Red Rum - The Aura of a Legend

Here is a tribute video to honor the indomitable Will, Power and Charisma of the legendary Red Rum. Early on in his racing career Red Rum was diagnosed with the debilitating bone disease known as pedal osteitis, - i.e. an inflammation of the pedal bone, or coffin bone. In late 1972 Red Rum was bought at auction for Noel Le Mare. Le Mare's purchase was influenced by his trainer Donald 'Ginger' McCain; who had already been keeping his eye on this descendant of the mighty St Simon. McCain then quickly proceeded to work and rehabilitate Red Rum with his unique method of taking Red Rum onto the sea and sand of the Southport beaches. According to Fran Jurga from hoofcare.com:

"...McCain was a genius in the way he trained Red Rum. He was the first trainer to harrow the beach, marking the gallop--this came after another horse of his cut its tendon on a broken bottle that had washed ashore, but it also softened the hardpacked sand. Other trainers had given up galloping on the beach because they felt it made horses more lame, but the harrowing really seemed to work for Red Rum.

If you've ever taken a horse to the beach, you know that it can be an interesting ride the first few times. After a while, horses usually love it, but the waves, open space and the shifting sand take some getting used to. But not for Red Rum: the first time McCain took him to the beach, the gelding walked right into the ocean up to his chest.

McCain supplemented the gallops on the flat sand with lots of time standing or walking in the water; surely the cold Irish Sea was good for any inflammation in the horse's feet. He also trained him up and down the forgiving sand dunes, which were great for the horse's muscles without putting a lot of stress on his feet."
read more here:- http://hoofcare.blogspot.com/2009/04/pedal-osteitis-sent-grand-national.html

Out from the beaches of Southport arose one of the greatest and noblest equines the world has ever witnessed.

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• 'Red Rum'
• 'Aintree Grand National'
• 'Scottish Grand National'
• 'Steeplechase'
• Ginger McCain
• 'Southport'
• 'Red Rum tribute'
• 1973
• 1977
• 'NFL Films Music'
• 'NFL Films'
• 'Sam Spense'

[arkleno1]

That win in the Scottish Grand National run at Ayr was just 3 weeks after winning his second National in 1974. A remarkable achievement as the race at Ayr is run over 4 miles and 1 furlong and 25 fences. He is the only horse to win both these tough races in the same season hardly surprisingly. He was also second in a Hennessey Gold Cup an important british handicap steeplechase run over 3 and a quarter miles, but Aintree was his place and there will never be another like him round there.

[Kierkegaard73]

@arkleno1 Even a Tolkien, or a Homer et al, could not have penned a more thrilling, inspiring & stupendous epic story-line than that which emanates from the real life of Red Rum & Ginger McCain. Thank you for the great comments both here and on R.R. - R.O.A.Hero.

[franjurga]

I love your video, though it made me cry. Thanks so much for quoting me. I think Red Rum's training regimen and recovery from (or ability to live with) pedal osteitis have helped many other horses who might have otherwise ended up permanently on the sidelines...or worse.

[Kierkegaard73]

@franjurga Thank you. I hope you do not mind, I meant to send you a request to cite your article before I referenced it, but when I uploaded this youtube decided to to make things rather difficult and in the process I forgot altogether to send you the query. Your efforts at hoofcare are really impressive, and your writing talents are certainly nothing to overlook. Rummy, a true icon, transcended his sport and, I concur w/your sentiment that his example has greatly helped other noble equnes.

[franjurga]

It's ok, I understand. It would have been great if you could have asked but I realize these things happen!