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From: oktahahorses
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  • i love u ruffian i made a vid about her its called ruffian i wont let you go

  • ruffian wasnt just any old racehorse. she was a legend from the beginning. R.I.P beautiful.

  • when i found this i din't know it was the breakdown one and was so upset and heartbroken after i had to step outside. strange that if the story was about a human athlete i probably wouldn't have cared. she definately broke the mold. very beautiful

  • exactly 36 years ago from now Ruffian was in surgery becuase of this tradegy i miss you girl :{

  • My grandfather knows Ruffian when he was young... He said she was so beautiful, so nice and so fast ...

    (sorry for the bad english....)

  • Ruffian was the best filly, and even though she lost her life, she's saved so many already. With horses suspended in water now to prevent thrashing as Ruffian did, that little filly has changed the equine world of surgery. <3 Ruffian and Eight Belles-The two most wonderful racing fillies to ever set foot on the track <3 God bless you girls in heaven <3

  • This video make me cry. This should've never happened! Ruffian deserved better then that! I feel so sorry for her. We will all miss you Ruffian.

  • ruffian is second to NO ONE!

    she was and still is the GREATEST RACEHORSE OF ALL TIME!

  • Ruffian lived for 3 years but lived her life to the fullest.

    She deserves better than death. Ruffian will be missed greatly.

    If you are gonna push the ' dislike ' button, THEN DON'T BOTHER WATCHING THE VIDEO BE DON'T NEED YOUR OPINION!

  • Though I know the story of this tragic Match Race, and have read numerous articles and seen whatever related photos I could find, I was so upset that I never had the courage to watch a running video of her breaking down.

    I desperately wanted to see her run her last brave strides, but all I could bear to watch were video stills from the paused loaded clips. Thank you so much for writing this song in her honor and memory. Your music gave me the courage to finally watch, and I am so proud of her.

  • i think her and secretariat are the fastest horses to ever come on the planet.i miss you guys.

  • AT the time I didn' think it was nescessary to show her hoof dangiing frm her leg. Grose, she deserved some dignity in her pain and she was not put down humanely.

    Try a shot isteat of a bullet between the eys, disgraceful. R.I.Puffian yu deserved better.

  • " were she showed the whole world that she had enough heart to finish in first everytime" I almost broke down crying watching this she was such a beautifuland very powerful animal and one race stole her life [ sighs] i wish i could have been alive to see her run. RUN FREE FOREVER RUFFIAN WE LOVE YOU SOOO MUCH AND WE MISS YOU! R.I.P Ruffian 1972-1975 you got only 3 years to live your life and you lived it to the fullest goodbye big girl. ; ]

  • You gotta love her odds of 1-2!

  • still the queen <3

  • Great song!

  • I absoutly love this song and the clips phanomal!

  • i was not there but i do and i like this song.

  • i still think she is the best horse to step foot on the track.

  • What song s this???? Who sings this song??

  • @horsegirl1097 I write my own material (songs) for these videos. :-) The song is called The Great Match (Gerry Lukacik) Not sure if the download is still available through Amazonmp3. I'll have to check that later since it's about time to renew it's listing.

  • I love how you actually used real footige. I dont like the movie clips... I perfer this video ;) I can actually see how she ran too.. did you know that Ruffian and Foolish Pleasure are related? the grand father on their sire side was Bold Ruler :) they were racing cusions lol

  • Creo que todo "match",tiene algo de cruel.

    Entiendo el cariño de la aficion norteamericana y que despues de treinta y cinco años.RUFFIAN,sea considerada como la mejor yegua de todos los tiempos...al menos en U.S.A.

  • aww 35 years ago to this day):  R.I.P. Ruffian! love you beautiful girl!

  • I Love This Song And I Love The Movie!!!! Truly A Great Horse!! Personally Not A Big Fan Of Racing!! Hurts Alot Of Good Horses!!

  • hi gerry,

    may you post the lyrics here? or link to lyrics of the great match?

  • I love this song. The video is great as well, brought back memories.

  • Thank you for this video! I remember that day very clearly. My dad was a jockey's valet at Belmont and Jacinto Vasquez was one of his jockeys. I can't recall if he handled him on that day.....but I do have an autographed pic of Ruffin and Jacinto. : ) Such a sad day.

  • Foolish Pleasures owner was quoted saying "The first time they threw some speed at her, and the bitch comes unbuckled!" Right after the race.

