St Nicholas Abbey's Brave Battle

re: St Nicholas Abbey's Brave Battle

Bellwether — Wed, 05 Feb 2014 00:57:24 GMT

He fought to the bitter end...Bless his soul...

re: St Nicholas Abbey's Brave Battle

Paula Higgins — Sun, 02 Feb 2014 19:37:28 GMT

Steve, thank you for this detailed account of his fractures/surgeries, illness and the efforts to make him well again. Whenever you have one big problem with a horse, like multiple fractures, the potential for other significant problems is high. I can see how medications used to treat the pain etc. could have had a major impact on his intestinal motility, just as it would in a human. But human motility issues tend not to be life threatening. Not so with horses. A very sad day when I heard he had died. He was a special horse that many of us loved over here as well. His connections did everything they could and then some. They should be proud of what they did to try to save this wonderful horse.

re: St Nicholas Abbey's Brave Battle

Linda in Texas — Fri, 31 Jan 2014 04:58:19 GMT

Wanted to read about Evon's Bully and i found a whole page and a very nice photo of the beautiful grey Holy Bull Horse out of Belle Evon. It is dreadful to lose one at any age, i was so lucky mine lived long lives with minor issues as they aged.

re: St Nicholas Abbey's Brave Battle

Linda in Texas — Fri, 31 Jan 2014 04:43:18 GMT

Evon's Bully - so sorry for your loss also. Perhaps Evon's Bully and St. Nicholas Abbey are comparing their lives. I am a dreamer, just trying to make the loss a little easier as you mentioned. Linda

re: St Nicholas Abbey's Brave Battle

Evon's Bully — Thu, 30 Jan 2014 21:18:09 GMT

Steve, thank you so much for sharing St. Nick's story!

I just lost my stallion, Evon's Bully, to a much less drastic same story... he survived a radial fracture and had made it six weeks... no laminitis, bone healing great, until January 4th. Mild colic turned major, and nothing we could do.

I had followed St. Nick with extra interest after Evon's injury and am so sad at his loss. Somehow knowing that he had the best care in the world makes losing my guy a little easier. These valiant, tough Thoroughbreds make it so much harder on we who care for them when they don't let us know how badly they hurt until it's too late to help.

Your presentation of this story is wonderful. Thank you again, so much, for sharing!

re: St Nicholas Abbey's Brave Battle

gen.duke — Thu, 30 Jan 2014 20:30:10 GMT

I THOUGHT OF BARBARO WHEN READING ALL OF THESE COMMENTS 1-29-2007.I WAS HOPING ST NICHOLAS ABBEYS WOULD MAKE IT.RIP ST NICHOLAS ABBEYS AND RIP BARBARO.

re: St Nicholas Abbey's Brave Battle

deb — Thu, 30 Jan 2014 16:59:09 GMT

like family.

re: St Nicholas Abbey's Brave Battle

Fred and Joan — Thu, 30 Jan 2014 16:29:41 GMT

So, so sad that this good horse didn't survive . One thing good may come of it, as the experience gained from his care may help other horses in the future. We are fortunate that none of our thoroughbreds have never suffered more than a mild colic. The colic episodes we have had were able to be resolved without surgery. We GREATLY miss our first farm stallion Count Mein Too. We lost him a few years ago to what the veterinary hospital believed to be cancer. Our small farm spent over $10,000 trying to save him as he had an incredibly good temperament and brought us back to riding again after a devastating accident at the track. It is such a shame that St. Nicolas Abbey was not able to continue his line with sons or daughters! We can definitely identify with Coolmores loss.

re: St Nicholas Abbey's Brave Battle

Karen in Indiana — Thu, 30 Jan 2014 15:46:26 GMT

His loss breaks my heart.

re: St Nicholas Abbey's Brave Battle

lunar spook — Thu, 30 Jan 2014 14:04:31 GMT

One of my fondest memories of the breeders cup (and I have many ) is saint nick abbey coming from about 5th place as they turn for home to win the turf with joseph Obrien aboard ! what a talent , rip !

