said: "Some people identified with him as not the best but nevertheless a street fighter. He was a flamboyant grey and front runner and people loved that.
"Desert Orchid had that immense courage and the indomitable will to win."
ntweedie@telegraph.co.uk
A collective lump is in all our throats this morning.
Absolutely gorgeous horse!
And gutsy too. It was his character as much as anything that won such a vast and affectionate following. He hated to be beaten.
I see nothing amiss is weeping over a horse.
very cool. thanks.
Open at home bump.
Thank you so very much. I blubbed, I confess. And you have to remember that these were conditions that Dessie hated (the mud, coming from the left) but were exactly suited to Yahoo. When you see him come back from apparently being completely beaten coming in to the last, you just have to marvel. The sheer grit of the horse!
The thing about legends is, they never actually DO die, they go on in our hearts and minds forever.
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