  • foolish pleasure's owner was an asshole, that is terrible

  • OMG this really shows what a heart ruffian had, shes my fave racehorse ever, and both jockeys tried to pull their horses up if I remember my aunt telling me - she went to watch that race, she was 15

  • i love when she says girls can be ruffians too:)

  • che emozione........quanti pianti

  • ruffian queen rachel alexandra and zenyatta are the princess

  • The ultimate Equine Battle of the Sexes.

  • great

  • Just wondering... how did Foolish Pleasure's connections feel about winning this race?

  • Ruffian 747, if I remember correctly FP's trainer's father was laughing when it happend, and FP's trainer was pretty depressed and kept saying "I didn't want to win this way" and actually checked in on the Janney's.

  • They felt bad because he didnt want to win the race that way.

  • Ruffian... Greatest Filly EVER.

    Second, only, to Man O' War.

  • Everybody say a little prayer for Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta.

  • i luv ruffian and i luv all horses equally but i still wish she wouldve beat f.p's butt 2 prove all those sexist males WRONG!!

  • She was ahead of Foolish Pleasure when she went down

  • GO RUFFIAN!

  • it's true genes play a role but you can't say Ruffian's breakdown was a direct result of her breeding when you consider that the great Alydar was also a grandson of Native Dancer and he and many others managed to avoid these tragic accidents.

  • Her father broke down 4 times. Three times while racing and once more in his paddock, he was then put down. Her mother was put down after braking 2 legs while coming out of anesthesia. You cant rule out genetics just because some dont suffer the same fate, both of Ruffians grandfathers where notorious for having weak bones. Beside her breakdown wasnt a freak accident she had broken a leg before, it cut her 2yo season short. Her genetics are very much the reason for her demise. (respectfully)

  • Whats this song called? And can I download it anywhere? I absolutely love it! : )

  • i would give my life to bring her back and never let her die again =::(::::::::::::

  • funkycheezgirl they treat horses with more respect than you treat the sport evry horse is different some horses may love it and others maybe not R.I.P. ruffian

  • to horseA123 u suck he is right accedents do happen and ruffian was no accedent origonal chosen1 there is no such thing as an ordinary farm animal the horse chooses the owner and evrything happens for a reason you wanabe horse genius!!!D-:<

  • lyrics*

  • wow, I love this song and Ruffian! Do you know how can I download this song? Or anybody can give me the song's lirycs? My english is not the best...

  • Great song... I love how Jacinto chose Ruffian. To me, it pretty much proves that she was the best.

    I know a gelding who, despite the fact that he is male and a Morgan horse, could be Ruffian's twin.

  • A horse's performance is based on management,nutrition and genes. A horse can have porous bones from nutrition, which has come a long way, but unless you do density tests on these horses, you'll not know until they break a bone. And then you might blame the lack of density on genes, instead of nutrition.

    Just saying.

  • There are indeed many factors that go into whether or not a horse will have strong legs, but you have to stop and look at the big picture. Ruffian, her dam and her sire altogether broke a total of 8 legs, 9 if you count the smashing of her elbow after surgery. You cant say it doesnt run in the family.

    (Regards)

  • last i kneew there was a filly named Zenyata who has the exact same record as Ruffian. 10 undefeated races.

  • Ruffian was the greatest horse to have ever lived (for a female ) Support Ruffian in every way. Rest in peace Ruffian

  • I dissagree. I loved Barbaro, but you should really read Ruffian: Burning Fron The Start. It talks about her personality, her racing career and is really an amazing book. I don't know how anybody who likes horses could not like that book.

  • as my eyes well up in tears.......

  • Native Dancer Bloodlines were and still are associated to soft bones. That does not mean all his offspring had soft bones. Ruffian's accident can happen to any horse, anytime, anywhere regardless of bloodlines. We have witnessed this lately in some big races. examples Barboro, George Washington, 8 belles. It's unfortunate it happens to some great ones but this is horse racing. Every time race horses enter that starting gate they put their life on the line because they love what they do Run!

  • 8 Belles had to many Native Dancer line ih herself, and he had weak angles... Like it said on pedlines, you don't cross Rewiever line (he broke 3 times like, and after 4. he had to be eauthanized) on Native Dancer....

  • dsfiughdfuisdf, You are 100% right. I concur. I only disagree when people say all Native Dancer lines lead to bad breakdowns because they don't. Alot of great horses trace back to N.D. & do very well not to break down. Reviewer is a sad story all in itself. Ruffian was an accident waiting to happen unfortunately.

  • Thank you... I salut to Native Dancer for his bloodline, but in Ruffian case it's different story...