re: St Nicholas Abbey's Brave Battle

Amy Hurley — Thu, 30 Jan 2014 08:18:43 GMT

Thanks for the informative and touching article on this gallant warrior, Steve. It seemed to pass with very little notice on this side of the pond, which was a great injustice to a great racehorse. As your article demonstrates, he had a tremendous heart. What a shame it had to end this way, but he gave it a real fight.

re: St Nicholas Abbey's Brave Battle

Linda in Texas — Thu, 30 Jan 2014 04:00:25 GMT

Had as much love and respect for Brave St Nicholas Abbey as i did for Paynter and all who go through the terrible condition known as Colic. I wanted so badly for him to be able to carry on in his sires place and pass on the genes they shared. I don't handle many words well, and most are the ones that happened to him. So many issues that one would have taken the life of most. He was doing so well last known message from Coolmore, then the suddenness. Bless those who tried so hard to help him overcome his problems. Rest In Peace Dear St Nicholas Abbey. And thank you Steve. Not an easy piece for you to write i know and even harder to have to read it but we owe it to him because he wanted to live. He was a fairy tale in the making and i envision him winging his way to Heaven, After all he was a Saint. And a beautiful thing to watch when he raced.

re: St Nicholas Abbey's  Brave Battle

robinm — Thu, 30 Jan 2014 02:25:41 GMT

I followed St. Nicholas Abbey's medical reports avidly as I lost 2 horses last year, 1 from laminitis and 1 from colic. After going though this, I'm determined to learn all that I can about both these conditions, so deadly to horses. I had found a video clip of "St Nick" being walked in a barn aisle, and he looked fabulous, so was shocked to hear of the colic and inoperable condition of his colon and resulting euthanasia. I applaud the Coolmore Group for making every effort to save this brave horse. I can only hope he is running out in front of the pack in horse heaven.

re: St Nicholas Abbey's  Brave Battle

Alex'sBigFan — Thu, 30 Jan 2014 02:01:45 GMT

This is a tough read but very well done Steve and something that needed to be written in tribute to St. Nicholas Abbey. It's shades of Barbaro all over again and makes one realize even more now how lucky Paynter really was. And SNA had Barbaro's surgeon, Dr. Richardson, a veritable Superman himself. I'm starting to believe that Dr. Richardson can fly to Ireland without a plane.

It is such a shame that with all the advances in medical science in repairing the bone fractures that colic rears its ugly head in the end and undoes all the good that was done. Apparently SNA was stoic and did not show his colic discomfort. I wonder had he shown earlier signs of it could the outcome have been different if treated earlier? There seems to be so much colic, what is causing it, diet, medications, lack of hydration, what?

They are such a majestic animal, and when one accomplishes all that SNA did it is more heartbreaking that he should meet his untimely demise like this. My heart and sympathy goes out to all connections. It was a grand, gallant effort by all involved to save St. Nicholas Abbey. He's now frolicking in eternal pastures with his new friend Barbaro. RIP St. Nicholas Abbey, you will never be forgotten.

re: St Nicholas Abbey's  Brave Battle

foxhunter — Wed, 29 Jan 2014 22:14:26 GMT

Thanks Steve for the details, I was a huge fan of SNA after his Breeders Cup win. He fought a tough fight. I lost a mare post foaling on the operating table to this same type of colic, and her previously unsuspected high tolerance for pain also masked the severity of her case and shocked the surgeons. Sadly colic continues as a life threatening condition for even horses in the best possible circumstances. Thanks to Coolmore team for all of the updates since he was injured....and so sorry they did not have the happy ending we all hoped for.

re: St Nicholas Abbey's  Brave Battle

sceptre — Wed, 29 Jan 2014 21:49:12 GMT

Topic stimulated a bit more reading. As I understand it, an MRI can detect a volvulus. Of greater interest, perhaps, is another study I found, in which ultrasonography was successful in detecting early stage volvulus in the horse. In the horse, ultrasonography is a far less (than MRI) difficult procedure to perform. Should any Vets be reading this blog, I'd appreciate their take.