  • dsfiughdfuisdf, What do you mean by different in Ruffians case. I don't think I understand what you are getting at. Thanks, P.C.

  • She had so many soft bones on her line, not even great Discovery line (he was called "iron horse" for a reason) could not suprase that... In this case she got Native Dancers weak ancles...

  • Even though ruffian suffered a bad breakdown(i cried during the movie by ESPN) she was ahead before she broke down and she would've made foolish pleasure cry BIG time :) R.I.P Ruffian

  • First time since the race I have been able to even look at it. I was there at Belmont and of course had to see it all over again on the evening news. I was a kid and loved to go with my Uncle to watch the horses run (and sometimes place a $2 bet - lol). He had a hard time explaining to me what had happened on the way home (no one really knew for sure) but reading the NY Daily News the next morning was even worse. Damn shame.

  • I read something on Ruffian the other night, about her blood line.She was descented from champion fillies and they all had weak soft bones that eventually broke in a race or just running around at the ranch.

  • This is so sad, i almost cryed.. =..(

  • that damn filly gets me every fricken time

    her beauty was unmatchable

    and her grace was unforgetable!

    i just got a new filly thats identical to her! except maggie( my horse, ) has 2 hind socks!

    R.I.P. ruffian! take care of my lady blue up there!

  • Where do you get the book and the movie? I've looked and looked but I can't find it ANYWHERE.

  • Sometimes used copies will turn up on eBay, both the book and the movie.

  • @FlowerheartCloudclan - check out Amazon. That's where you can find anything, without the bidding hassle.

  • Ruffian was the greatest filly to ever live. I wish I could bring her back.

  • Me too. There is no other like Ruffian. :( She was one of the greatest, imagine the things she would have achieved!...

    song is very touching, too

  • In the song it says the race was the 7th of the day, but it was the 8th. (It says it was the 8th in the book by Jane Schwartz). The song did make me cry though.

  • OrginalChosen1-You're an idiot!!! Ruffian was WAY smarter then you will EVER be!!!! Get up off your fat ass and get a life, jeez!!!! And you're the farm animal with the way you waddle around on all fours snorting like a pig and tracking mud wherever you waddle cuz you're so fat!!!!

  • does anyone know where i can find quotes about ruffian? ive tried searching and just get the same article about 20 times, thanks

  • Ruffian Burning from the Start

    Jane Schwartz, I did a project on her and this is the best book I ever read, and the only one to have me in tears at the end. Amazing book, with a lot of information and deep quotes about her.

  • Hmmmm, seems to be a problem with this vid this morning. I'll see if the YT folks can fix it.

  • OK, looks like it's fixed already.....

  • What is this song called?

    I like it.

  • Hey ani, go throw some shrimp on the barbie, mate!

  • To horseA123; These SPORTS do not kill horses. I mean, accidents happen in every sport. To OriginalChosen1; No, we're not kidding. She wasn't just a farm animal. She was a PHENOMENAL horse, who was NOT a farm animal. Ruffian is amazing. No other horse like her. RIP!

  • You're an idiot.

  • Farm Animal? Haha!

  • HorseA123 just besause you dont like those sports dosent give you the right to say they kill thier horses! Everyone has a sport they dont like but they should keep thire oppioions to thier selvs! Ruffian was a great hose and thats what this vdeo is about!

  • I highly doubt that an owner or trainer of a multi-million dollar racehorse is going to purposely put their multi-million dollar investment in constant peril or treat it poorly. You don't spend millions on a horse and then not take evry percaution to protect it. Horseracing has accidents--like any sport, but every attempt is made to minimise these dangers.

  • Football, soccer, swimming, hunting, bastketball, baseball, soft ball the list could go on forever, Every sport is dangerous in it's own way. I love horses. I used to have 12. I SUPPORT horse racing.

  • Any Ruffian admirers I would highly recommend the book, "Ruffian: Burning from the Start."

  • I've read it. It was really good except it cussed a lot and had a bit more detail than I would have liked. Still, it is a great book.

  • I cannot believe that it was the Match Race she died in. That is so upsetting. Aww. R.I.P Ruffian. You will be greatly missed.

  • were did you get your clips

  • yeh i miss you too babe xxoo

  • I have some questions..

    Has Jacinto Vasquez died? I can't find anything to say that he has, nor anything that says he hasn't. oo.

    and..

    Where did you get the clips?

    I've looked through ESPN's podcasts, and they aren't there.

  • Jacinto Vasquez is very much alive.

  • Phew.

    Thanks.

    I was all so worried that he had died.

    But that would make big news.

    oO.

    Ignore my rumbling.

  • i dont agree if he were alive he would be more than a hundred years old

  • i am almost sure that u hav to buy the clips

  • Everytime I watch this video I cry.

  • Yer why can't they treat theses beautiful animals with respect they love to run and be free im not agaisn jumping and racing but i kind of don't agree with dressage ya know wat im saying

  • i'm personally a eventer and i love to jump but race horses are amazing but after running in circles there whole life there a little insain and i love dressage my horses love it but i cant stand what happens to race horses brains but man those horses are amazing

  • Why dressage?

  • Comment removed

  • ruffian will always be the fastest horse to run. it wasn't a race anymore foolish pleasure could have backed up the rest of the race and "won". poor ruffian

  • I just had eye surgery and should not have watched this video. It made me cry, now I'm in pain. Thanks for this great piece of work. Ruffian will always have a piece of my heart.

  • rip ruffian.poor girl..

    where did you get the clips?

  • Love It :)

  • grlscanbruffians2 is my screen name on a lot of stuff!

  • During an interview, where Stuart Janney was trying to explain to a reporter why they named her 'Ruffian', how they had already reserved the name, hoping for a colt, etc., Mrs Janney leaned into the microphone and said, "girls can be ruffians too," and that's where the line in the song comes from.

  • Another wonderful tribute. You all ways do such terrific work.

    'That girls can be Ruffians too'.

    Thanks for posting this video. Moved me to tears! Good tears, that doesn't happen often.

    :~)

  • Whats the Name of the Song please?

  • The Great Match

    Gerry :-)

  • I love Ruffian, she is the most beautiful racer. She is one of my favorite racehorses ever along with Afleet Alex, Barbaro,and Eight Belles. She should have won the race, and she would have won. Rest In Peace Ruffian, you are the greatest.

  • Jacinto Vasquez was lucky that year.

    He had Foolish Pleasure and Ruffian. I think Ruffian was definitely the best choice for the Match, she was by far the better horse.

    So beautiful. Wish I could have met her but she was before my time.

  • Thank you... One of the best, maybe even the best video I have seen... And I seen a lot....

    Ruffian - one and only..... Only the best one dies young....

  • Your so right. It is so sad because they try with all their hearts and get injured doing that. I miss ruffian SOOOOO much.

  • Frank Y. Whiteley, who was born in 1915, died May 2, 2008, in Camden, South Carolina, at age 93. He trained horses from 1936 until 1984. Among his winners were Tom Rolfe, Damacus, and Forego, but he is best remembered as the trainer of Ruffian. He knew she was the greatest; two days after her death he glanced at her old stall at Belmont and said, "That stall will never be occupied a long as I have this barn. There'll never be another horse worthy of entering it."

  • He would be the same age as my great grandmother. She is still alive and well.

  • i know i miss ruffian do u think shes seeing us right now from heaven I LOVE U RUFFIAN R.I.P.:'(

  • u got to go to that race lucky i wouldve gone but i wasnt born yet.

  • what is this song called?

  • The Great Match. It's now available as an mp3 download on places like amazonmp3, Rhapsody & iTunes, though I think amazonmp3 is currently 10 cents cheaper.

  • ok thanx!

  • He wrote it himself. :D

  • It's always terribly sad when a horse dies on the track but it seems so much more tragic when the horse is a champion; and when she is a once in a lifetime (or several lifetimes) horse that much more so... My father talked about Ruffian and this race but I was eight when it happened and had never seen her run b4. His eyes used to well up when he mentioned her name. I feel that way myself right now.

  • Notice that Ruffian was AHEAD when she broke down.

  • Poor horseit only had tree years to her happy live!!

  • like the song said" the filly she was perfect, she was tall, and she was black. some say she was the fastest one to set hoof on the track" well the song is correct.Besides Barbaro she was perfect. she would have had a big chance of winning if she did not break her leg! RIP barbaro and RIP Ruffian.Barbaro used to be my only favorite horse. i did not really care about this filly until my friend showed me this video. Now they are both my favorite horse.We will love them always. Rest In Peace!!!!

  • how did frank whiteley die and when? RIP Ruffian. what a amazing filly!!!!!!!!!! i love you so much!!!!!!!

  • I don't know if someone already told you this, but...

    Frank died on May 2, 2008. I had the opportunity to go see him before he died, in 2003. (; I asked him about Ruffian, and boy, he sure missed her.