re: St Nicholas Abbey's  Brave Battle

Rebekah Myers — Wed, 29 Jan 2014 21:36:23 GMT

All my horses have been OTTBs & they have done nothing but bring me joy & companionship. I am so sorry for St Nicholas Abbey's connections. He should have had a long & productive life doing the things he was bred to do. Remember this: He brought his charms to gladden you, and though his stay was brief. He gave you treasured memories as solace for your grief. And though his life has ended much sooner than you had planned, you'll brave the bitter grief that comes and someday understand. RIP boy! You will be remembered.

re: St Nicholas Abbey's  Brave Battle

rams2050 — Wed, 29 Jan 2014 20:45:02 GMT

I was so saddened to hear of St. Nick's passing. What a gallant, talented horse he was. My sympathies to all of his connections, who must feel truly shattered by the untimely death of their great champion.

He is galloping in heaven now with Barbaro.

re: St Nicholas Abbey's  Brave Battle

Three D Invitation — Wed, 29 Jan 2014 19:38:35 GMT

These are such magnificent and courageous animals.

Coolmore did right by him in getting the very best practitioners available.

St Nicholas Abbey will live on in our hearts.

Rest In Peace. Free At Last.

re: St Nicholas Abbey's  Brave Battle

sceptre — Wed, 29 Jan 2014 18:36:37 GMT

This was the most detailed account I'd read on the history. Thanks very much for providing it. As complete as it was, I'm still left with two questions.

1. What, if any, is the causal relationship of his colic and the history of this case? For example, did his medications put him at greater risk for the colic?

2. He, unfortunately, exhibited only mild/moderate symptoms of colic, such that a twisted "gut" seemed unlikely-and they would have preferred avoiding another surgery which, in retrospect, could have proved life saving. My question is: Was MRI a viable alternative, i.e. could an MRI (performed at onset of symptoms) have revealed the twisted "gut"?

re: St Nicholas Abbey's  Brave Battle

FSF — Wed, 29 Jan 2014 17:45:14 GMT

Thanks for organizing the details all in one place. It was so sad to hear the news that he ultimately lost the fight. I admire Coolmore for putting so much effort into his care, and the collaborative spirit of the various vets who worked to try to save him. For those of us with pleasure horses, it's a sobering reminder just how fragile these creatures are- even a horse with literally hundreds of thousands of dollars spent on medical care can't always make it through colic events. Every time I get a call from my barn at a weird hour, the first thing that screams through my mind is "COLIC!"- it's something no one wants to face.

re: St Nicholas Abbey's  Brave Battle

Brown brother — Wed, 29 Jan 2014 17:24:14 GMT

He was as talented and brave as they get. As huge a loss to the breed as it is to his undoubtedly heartbroken connections. All of us who love the sport mourn with you.

re: St Nicholas Abbey's  Brave Battle

Terlingua — Wed, 29 Jan 2014 16:32:29 GMT

This account of the valiant fight Saint Nicholas Abbey waged to come back from a catastrophic injury is made all the more poignant since January 29 is the anniversary of the loss of the great Barbaro.

re: St Nicholas Abbey's  Brave Battle

Alicia McQuilkin — Wed, 29 Jan 2014 16:12:22 GMT

Thank you for sharing the details, even though they make St. Nicholas Abbey's story all the more heartbreaking. It was fascinating to learn all that's been learned and taught to save horses from what only a few years ago would have absolutely been life-ending fractures. I'm glad that the Coolmore team had been updating the fans throughout his recovery. The simple fact they went through so much to save him from such a dangerous injury says a lot about how special he was. All his fans thank them for trying and giving him the best chance possible.

re: St Nicholas Abbey's  Brave Battle

txhorsefan — Wed, 29 Jan 2014 16:08:44 GMT

Thank you, Steve. I just have no words to express how saddened the tragic loss of this horse has made my heart. My sympathies to his connections who obviously loved him very much. These wonderful creatures who give us so much pleasure are so very fragile.