    I'm glad he can be with his beloved girl.

    Rip, Frank and Ruffian!

  • He died on my birthday.

  • She. And that's sad.

    D=

  • Comment removed

  • This thing makes me cry every time -.-

  • RIP Ruffian, you were a great filly, and I think you would have flattened the colts if you had had a chance.

    I think Ruffian's story is one of the saddest in racing history. A great champion suddenly disappears. So sad.

  • My favorite song and the best Ruffian video. Let's also whisper "Rest in Peace" to her trainer Frank Whiteley, who died in May. He was our last real link with this great horse. I hope he's found her again.

  • Frank Whiteley died!?!

    I hope he's found Ruffian in heaven too.

  • Frank Whiteley really died?! Omg seriously?!

    I think Ruffian was the best racer in history.

    RIP Frank...

  • I'm happy to announce that this soundtrack is now available as an mp3 download at places like amazonmp3, iTunes, etc.

  • it is soooooooooooooooooooooooooooo.­........ hard 2 believe that the HORSE WITH THE BIGGESTTTTTTT HEART EVERRRRRRRRRRR died at 3 years old :( :( :( :( :( :(

  • nice

  • That poor horse...why did things have to end that way?

  • that was so sad when she brock down she was the best filly in the world and i will always miss her she was amazing!

    r.i.p ruffian

  • In the song, that sould be, "the starting bell had rung."

    "Rang" is incorrect. There will be a test next week...

  • LOL, there are a lot of things you can take liberties with in songwriting. "Rung" was a closer rhyme to "begun" than "rang" would have been. Rung and begun are approximate rhymes, and will work quite well in a song as most people won't notice them while listening.

  • o ok

  • Tragic story, if you look when they come out the gate, Ruffian bangs her shoulder. So she may have been running with her weight on one side :'(

  • thats soooo sad, poor horse, I just watched the movie and nearly cried! RIP Ruffian you were and still are great!

  • very good video:-)

    what's the name of this song?

  • The Great Match  :-)

  • Ruffian was Secretariat's half-sister....... 'nough said......

  • really where did you fineed that out?

  • By researching her pedigree, actually, Bold Ruler was her GRANDFATHER, and he was Secretariat's Father, so that made them cousins?? But his blood flowed through her on her sire's side.... Her FATHER was Secretariat's half-brother, I was little off! :) But still, that same blood was there......

  • *Riches

  • Every scince Ruffian showed up, it's the Sport of Queens, screw Rags to Roches :)

    Ruffian won that race. She broke down in the lead and the announcer said then the race was over. *Sings with the song* No, I am NOT crying! *Sniffle*

  • This was a tragic loss but ruffian didn't win the race Horse Racing is not like nascar. It looked like Ruffian would have won the race but the official result is Foolish Pleasure won.

  • Maybe that's the official result but to me she was the winner. Baeza eased up on Foolish Pleasure after the breakdown, it wasn't a race anymore. :'(

  • I hate this industry, but i love Ruffian so much...She truly was something special...:(

  • This industry is horrible, but i loved ruffian so much..she was truly something special.

  • Thank you for this excellent video, oktahahorses--your song is a wonderful tribute to this great filly and seeing footage of her again is both painful and exciting. I was one of the 18 million glued to the TV that day and I will never forget the horror we all felt, or how my mother and I kept vigil by the radio all night hoping to hear something positive about the efforts to save her.

  • Y do all the rly good horses die young? Like Ruffian or Barbaro?

  • It's because of how breeders and trainers work. These days, breeders are going for the lightweight horse, to help make them faster, and age old tradition has trainers starting horses at yearling age and racing them when they are 2. Line and inbreeding is another factor why todays young racehorses are breaking down to early, besides the common sense factor of they aren't allowed the proper time to let their bones harden. Racing 3yr olds is like racing horses with noodles and toothpicks for legs.

  • People should care more about these amazing animals. So many sad things happen, it's painful to see.

  • that was an amazing vidoe whats the song called?

  • The Great Match

  • oh thanks lol i must be blind

  • what's this song called?

  • The Great Match

  • Ruffian definitely had a heart of gold.

    Rip.

  • A wonderful tribute,

    R.I.P Ruffian, one of -the- fastest and bravest horses that will ever be known.

    Sleep peacefully and live on in our memories.

  • I think she is still that fastest horse. Great tribute!!

  • hermoso homenaje a la mejor yegua de la historia...

    como se llama la cancion? es increible